Jet Boats vs. Prop Driven Boats for Skiers and Wake Boarders

The boating world is being taken by a new craze: Jet Boats. Consumers are buying more Jet Boats now without hesitation than ever. It seems that a need for speed is fueling this craze; but will this craze soon become a short-lived trend as soon as people realize what exactly it is they’ve bought? Skiers and Wake-boarders will likely be the first to realize the big Pro’s and Con’s of owning a Jet Boat.

The advantages of owning a Jet Boat are obvious: Faster, sleeker, sexier, and a hell of a lot easier to get in and out of the Marina and/or shore. Anyone who has ever had to take their Prop-driven boat in and out of the water knows that it can be a pain in the ass to do. With a prop the driver of the boat must always be aware of the water level and anything that might be floating around in the water. When towing a skier or wake boarder the driver must always be aware of where the tow line is because running over it could cause the line to become wrapped up in the propeller. Ski boat drivers don’t have to worry about where the tow line is with a Jet Boat because there is no propeller. Also, don’t forget that a Prop is a large, fairly heavy and sharp object that hurts like hell to hit any part of your body on(especially your knees). This is an obvious Con of owning a Prop-driven boat that just about everybody who has owned one has had the misfortune of experiencing. For Skiers and Wake-boarders the water is definitely easier and safer to jump into without a prop, but is it any more fun? Well, Jet Boats are definitely faster than Prop-driven boats. So, if more speed means more fun then Jet Boat owners are in for the time of their lives. However, as a Skier, I know that there is more to skiing than speed.

The Con’s of Jet Boats from the point of view of a skier or wake-boarder can not be seen from the captain’s chair of the boat. Driving and being towed behind the boat are two completely different worlds. Once you are behind that boat and say “Hit It!” the disadvantages of the Jet are soon realized. The first Con of a Jet Boat is that the fast take-off requires more arm strength on the part of the skier. With a Prop-driven boat the driver can “taxi” or slowly drag the skier until they are in the ready position to take-off and get pulled up. The Jet boat’s bow lifts more on take-off, forcing the captain to drive faster to level out the balance of the boat and get the tail end out of the water. Driving too fast on take off often leaves the skier in the water or makes for a real quick “wipe-out. Professional skiers may not have any problem with fast take offs, but your average ski on the weekends skier does. The second disadvantage of a Jet Boat is the absence of wake. For Wake-boarders who often enjoy jumping wakes and pulling off wake tricks, this makes for a pretty boring ride. As a skier, I also enjoy the challenge of leaving and re-entering a wake that a Jet Boat just can’t supply me. Being pulled around at extremely high speeds and not being able to pull off tricks is just not fun. An obvious problem that arises with owning one of these sleek and sexy boats is often the lack of space, and for those who enjoy water sports this means less space for equipment and friends.

New Jet Boat owners are about to realize the most obvious downers of owning their new boats: Cost of gas, replacement parts, and the danger of speed. Jet Boats are definitely not as fuel efficient as Prop-driven boats. The faster they go, the faster they burn fuel. The rising cost of fuel can put a damper on any-body’s weekend trip to the lake. Owning a Prop-driven boat saves the consumer on the number of return trips to the Marina to refuel. The Prop-driven boat also is less expensive and easier to fix. The Jet Boats contain parts that cost more to fix and are often harder to replace or need more man hours to repair. The cost of such repairs are often enough for a boat owner to decide to sell their boat and get another. Jet Boat owners are also about to realize how dangerous their new boats are. Speed almost always adds difficulty to steering and maneuvering smaller boats. Jet boats are more susceptible to flip. This means more accidents and deaths. For anyone who has lost a family member or friend to a boating accident, Jet Boats are nothing more than water coffins with big engines. Dangerously close call experiences where a driver nearly flips the boat or collides with another boat is definitely enough for an owner to trade theirs’ for a prop-driven boat.

There are a lot more Jet Boat owners riding around our lakes today than ever, but will this craze last? If the Con’s out-weigh the Pro’s of Jet Boats versus Prop-driven boats the craze will soon become a fad. The rising cost of fuel, the cost of replacement parts for Jet boats, the lack of space for equipment and friends, the danger of speed, and smaller wake output are all reason enough for some of these new Jet Boat owners to change their minds . . . or perhaps enough to make new boating hopefuls take a second thought(or moment of hesitation)before giving in to the craze.