Sea Ray vs....

How long did you have ur 220? Did you use it in fresh or salt water? What was max speed? What year was it

Without a doubt, this would be perfect for you.
It was a 2003, with the standard engine (260hp I think), and oh man it was fast. Specs had it topping out at 42 or 43mph, but I got it to 49-50mph once (GPS).

GREAT GREAT GREAT boat.
 
is there a list of differences between the model years anywhere? Also, what are the biggest things someone should look for in looking at used models?
 
is there a list of differences between the model years anywhere? Also, what are the biggest things someone should look for in looking at used models?

Get a good surveyor to take a look at your top choice, as always. Otherwise, you shouldn't worry too much. Make sure you don't narrow your search on an optional, higher-powered, engine. The standard one on the 220, like I said before, is PERFECT.

Let us know what you end up doing. Some pictures of potentials would be nice. :thumbsup:
 
Please pardon my ignorance (though I guess thats already been done given your presence still in this thread) but what exactly is a surveyor?

Once I pick a brand I will narrow down a model. Then comes the choosing of an individual and the emptying of my wallet :grin:
I may end up being forced to wait until spring because I really feel I should probably obtain a water demo to make sure I pick the right one.

Get a good surveyor to take a look at your top choice, as always. Otherwise, you shouldn't worry too much. Make sure you don't narrow your search on an optional, higher-powered, engine. The standard one on the 220, like I said before, is PERFECT.

Let us know what you end up doing. Some pictures of potentials would be nice. :thumbsup:
 
Please pardon my ignorance (though I guess thats already been done given your presence still in this thread) but what exactly is a surveyor?

Once I pick a brand I will narrow down a model. Then comes the choosing of an individual and the emptying of my wallet :grin:
I may end up being forced to wait until spring because I really feel I should probably obtain a water demo to make sure I pick the right one.

No problem. A surveyor will check over the boat from bow to stern. Inside and out. Mechanical-wise and looks-wise. You can inquire about one in your area or from a boat dealer. I definitely would recommend taking one out on the water to make sure it's your cup of tea. Also, that will give you a feel if you should go a little larger, or perhaps a little smaller. You will get a feel for it pretty easily.

Also, if you a buy a boat during the winter/spring, you don't have to pay for winterization and storage. :thumbsup:

Not sure where you're location is, but in New England, boating is really nice through September/October. In that case, it would be worth it (in terms of fun), to do something sooner rather than later.

Anyway, good luck! :smt038
 
One big thing seadoo advertises is that the water does not run through the engine at all. is this the case on the sea ray?
 
One big thing seadoo advertises is that the water does not run through the engine at all. is this the case on the sea ray?

I believe this is just the case with jet drives. Now, I would go with a Sea Ray over a Sea Doo, just because of the versatility factor. A Sea Doo will definitely be fun in terms of watersports, but is not a very practical boat. Sea Rays are built with much deeper hulls that can handle rougher conditions. Sea Doos have a very slight V-hull that won't handle well in waves/wind. Just my two cents about that. I am in high school, and would obviously prefer a quick, speedy boat, but Sea Rays are just more practical :smt101
 
What do you feel the quality of the sea doo is short of the wakeboarding issue? It does not seem to be terribly lower than the Sea Ray on the link from JD's website. Would you advise against the thought of starting with a Sea Doo and upgrading to a Sea Ray as some time goes on? Just curious.

Also, should I be concerned by the obvious power difference that appears to be between the Sea Doo and Sea Ray? The sea doo looks like its commonly 255+ where for example an 09 185 sport is 190 hp.

Hull design is a biggie. The jet boats put out a very small wake. For some reason as well, the get pulled around by the weight of the rider or "slide the tail out". Now of course, if you are going to wakeboard and really just carve and are not concerned about really jumping the wakes and doing some tricks (in other words using the wakeboard kind of like waterskiis or slalom) then the small wake is fine. But if you want to really get into wakeboarding (which after you try it you will most likely want more!) then the jet boats will be utterly disappointing.

Dont worry about power comparisons. The 190 hp is plenty of juice to pull you up and out even on slalom ski. As well, I am not learned on this subject well, but the output from the jet boat though rated at 255 is off due to the way it is really propelled. Someone else may chime in on that. I read a very concise explanation somewhere on one of the boating sites regarding this.

To me....jet boats are a cheaper way to get into something that is simply "go fast" with very few other benefits besides going up and down a lake or river at wot. There just isnt much to do with them besides that aspect.

Either way, good luck! ANY boat is going to be fun. Just need to pick the one you feel fits your needs the best.
 
A legitimate concern is also dealer and factory ssupport for the boat you choose. Is there a Sea-Doo dealer close by and what is their track record for solving problems?

Hopefully, you won't have any issues where you need a strong dealer network but if you do, we know that Sea Ray nearly always steps up to help an owner as long as the boat has been maintained and han't been abused or damaged.
 
Why don't you buy something a little bit older? Why not something in the 1995 - 2000 realm? Many boats in the size range you're looking for end up not being used that much. Typically those boats belong to families, and most families have obligations other than just the boat. You could score a good 20ft cuddy or bow rider for $10k or less with 200 hours without much work. If you enjoy boating so much that you feel you need to upgrade rather quickly (which many do), you'll be out a lot less money (maybe even break even or make money) when you go to sell. That would be my recommendation.

Doug
 
One big thing seadoo advertises is that the water does not run through the engine at all. is this the case on the sea ray?

Many I/O engines have what is called a closed cooling system (like mine, and many, many other on this board). You'll notice that they say "doesn not run through the engine at all." That is very carefully worded, and true. Raw water (from the lake/ocean) runs into the engine room and through at least one heat exchanger. On the other side of the heat exchanger is the radiator fluid that runs through the engine. The raw water may cool many other items like fuel coolers, oil coolers, transmission coolers and almost always (or maybe always) exhaust manifolds.

So, I would say thay there is little or difference between the two types with regard to cooling water, if any at all. For extended salt water use, closed cooling systems are preferred.
 
Boy, I’m not going to be going against the grain here.

In my opinion, your question should be “What type of boat should you get?” not “What brand?”

Once you decide on the type of boat then you move onto brand.

Jet boats like the Sea Doo are lower cost to purchase, lighter, easier to trailer, are better for tubing then stern drives (I/O) and are fine for most wake boarding until you get to a more advanced level. Also consider knee boarding as another sport that will be fine behind either. It’s a bit easier for the novice.

Although you can suck crap into the intake you can hit props with a sterndrive. Given the two, I’ll take the need to jump into the water and clear the intake any day.


If we were only daytime lake boaters I’d consider a jet boat.

We are not dayboaters. We use the boat as a weekend destination. We cook onboard, sleep onboard, etc. This is why we have a express cruiser.
 
Well, when I first posted the question, I was ignorant to the fact that they were two different types of systems. I was just jumping around to different brands that had been compared to them. What makes a jet boat better for tubing?
Boy, I’m not going to be going against the grain here.

In my opinion, your question should be “What type of boat should you get?” not “What brand?”

Once you decide on the type of boat then you move onto brand.

Jet boats like the Sea Doo are lower cost to purchase, lighter, easier to trailer, are better for tubing then stern drives (I/O) and are fine for most wake boarding until you get to a more advanced level. Also consider knee boarding as another sport that will be fine behind either. It’s a bit easier for the novice.

Although you can suck crap into the intake you can hit props with a sterndrive. Given the two, I’ll take the need to jump into the water and clear the intake any day.


If we were only daytime lake boaters I’d consider a jet boat.

We are not dayboaters. We use the boat as a weekend destination. We cook onboard, sleep onboard, etc. This is why we have a express cruiser.
 
Well, when I first posted the question, I was ignorant to the fact that they were two different types of systems. I was just jumping around to different brands that had been compared to them. What makes a jet boat better for tubing?

Im curious too...never heard it was better or worse for tubing. Its not like tubing is very specialized or has any requirements other than getting pulled.

As far as wakeboarding, no, you cant do much. You can basically do powerslides on them, maybe some light wake jumps, but the wakes are usually just whitewash as opposed to "rampy". For someone not getting into the sport other than to check it out, it is fine. To advance to any kind of riding, even just W2W jumps, it wont be much good.

The SR's hull design is a pleasant surprise and throws a pretty darn good wake, very comparable to many inboards and vdrives I've been on. Of course, the downfalls of it being an i/o and rider safety is there (exposed prop), as well as lack of weight you can put in them and as well the lack of people that can be in the boat. Also, with the i/o set up, proper placement of people aboard becomes important as well. Seating in the bow is usually a given. There is also a trim factor, though most just keep the trim dialed all of the way down to plow through the water.
 
I am worried about an older model leading to more upkeep/maintenance costs is the primary reason I would like to look for something newer.
Why don't you buy something a little bit older? Why not something in the 1995 - 2000 realm? Many boats in the size range you're looking for end up not being used that much. Typically those boats belong to families, and most families have obligations other than just the boat. You could score a good 20ft cuddy or bow rider for $10k or less with 200 hours without much work. If you enjoy boating so much that you feel you need to upgrade rather quickly (which many do), you'll be out a lot less money (maybe even break even or make money) when you go to sell. That would be my recommendation.

Doug
 
I am worried about an older model leading to more upkeep/maintenance costs is the primary reason I would like to look for something newer.

There is some truth to that, but in reality, you can find a used boat that's just as good as a newer one that's been well cared for and maintained properly. For the amount of use that you're probably going to put on the boat, you're basically pissing away money that you could save yourself. You're not going to be putting on 50 hours a season tubing.

Doug
 
I've had a jet boat.............every time you go near shallow water they suck pebbles of the bottom and fire them through the jet damaging the impeller. Just got sick of stripping and repairing it. Remember it has no real "neutral" so the engine's got to be killed before you get near shallow water. :smt013
 
There is some truth to that, but in reality, you can find a used boat that's just as good as a newer one that's been well cared for and maintained properly. For the amount of use that you're probably going to put on the boat, you're basically pissing away money that you could save yourself. You're not going to be putting on 50 hours a season tubing.

Doug

I plan to use it as a past time sort of thing. I am going to take 3 weeks of vacation each summer (a week at a time) and use it during those periods (as well as random "here and there"). Do you just use a surveyor to establish how it has been maintained? (Other than obvious stuff that could be seen by anyone)
 

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