[toolman]

OK I am looking to buy a couple PWC's for my daughters. I have read everything I could find and the general consensus is that the Yamaha machines are bulletproof with regard to reliability. I was all ready to buy the VX's when the dealer (who sells both yamaha and Sea Doo) recommended the GTi SE over the VX Crusier due to the ibrake. He also said the reliability issues with the Sea Doo related more to the super charger modles and even that is not really applicable after the last couple of years.

Can anyone offer some guidance here. While reliability is huge, safety is most important for me. Does the brake make that much of a difference where I should consider a less reliable machine? Also have there been any reliablity issues for anyone on the Sea Doos other than the supercharger models?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Outlaw]

Seadoo is the smart choice IMO

Okay, first of all you are going to get a lot of opinions on this forum mostly guided by brand loyality. So you are going to have to sort through all the opinions. Having said that here is mine, Seadoo is the most technologically advanced ski on the market, Not so much the brake but the I-controls which is drive by wire and allow much easier manuverability with no resistance, I know because I have used them for two years. About the brake, it is very helpful but not fool proof. You must use it like a car brake to slow you down then as you approach something let off the brake and use slight throttle to steer. Look at my avitar that is the brake at 70 mph. The other reasons you will like the GTI is the stepped S-3 hull. It has a deeper V than the VX and a smoother and drier ride. Seadoo is the only ski that has this hull. Next their motors are built in Austria not Japan, European vs Japanese, plus who knows what is going on in Japan today. Their dealer network is impecable.

About superchargers, I know you are not looking at these however let me say that all my Seadoos are 1500 supercharged motors starting with my 2006RXT, 2008 GTX 215 and 2009 RXT255-is. My 2006 RXT is now modified with a RIVA STAGE III fit yielding 295 HP @ 8500 RPMS with a top end of 76-78 mph which is run hard. None of my superchargers have given me a minute of trouble.

So don't buy yesterdays technology buy the best, buy Seadoo. :appl::thumbsup:

If you have any other questions please write back. BTY, if the dealer that sell both Seadoo and Yamaha is recomending Seadoo says it all.

 

[Ernest T]

Tough choice between those 2 skis. I hate to agree with Outlaw on anything Seadoo, but I think the GTI will probably give you a little better/dryer ride than the VX.

The VX is rock solid in reliability (why all the rental shops use that model), and it is the most fuel efficient ski on the market and runs on 87 octane, if that is a consideration.

My advice is not let the brake issue sell the ski. It can actually get you in trouble if you rely on it at the wrong time.

If you ride them both, I think you will end up liking the GTI, but I'd recommend trying them both before you decide.

Can't believe I'm actually recommending a Seadoo?????

 

[YamaDoo]

X3 on the SeaDoo. It's a brand new platform for 2011. While the VX came out in 2005 if I remember right. Personally I've been riding PWCs for 15 years with no brakes and never had any issues. But it's a nice safety feature to have just in case, I suppose. I heard nothing but great reviews on the new GTI, that should tell you something.

 

[IDEagleEye]

I haven't been doing this for a long time like some of you, bought my first PWC last May (2009 Yamaha VX Cruiser - bought new in 2010), although I had ridden them before (rentals and other people's craft). Many many years of motorcycle experience, so not completely new to riding.

After using it quite a bit all summer last year, I do have to say that I am not completely satisfied. One of my issues is control in waves. The VX doesn't seem to cut through the wake as well as some I have seen. If it's very choppy out on the lake, then you get pretty beat up if you are going very fast. I am constantly in search of calmer waters.

Towards the end of last summer, we were headed back towards the dock just before sundown. The water had glassed out pretty well, and I was really cruising (probably 45-50 mph). We were in a canyon, and a boat was coming up the canyon towards us.

I slowed down some when I came up on the wake, but I was shocked with what happened when we hit the relatively small wake. We were airborne, and my wife (on behind me) would have been thrown off if it wasn't for the straps on my lifevest. She crashed down pretty hard with her chin on my shoulder when she landed, and although we weren't seriously hurt, we were both pretty shaken up. My wife's jaw and head hurt for a couple days after.

For point of reference, I see the PWCs that the local sheriff's patrol uses (among others), and they are cruising right along through the wakes without really jumping around very much. More like a bigger boat would.

I am now considering purchasing a second PWC, and am in search of information on how the different hulls cut through the water. I know that the Yamaha FX line has a different hull design, but haven't ridden one.

Jeff

 

[Outlaw]

I haven't been doing this for a long time like some of you, bought my first PWC last May (2009 Yamaha VX Cruiser - bought new in 2010), although I had ridden them before (rentals and other people's craft). Many many years of motorcycle experience, so not completely new to riding.

After using it quite a bit all summer last year, I do have to say that I am not completely satisfied. One of my issues is control in waves. The VX doesn't seem to cut through the wake as well as some I have seen. If it's very choppy out on the lake, then you get pretty beat up if you are going very fast. I am constantly in search of calmer waters.

Towards the end of last summer, we were headed back towards the dock just before sundown. The water had glassed out pretty well, and I was really cruising (probably 45-50 mph). We were in a canyon, and a boat was coming up the canyon towards us.

I slowed down some when I came up on the wake, but I was shocked with what happened when we hit the relatively small wake. We were airborne, and my wife (on behind me) would have been thrown off if it wasn't for the straps on my lifevest. She crashed down pretty hard with her chin on my shoulder when she landed, and although we weren't seriously hurt, we were both pretty shaken up. My wife's jaw and head hurt for a couple days after.

For point of reference, I see the PWCs that the local sheriff's patrol uses (among others), and they are cruising right along through the wakes without really jumping around very much. More like a bigger boat would.

I am now considering purchasing a second PWC, and am in search of information on how the different hulls cut through the water. I know that the Yamaha FX line has a different hull design, but haven't ridden one.

Jeff

If you are not adverse to Seadoo the new S-3 hull has a 24 degree deadrise which is what performance boats like my Outlaw use as well as being a stepped hull. This is the only hull on the market that has these features. Also the new Seadoos are 6 inches longer and a bit heavier which translates into a better ride, the weight helps and the length keeps it from hopping as much, the deeper V hull cuts the water better and the step in the hull gives an air bubble effect which allows it to slip thru the water better as well increasing top speed by reducing friction. Also the new I-controls which drive by wire are much easier to use and dock in tight places. You also have the brake to help slow down. So having said that and the dealer that sells both Yamaha and Seadoo recommends Seadoo and so do I.:appl::thumbsup: