[djtech2k]

Hello All.

I am very new to not only this site but also as a potential PWC owner. I have rented many times, but never owned.

I am looking for 2 PWC's for my family to enjoy on the weekends and holidays. I live in the Washington DC area.

I do not know much about which brands/models to buy so any suggestions are welcomed.

I am want 2 of them because I have a family of 4. I want at least 1, if not both, to be 3 seaters. I recently went to my local Honda dealer and was impressed by the Honda's I saw.

I do not want anything that "needs work" or has issues. I do not want anything with an abundance of hours on it either.

I do not have a hard price set yet, but I am not interested in spending new retail money for them. Since this is my first purchase and not something I can use every weekend year-round, I want it to be very reasonable. I found brand new 165HP Honda's for around $6k and that's more than I want to spend, just for a reference point.

So if you have or know of a pair of nice PWC, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[djtech2k]

Any ideas? I am still looking and just stopped back by this forum to check things out.

 

[JayDawg]

My personal recommendation is to go with Kawasaki or Yamaha. They have been around the longest, have the best technology, are the most reliable and last the longest. Since you are looking to buy 2 used jet ski's that are 3 seaters but only a year or two old, how much are you looking to spend per ski? That can help narrow down to what you are looking for.

 

[djtech2k]

Well, the price I am not 100% sure. I say that because I honestly do not know what I am capable of getting for what kind of price. If I could get something worth buying for say $5k for a pair then that would be great. But if something like that is really so low-end that its not worth it then I guess I have to adjust my expectations.


The bottom line is that I do not want to buy an old headache, but the new prices of $10k+ per jetski are not an option either.

 

[JayDawg]

For 5k a piece, you have plenty of option but I doubt you will find any good quality ski that is only 1 or 2 years old for that price. Maybe 3-5 years old but if it has low hours and has been well maintained, you have no worries. To give you an example, I have a 96' stand up with well over 100 hours on it. I'm actually guessing 125 to 150 hours on it. A majority of those hours have been in salt water and the ocean wave jumping but I have never had any problems with the ski. It runs like a champ! Same with my 99 Ultra 150. It only has 41 or 42 hours on it but it has been very well maintained and I have no issues with it either.

What I would recommend to you is a Yamaha 3 seater that is 3-5 years old that is at least 1200 cc 2 stroke motor or 1400 cc 4 stroke motor. Same with the Kawasaki. I would have to see what models were out 3-5 years ago because during that time frame I really didn't follow up on the latest models simply because I love the 2 jet ski's that I now have but now that I have a wife and kids, I am starting to look again because the we now need another sit down ski for the family.

 

[JayDawg]

Oh, one more thing. Look for ski's that are completely bone stock. The only exception to that rule that I would make are if they intake grate or ride plate have been changed because that is only a few bolts each and has nothing to do with any moving parts. If it has a different impeller, that is okay too as the aftermarket ones like Skat Trak and Solaris are really good but find out if the impeller was changed due to damage or just wanting increased performance and then, who did the work?

 

[djtech2k]

Thanks VERY much. Any good ideas of where to look? I live outside the DC area.

 

[djtech2k]

So buying 2 of them in the $5k range, what should I expect to be able to get? And is it worth buying them or should I only consider something higher? I don't need to go 80mph because I have 2 sons that will be riders. So, high speed is not what I am looking for. As long as its 50mph or so top end (or more), I think thats plenty to use for quite a while. I am looking for 3 seaters because I do know that 3 seaters to fit 2 people more comfortably, but I guess 1 of the 2 ski's could be a 2 person. My end goal is to have 2 riders on each ski 99% of the time and only occasionally having 3 riders on either. So, 3 is preferred, but I guess a 2 seater could be ok on one of them.

Thanks Again.

 

[JayDawg]

It's not that you will be going 80mph, because with 2 or 3 riders you won't. But, you need something that powerful to get up to decent speeds and have fun with 2 or 3 riders. Keep in mind too, if you get to small of a ski with 2 riders, it will take a lot longer to get up to speed with both of them on it. Trust me, that will suck! As far as the DC area, I am not from there but see if your local 7-11 or mini mart has a boat trader or try searching online.

 

[djtech2k]

Ok, well as I am looking, here are a few deals that I have seen or been offered. Let me know what you think about these deals. I mean which is a good buy, etc:


NEW:

2007 3 seater NON-Turbo Honda's (2) - @$7200 per ski


Used:

2006 kawasaki 900stx (16hrs), 2000 kawasaki 900stx (70 hrs), come with a dbl trailer $9500

1999 Kawasaki ZXi 1100 2 Seater. 1999 Yamaha XL1200 3 Seater (gauge pblms on 1) $5500

2001 Sea Doo GTI with new motor and warr. $3000

1997 Sea Doo GSX runs good , looks good. $2500

1996 Yamaha Wave Venture 700 $1500

1994 Yamaha Wave Blaster $2000

Double trailer and covers incl.

 

[JayDawg]

The first 3 will be your best deals. Stay as far away from Sea Doo as you can! Trust me, they have the worst reliability and customer service for getting warranty work done.

 

[JayDawg]

I forgot to add, The 700's are good but for what you want to do, they are too small. Don't go anything smaller than an 1100.

 

[bobby bahama]

$6000 is a great deal for a new Honda! That's half the price of a new one. That would come with a warranty also. But if that's too much, check Ebay for a used one. You might find some there in the $3-5000 dollar range. I'd stick with the new 4-strokes that have fuel injection. They run cleaner & quieter than the old carbureted 2-strokes (no stinky oil fumes or trails of oil left behind in the water). You won't have to have them rebuilt every 200 hours, either. Buying older machines is probably going to be buying somebody elses' headache. Don't be afraid to travel a little bit, if you can find a good deal, it'll be worth it.
I've put over 110 hours on my Honda in 9 months of riding, and it still runs like new. Others have put close to 2000 hours on theirs (yes, that's 2000). It'll do 60 mph all day & is great on gas, has lots of power, and is very quiet. Get a Honda or a Yamaha if reliability is important. my.02 cents