New Boat/Possible jet ski poll

**Murder after Midnight** · 02-14-2017, 03:20 PM

Was at the boat show this weekend, got a chance to check out all the new boats and ski's. Was really impressed with the Glastron GTS 185 and the Yamaha AR192 and the basic but very functional Bayliner Element E16 and E18. Also on the jet ski front.... That Kawasaki Ultra 310 LX is a bad boy.....supposed to be the GOAT from what i'm hearing...... After looking at this prices lol, i pretty much came the conclusion i could get a really nice boat like the Glastron or the yamaha or I could get a basic but functional boat like the element E16 or maybe the E18(if they move enough on the price) and get a bad ass ski like the Kawasaki Ultra and maybe a nice cheap companion ski for a couple grand to go with her. This would come out to around the same price as one of the nicer boats maybe a little more. Which would you rather have? My current 23 year seadoo speedster needs everything lol...it would be a cool project boat for sure but it would be nice to have some actual room to invite some friends out on a boat now and then. the speedster is basically a 2-3 seat boat lol, fun but small.......

Gonna throw a poll up....just going through all the boat books from the show.....

**pajeff02** · 02-17-2017, 03:24 PM

Haven't had a boat in the family since maybe 1994... maybe we'll have one again someday. I would probably lean towards an old wooden classic since I tend to prefer challenges.

**Murder after Midnight** · 02-18-2017, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Haven't had a boat in the family since maybe 1994... maybe we'll have one again someday. I would probably lean towards an old wooden classic since I tend to prefer challenges.

LOL yeah those are classics for sure.....prices on new boats are through the roof....

**pajeff02** · 02-19-2017, 06:58 AM

From what I remember they are also a lot of work to maintain.

**CJREX** · 02-19-2017, 10:24 AM

Consider carefully if you will use it as much as you think.

They are a big money and time vampire.

I've been there/done that with the boat and experienced the best 2 days of a boat owner's life:

The day I bought it and the day I sold it.

In the end, there are people who love boats and will always have one. I found that was not me.

Too much hassle for the times I used it.

YMMV, but there's always a TON of used nearly new boats for sale.

Now that I've become

I'll shut up.

**raynor139** · 02-19-2017, 11:20 AM

Currently have a 26 ft premier pontoon for group gatherings and 2 kawasaki jet skis for the people who want a little more fun then just hanging out on the boat. Cool thing about modern pontoon boat engines is that we can tow skiers and rafts pretty damn fast. With the engine on ours we can hit around 55 or so according to the specs since of course we got the bigger one. According to the dealer on a clear smooth day we could see 70. Ive never tried it but thought about it a few times.

It's not too bad since my brother and I split all the costs. The slip for the boat probably cost us the most each year. We finally got that because we were spending so much time loading and unloading it all we wasted a good portion of the day. Jet skis take 20 minutes. I could get a jet ski add on dock for our slip but it isn't worth the cost.

I usually have to replace at least one battery every season. I have yet to go one year without replacing one. This is with keeping them out and on trickle chargers during off season. The jet ski batteries are by far the worst about going bad. The jet skis stay in a garage and the boat gets wrapped during off season. Not as bad as I thought it would be since once the wrap was customized to it we can use it for several seasons. All 3 watercraft were built between 2011 and 2012 but they still take alot of maintenance and upkeep. There are definitely years were we consider getting rid of them. So far major issues have been mainly with the boat. Most were electrical in nature. Luckily all under warranty and the dealer came up to the lake we have it on and took care of them for us. That alone has been worth buying new.

If I didn't share responsibility for them they would of been gone or never even purchased. It's more then I would want to deal with alone. Even our dad helps with keeping them maintained since he and our mom use the boat.

**Murder after Midnight** · 02-19-2017, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by CJREX

Consider carefully if you will use it as much as you think.

They are a big money and time vampire.

I've been there/done that with the boat and experienced the best 2 days of a boat owner's life:

The day I bought it and the day I sold it.

In the end, there are people who love boats and will always have one. I found that was not me.

Too much hassle for the times I used it.

YMMV, but there's always a TON of used nearly new boats for sale.

Now that I've become

I'll shut up.

That's cool man. I needed that cold water in my face......because it's something i'm not sure about.......

**Murder after Midnight** · 02-19-2017, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by raynor139

Currently have a 26 ft premier pontoon for group gatherings and 2 kawasaki jet skis for the people who want a little more fun then just hanging out on the boat. Cool thing about modern pontoon boat engines is that we can tow skiers and rafts pretty damn fast. With the engine on ours we can hit around 55 or so according to the specs since of course we got the bigger one. According to the dealer on a clear smooth day we could see 70. Ive never tried it but thought about it a few times.

It's not too bad since my brother and I split all the costs. The slip for the boat probably cost us the most each year. We finally got that because we were spending so much time loading and unloading it all we wasted a good portion of the day. Jet skis take 20 minutes. I could get a jet ski add on dock for our slip but it isn't worth the cost.

I usually have to replace at least one battery every season. I have yet to go one year without replacing one. This is with keeping them out and on trickle chargers during off season. The jet ski batteries are by far the worst about going bad. The jet skis stay in a garage and the boat gets wrapped during off season. Not as bad as I thought it would be since once the wrap was customized to it we can use it for several seasons. All 3 watercraft were built between 2011 and 2012 but they still take alot of maintenance and upkeep. There are definitely years were we consider getting rid of them. So far major issues have been mainly with the boat. Most were electrical in nature. Luckily all under warranty and the dealer came up to the lake we have it on and took care of them for us. That alone has been worth buying new.

If I didn't share responsibility for them they would of been gone or never even purchased. It's more then I would want to deal with alone. Even our dad helps with keeping them maintained since he and our mom use the boat.

Yeah man, that's the thing...all the expenses will be on me..if i get it lol that's big concern of mine.....lol wish i had friends with these toys smh......

**Zinergy** · 02-21-2017, 09:59 AM

Being from Wisconsin my family has always had "up north" lake homes(as that was the thing to have from the end of WWII until now) and with that boats. Not to mention WI basically fueled the personal motor boat industry from the 1920s until recently. Evinrude, Johnson and Mercury Marine are or were all WI companies within 150 miles of one another. I grew up on lakes/rivers, was driving a boat around the lake before I could legally drive a car. Then again I learned to drive stick on frozen lakes and was driving my cousins and uncles to and from shantys before I could legally drive a car. I really don't think boats are that much work in general. No more so than a classic car anyway. They suffer from the same issues of sitting for too long or being unused. They come with similar storage challenges although the can tend to be larger than a 17 foot car. You should have a procedure for preparing your boat for winter storage. We have boats in my family from the 60s-70s, I use my brother in laws 78 sea sprite a couple times a summer. V-hull fiberglass, 90hp outboard.... works great. Engine was rebuilt in the 90s and we added power trim. Great boat for cruising or tubing. I think a big part of the BS that comes a long with owning a boat is not so much that they require some work but that it is EXTRA work. You already have cars, trucks and or whatever vehicle you maintain to make it through your daily routine. A boat is just extra work for a vehicle you only use every so often.

I have been considering buying a boat myself as I have a family now which means my ATVs/motorcycle get limited use. A boat I can fit the fam in. I am just considering how much use it would get. My family still has a couple lake homes and my mother has a place on the WI river with it's own launch and slip. But we only make it to those places a few times a year because of kids and life etc. I don't want to buy a boat and only use it 3-5 times a year. I'll just keep borrowing family/friends boats if that is what we determine.

**OKSS** · 03-19-2017, 10:42 AM

The Kawi Ultra 310x is probably the best all around ski you can get IMO. I have 2 2013 Ultra 300's and they will go fast enough to kill you, pull multiple tubes/skiers, plenty of room for fat people, etc. Batteries have been a problem for both of them. I have had to get a new one for both at the beginning of season since I've had them. Other than that, the only problem I have had is for some reason they use steel bolts on most of the ski and I had a supercharger bolt back out on one of them. Luckily I replaced it before having major issues. Here there are numerous dealerships that have numerous 2 and even 3 year old models marked WAY off the MSRP.

I think just about every manufacturer except Bombardier uses steel bolts on 90% of the machines. The other brands make very good money on selling stainless bolt kits (but they are well worth it IMO)

**Murder after Midnight** · 03-20-2017, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by OKSS

The Kawi Ultra 310x is probably the best all around ski you can get IMO. I have 2 2013 Ultra 300's and they will go fast enough to kill you, pull multiple tubes/skiers, plenty of room for fat people, etc. Batteries have been a problem for both of them. I have had to get a new one for both at the beginning of season since I've had them. Other than that, the only problem I have had is for some reason they use steel bolts on most of the ski and I had a supercharger bolt back out on one of them. Luckily I replaced it before having major issues. Here there are numerous dealerships that have numerous 2 and even 3 year old models marked WAY off the MSRP.

I think just about every manufacturer except Bombardier uses steel bolts on 90% of the machines. The other brands make very good money on selling stainless bolt kits (but they are well worth it IMO)

That's great man....any pics? How much are they discounted 310lx going for in your area? BTW i see your in okc.....you guys still mad at durant?

**OKSS** · 03-20-2017, 08:07 AM

Pssh.. doesn't bother me. He's just chasing a ring like Lebron did. Westbrook won't be in OKC for much longer either.

**bigrondownhiller** · 03-22-2017, 02:14 PM

I prefer a boat to a ski, you are able to bring more people aboard. As other says maintenance can be a bit of a pain. You are in freshwater, nothing like dealing with salt water where everything corrodes. Decided what your main use will be to determine the boat. When it gets warm see if there are any in water boat shows. Then you can demo a few to see what you like/dislike about certain models.