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Name:	4Golf -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 12:42:49 AM

I'm a little hesitant posting this question, as I know there are a lot of folks on the lake who feel these things are a nuisance. However, I am considering purchasing a couple for my family. I haven't actually done any homework yet...but understand there are more brands than just the Waverunner & SeaDoos. I've ridden both of these, and thought both were a blast. I guess I'm most concerned about reliability/durability. I would be interested in opinions/experiences/recommendations regarding the different brands.

Name:	Rickiray -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 7:12:25 AM

I just read a great article in one of the popular boating magazines that compared 4 pwc's. I think it was Boating World. Sea Doo topped the list. It compared polaris , yamaha and i believe a kawasaki model.

Name:	powmar -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 7:56:42 AM

I have had couple of SeaDoos for the past year. What surprises me is how easy it is to foul the engines..... the type of riding kids like to do. Spinning and having fun can get let alot of water in the engine well and your engine shuts down. If it flips, its all over. Normally takes pulling the plugs and forcing the water from the engine, replacing plugs, lubricating..etc..etc.... A pain in the butt, plus it shortens engine life.

Name:	Fester -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 8:37:41 AM

I just bought 2 new PWC's back in May..... The new ski's that are coming out now are really nice. I have an 04 Yamaha XLT1200 and an 04 Yamaha GP1300R..... What type of riding are you planning on?.....something to ride the kids on or something for you to cruise or race on?.....the XLT1200 is great for cruising or pulling tubes and the GP1300R is the hotrod.....The new 4 stroke ski's really cut down on maintenance when compaired to the 2 stroke's......It all depends on how much money you want to spend and what kind of riding you plan to do.....Yamaha's, Kawasakis, and the new Honda's seem, from my research, to be the most dependable.....Sea-Doo makes the king of the hill right now with the RXP (215hp supercharged 4 stroke), but they are really pricey and the dependability isn't there.....The Yamaha GP1300R is the best race bred ski out right now, with a ton of aftermarket parts to get it into the 75+mph range.....It all boils down to the type of riding and the money you want to spend.....

Name:	TIVO -	Reply
Subject:	curious....
Date:	7/30/2004 8:43:03 AM

how old are the kids?

Name:	shirt -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 10:44:11 AM

I have two Seadoos GTI LE They are 85 HP and almost Bullet proof They are the same basic engine that Sea Doo has used for years and they are very reliable. The thing I would beware of is the larger models More engine more potential problems. Also get a three seater They are more stable and will ride smoother that the two seaters. When you do decide to buy, go away from the lake and save some money. I bought my Seadoos at Extreme Power Sports in Columbus GA and saved 1800.00 on each machine. I also inquired at Big 1 in Birmingham and they were very cometitive on price. On the lake dealers will not negotiate price. Hope this helps. PS The guy that is having problems with water needs to read the back of his machine You have to turn them upright the correct way or they will fill up the engine. The instructions are printed upside down on the back of the machine.

Name:	Marina Guy -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 11:09:20 AM

I have had yamahas and my neighbor has had sea doos. I'll say this I have had two yamahas in the past 6 years only upgrading and he has had 5 sea doos due to problems. As a general rule a yamaha requires gas and oil and driving the heck out of. Also ask peolpe that rent Personel Watercraft and see what they prefer to rent. (YAMAHA)

Name:	360degrees -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/30/2004 12:00:48 PM

If you don't own a boat, buy a ski boat instead. Your whole family can enjoy it and skiing/wakeboarding is great exercise.

Name:	Ulysses E. McGill -	Reply
Subject:	No more SeaDoo's for me
Date:	7/31/2004 12:13:48 AM

I had a '03 SeaDoo 4-tec and it was a shop queen. In addition to numerous maintenance problems, SeaDoo customer service was quite arrogant and less than helpful. Even though the dealer tried over and over to fix it, nothing worked for more than a few hours at most..... and SeaDoo (the company) did not seem to care. I have talked to many others that have had similar problems with SeaDoo. They will never get my business again.

I just traded the 4-tec on a new Yamaha GP1300R. I also have two '00 XL800's (one is for sale). The Yamaha's all run like the energizer bunny. They get my vote!

Name:	longtimelaker -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/31/2004 12:03:33 PM

We have had a three seater Seadoo GTS with 85 HP motor since 1997. Only thing we have done to it is replace spark plugs twice. We got the simple model (GTS) with only a gas and oil light gauge. From what I have heard and seen, these fancier models with all the electronic speedometers, etc. are the ones that stay in the shop. All those gadgets look cool and show everyone that extra money has been spent. So what, I prefer something that is reliable and does not stay in the shop.

Also, from what I have seen, a three seater is much more stable and less prone to being flipped. When we bought ours, we were told it is very difficult, if not impossible, to flip a Seadoo three seater. Ours has never been flipped and the teenagers have done 360s on several occassions. It also does not porpoise when riding like a lot of the two seaters and one seaters do.

Name:	Ulysses E. McGill -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	7/31/2004 2:38:38 PM

I agree that the "simple" SeaDoo's are much better, but if you have to deal with the company on a major problem, look out!

My problem was not only with the "high tech" machine, but with their company attitude. My 4-tec spent several weeks in the shop on several occasions, and they were not sympathetic. I gave them over a year to rectify problems with no lasting results. I then had to purchase an extended warranty (at the end of the first year) to be sure the problems would continue to be covered. They were unwilling to extend the warranty, even though it spent much of the first year out of service. I know of other similar stories, and I think SeaDoo is unwilling to admit they have a serious problem for financial reasons.

Anyway, I cut my losses and ran when my dealer offered a trade for the Yamaha.

Name:	lakebum -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	8/1/2004 6:12:47 AM

Yamaha 4 stroke..bite the bullet..pay the cash...get a great machine

Name:	4Golf -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	8/3/2004 12:26:30 AM

Thanks to everyone for their comments. The kids are 9 & 11....still somewhat under my control, so it will be a few years before they are operating without a "somewhat more responsible" adult. I already have the "ski boat" for the more serious skiing/tubing/etc, but feel the PWC would add another level of fun.

Sounds like a lot of folks are moving from SeaDoo to Yamaha. I had already decided on a 3-seater model. I know the Russell marinas sell SeaDoos, are other brands sold in the AlexCity area? I agree that lake marinas are less willing to "deal" on price (I bought a SeaRay locally). I guess its a trade off....buying locally probably puts you higher on the service totem pole when problems arise. I have a buddy who bought his PWC about an hour north of Bham--mainly for cost--he has had many troubles with it, requiring a lot a trips back and forth hauling it back to the dealer. I like my money, but I like my time, too.

Guess its time to do some looking/shopping/test driving. Maybe I can find a better deal on a end-of-year model.

Name:	4Golf -	Reply
Subject:	Personal Watercraft
Date:	8/3/2004 12:27:22 AM

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