Mainer

Hey all. I'm new here, but have been diligently reading the posts here in an effort to learn as much as I can.

I'm new to the PWC arena, but I'm going to be buying one here in the not too distant future. Given I live in Maine, the season is winding down so it probably won't be until next spring when I pick one up.

That being said, I've been reading suggestions about not buying a PWC without trying it out first. That certainly makes sense, but from reading the sales posts in Craigslist, I see what I'd call some good deals, but for one reason or another, the majority of them aren't in the water. Mostly because they haven't been used this year or they're already done being used for the season.

Now, while I'd certainly buy a used PWC from a dealer, but aside from them offering some sort of warranty, you don't get to try it there either, and for an older sled (04-06) is a dealer really going to offer me any sort of real warranty?

How does one navigate buying a used PWC, especially, in the late winter/spring when they are the cheapest, but aren't in the water yet?

I know checking the compression is important, but is there a checklist of items one should go over or is the best thing to do is cart it off to a mechanic and pay them a hundred bucks to give it a once over?

Ernest T

I think you are much safer if you are buying a 4 stroke ski. Buying a 2 stroke would really be a crap shoot without a test ride, compression check, etc.. Getting a mechanic to check things out is a good idea if you don't know your way around the ski, but there won't be any way he can tell you it functions properly, only that everything looks OK.

Here is a potentially even bigger problem of not riding the ski. Without taking a test ride, you will have no idea how that model ski handles. Unless you are familiar with the model you are buying, and have ridden one of that type before, I wouldn't make a purchase. You may end up with a ski that is too unstable, bouncy, wet, etc.. Here is an example, before I bought my ski, my wife and I rented several skis. I learned pretty quick that I didn't like the Honda ride (one of my top picks before I rode it), and my wife let me know that she didn't like the Yamaha VX (too bouncy and wet for her).

If you have narrowed it down to one or two specific models that you know will work for you, then how about writing up a bill of sale that has a clause that says that you have not had a chance to water test the ski, and the seller warrants the ski to a specific date (something reasonable when the weather would permit a test ride).

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2008 Yamaha FX HO Cruiser
2010 Hurricane Sundeck 2100

Mainer

Thanks for the response! I agree with your points and is why I'm spending time getting familiar with who offers the type of ski I "think" I'll enjoy now.

Getting up to speed with the makes and models now will help me in my search later. The information will also help me to know what questions to ask, what to look for mechanically, and what to expect for performance once I'm ready to pull the trigger.

One thing I am fearful of is not being able to test the ski, but I see far more skis for sale where you can't test it out, and come next spring, I know it'll be even more so since it'll still be cold.

It isn't easy to make the decision of looking to buy low, but sacrificing riding the ski to try it out for that lower price.