Wes45

Saw these at the boat show in Dallas and they are the same price out the door. Plan on keeping it on a lake in a friends slip on a lift near Dallas for the wife and I to ride. I like the seemingly low maintenance and operating expense with the Yamaha but like the brake, neutral starting and extra HP that the SeaDoo offers.

Can I go wrong with either one? I have no prior PWC experience except for renting them 10 years ago in Ocean City, MD. I already have a loan approved for the SeaDoo and just not 100% sure if that is the right decision. My insurance will be $537/yr on either one.
Thanks.

Outlaw

Since you are going to be on freshwater lake either cooling system will do. depending on how rough the lake is you may want the advantage of the S-3 hull the Seadoo offers, in my opinion the Seadoo hull works better in rough water. Also the drive by wire steering and IBR controls are easy to operate. You are getting a supercharged ski which down the road requires maintenance to the supercharger.

Ok, about the brakes. They are mostly useful at high speeds to deaccelerate quickly then ease up and use your throttle and steering to avoid something. The last thing you want to do is lay on the brakes and hope for the best because if you don't stop in time you have no steering. So it takes some gettin use to the brake system and how to best use it. It will howevr stop you faster from a high speed. So my vote is for the Seadoo

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2006 RXT with RIVA STAGE THREE KIT 295 HP

2009 RXT-IS 255 HP

2008 GTX 215 HP



Land Rocket - 2003 Z06 Corvette, Chevy

Ernest T

You can't go wrong with the Yamaha..........super reliable. That is a very stable ski 3 person ski. It makes a great towing platform for tubes. It will give you a very dry ride (important for my wife to keep the hair dry), and handle rough water very well. It runs around 63 mph on a normally-aspirated engine, so no super/turbo charger to worry about. Plus it runs 87 octane, so you will save $$$ at the pump. Excellent gas mileage for ski this size. You can do your own maintenance with a little mechanical skill.

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2008 Yamaha FX HO Cruiser
2010 Hurricane Sundeck 2100

Wes45

Thanks Earnest, how much of a hassle is it maneuvering the HO with the brake lever on the right side and no neutral when you start it up? The long term cost savings is what keeps me thinking about the FX HO. Plus who knows where gas prices are going to be in a few years.

Wes45

Well, the SeaDoo is the one I got the loan approved for and all I need to do is go sign the papers and pick it up. I can handle the extra maintenance cost due to the supercharger, etc, just not thrilled about the gas mileage being worse and having to run premium vs regular. I guess it's a decision about the extra features and addl power being worth the extra cost to run and maintain the SeaDoo since they both cost the same. I'm getting the 260, Seadoo trailer and cover for $13,500 out the door.
Thanks for the info.

Has anyone owned both of these PWCs?

Outlaw

Yes I own the 2009 RXT-iS 255 great engine and controls, You don't need to worry about the supercharger until 100 hours of use, then it is a rebuild kit plus labor. But you are getting a much more technology advanced ski. IMO Yamaha better pony up or Seadoo is going to eclispe their market share. I think the Austrian 4- strokes are better than the Jap ones. That is good price also. Did you get the RXT-X or the RXT? Also I have run 89 octane in my ski when needing gas on the water blending it with premium. My dealer said that High test is recommended but it will run on 89 octane with no trouble, thats typically what marinas sell.

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2006 RXT with RIVA STAGE THREE KIT 295 HP

2009 RXT-IS 255 HP

2008 GTX 215 HP



Land Rocket - 2003 Z06 Corvette, Chevy

Wes45

It's the 2011 Yellow RXT 260 without suspension. The salesman said because I was planning on just using it here on the lake that I really didn't need to spend the extra $$ for the iS version with suspension, although I had back surgery in 1992 and when I rented one in OC, MD a few years later and took it out in the ocean, I couldn't walk for 2 days because of the pounding. If I was closer to the ocean and was going to ride it there I would definately buy one with suspension.

I just spoke to another friend here at work who recommended the Seadoo as well. My brother who owns a 42 ft Sea Ray in Baltimore knows nothing about PWCs and just said get the one that make you happy.

Arctic

I really initially wanted a yamaha because of the fuel and had heard nothing but good things about their reliability. I ended up realizing that It's not like this is going to be the daily commuter vehicle. If I burned 200 gallons of gas through this thing and ended up costing me $100 more in fuel for the summer and I rodesomething that hauls ass instead of kinda fast. It's worth it to me.

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WATER: 2008 - sea-donkey RXT S/C STOCK
SNOW: 2012 - Arctic Cat XF High Country 800 2-smoker
LAND: 2005 Kawasaki Brute 750, 1997 Club Car, 2009 GMC Sierra 2500HD CCSB D/A SLT

Outlaw

+1 the rush is totally worth it

__________________
2006 RXT with RIVA STAGE THREE KIT 295 HP

2009 RXT-IS 255 HP

2008 GTX 215 HP



Land Rocket - 2003 Z06 Corvette, Chevy

Wes45

Well, I spent most of my lunch hour at the dealership that sells both the Yamaha and SeaDoo. After a bit of talking it through I decided I really liked the power of the SeaDoo and reliability of the Yamaha and at the time was standing in front of a 2011 Crimson red metallic Yamaha FX SHO. BINGO!

I completed another credit app today for the Yamaha promotion and got a smoking deal on the SHO. Plus when I checked with the "boss", she likes the red color the best out of all of them and you know how that goes.

Thanks for all your comments and feed-back and I'll be back after I get it out for the maiden voyage, possibly on Saturday.