Despite the categories being tied, there is a clear winner. Reliability and efficiency are by far the two most important categories, and both were won by Yamaha. This is perfectly understandable because Yamaha are acknowledged experts at engines and BRP don't even make engines.
You're right. Sea doo don't make engines, but the Rotax ACE engine is German / Austrian made. The best engines in the world are either Japanese or German made. Both seadoo and Yamaha engines are made by quality countries.
@@JDDD33 the most reliable engine manufacturer on the planet of any/all types is Honda (who stopped making jet skis after the 2008 crisis), the second most reliable engine manufacturer on the planet is Yamaha…..
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ thanks for your words of wisdom. But when i look at nearly every jet ski hire company (in Australia), they are all running Sea Doo GTI (naturally aspirated) skis - and they're clocking 600+ hours. I'm pretty sure a hire place would go for a brand/model of jet ski which will be the most reliable (for their money spent) and also be able to take many many hours of abuse. Actually, here in Australia, I've never come across one hire place that hires out Yamaha's, and I live in the coastal Venice of Australia (the Gold Coast), where JetSki rental companies are everywhere. Funny that. Also, Australia is one of the largest jet ski consumers in the world, and 8/10 skis used/consumed/hired-out here are Sea Doo. Follow the maintenance schedule on a Sea Doo, and drop the oil regularly, and those Austrian/German engines go all day long. th-cam.com/video/uh_opNQbVW4/w-d-xo.html
Ok, I'm going to put money down for a sea doo fish trophy and I will be using it in lake Erie. Fresh water only. In your opinion will it last just as long as a Yamaha?
It is true that there are more SeaDoos on the water but the increase in issues that SeaDoo has vs Yamaha is much more than the increase in the number of machines.
@@TheShipsLogg got it, I like the look of Seadoo honestly, they need to get their shit together they are making machines without parts. The demand is there clearly it’s just crazy
For tall riders (6'3") I had a lot of issues with just sitting on most of the 2022 Sea Doo line. The leg/knee indentation is just not made for someone my size, very cramped position especially with the speakers installed. I also like the 1800 Yamaha engine, have a lot of hours on three of these engines and never had any issues with them, tried and true. Having said that I do now own a Rotax powered water craft with the new ACE 1630 300 supercharged engines, will see how they hold up. For my next jet ski I'm leaning toward the FX line again, leaning towards naturally asperated but if I go with supercharged engine I'd go with the ones that use regular octane gas. Filling up my boat with 93 is now costing an eye watering $500! I also have to say who comes up with some of the colors for these? I know its subjective but I really think both brands have come up with come very ugly combos!
@@TheShipsLogg the missing info here unfortunately is what the repairs are. For instance the demographics could be very different. If you can get a supercharged seadoo cheaper than a Yamaha, all the kids being idiots will be out jumping any bump, modifying them for performance over reliability. Not saying that is necessarily the case but, every kid I run into wants the supercharged seadoo. That mix doesn’t usually lead to good things.
@@mattvmani Good point. I do think they are running pretty close on price but that could make a difference. Sea Doo parts are cheaper than Yamaha so that may lead to more people modding them this causing this situation
Great review and comparison. I'm a yamaha guy and agree with everything you rated. I can tell you this though when your going on long trips like from miami to the bahamas lets say a 600 mile trip, I feel more comfortable on the yamaha VX HO's or FX HO's vs seadoo's GTI or RXTX models because of reliability and having less problems on the water. other than that they both are great ski's. As they say: Yamadoo and Seadon't
Hey Tex! I just use a basic charger that I got at Home Depot. During the winter months, I connect it to the ski once a month and top the battery off. It also can do trickle charging so I can leave it connected it I want to.
I owned two Sea Doo watercraft. My experience was as follows: 1) Great Performance, 2) Great Innovation, 3) Super Kool and Fun, 4) Horrible Reliability, 4) Horrible Warranty Support. I'll never buy another Sea Doo as along as I live. Reliability is now my number 1 criteria after having had the Sea Doo experience. Having your watercraft in the shop all the time is not fun!
@@TheShipsLogg. Thanks so much for your video. I'm in the market for some new watercraft and it really helped me finalize the direction I need to head :)
Good review and attention to what people are looking for. SeaDoo seems to listen to end user’s more, but Yamaha & Kawasaki are starting to see the value in end user experience. Really enjoyed your video.
Hey buddy. I have a question for you.. through much consideration I had decided I wanted to buy a 23 or newer FX non-supercharged.. which is I think basically the same machine you have.. I went to the dealer today stepped up on one walked around back and it felt like I was walking on a trampoline. I've never stood on a jet ski that felt springy like that. I can't imagine that holds up . Can you please give me your input. Thank you
Hey there. The padding on the deck does have some cushion on it and may make the deck seem a little springy but the deck underneath should be solid. Is it a new ski or a used one?
@@TheShipsLogg . Well this particular thing was a used one. But I was at a new dealer.. and I know about fiberglass and paint work. It was a whole lot more springy than anything I had ever walked across. And I have had at least 30 jet skis in my life. But never one of these Yamahas.. I honestly think it's this nano exceL or whatever.. it just doesn't seem like the longevity would be very good..
@@richievaughan7810 I'm wondering if it may be something else. Mine is also NanoExcel and it is not springy like that. And I'm a big guy. I would be wary.
I'll take a Kawasaki over the other brands due to the reliability, the heavy Hull that is the best for choppy water, and the fact that a Kawasaki is the only PWC you can actually call a JetSki.
Yamaha Pros: reliable engine, supercharger, better resale value and better straight line tracking/handling. Yamaha cons: nanoxcel ( paint issues), wet ride, seating ergos and accessories lack compared to BRP. Seadoo Pros: ergo lock seats, cool designs/ storage and accessories. Seadoo Cons: carbon seal, supercharger goes...so does your engine ( yamaha just get reduced rpm) . Less fuel economy. Also closed loop cooling. Some say advantage, I disagree. You cannot modify ride plate. If you hit ride plate and crack...lose coolant. Open loop have been used in the marine industry forever...less chance of failure. IBR reliability issues. Ideally I Seadoo hull with Yamaha drivetrain would be the bomb.
Totally agree. I’m not quite on the same page with the close loop. Where I ride there’s not much to hit and end up taking the ski out to the ocean from a river often. I wish Yamaha would copy more of the design even if they had a dedicate rec/cruiser model. More stable, even deeper footwells, large, tall, front portion of the ski with accessible storage that blocks wind/water. A better designed back deck for their Linq copy cat, that still needs work. Much narrower seats despite them already doing this. I find it frustrating Yamaha after all these years is so far away from this. Still a great ski but I truly feel like they need a fresh mind to walk in there and be like guys, sit on a sea ski, take it out, ride it, use their parts and accessories, try the DIY maintenance. And take all of that and pick a model or make a whole new line to address all of those items. They make fantastic motorcycles to ride with amazing engines, they can pull off a better jet ski.
Family just wants a jet ski that is reliable and not in shop all the time. We kind of leaning on Yamaha just because of this reason. But, I do like that seadoo has accessories where you can clamp a cooler on the back. Not sure if Kawasaki or Yamaha have this or not.
Yamaha has the rec deck but you have to buy that separately and I'm not sure it's worth the price, especially since you can get a pic rack for much less.
@@TheShipsLogg I have a 2024 FX HO cruiser I purchased the rec deck. Yes it is very expensive but if you just want something to stand on it’s larger than the Sea-Doo if you want to have integration with aftermarket parts then go with the Sea-Doo they do a better job. Just remember when you add that rec deck you make access to the ladder we’re trying to stir it pretty much impossible unless you’re in the water to push it back into its storage position, if you have anything on the rack deck, like coolers or gasoline tanks, or anything else forget about using the ladder.
@@itowmyhome797 I feel you on the ladder issue. On the Bimini trip, I had to go into the water to unclog my intake. I had a rack mounted on the back of the ski and climbing back up the ladder to get on the ski was difficult. I was able to do it but getting over that rack was not easy.
My decision was easy, I called non-dealer jet ski repair shops in bullhead city Arizona and lake havisue Arizona. I simply asked what jet ski can I buy and not have any issues outside of normal wear and tear? They both said get a naturally aspirated 1.8l Yamaha. Put gas in it and enjoy it. So I bought a supercharged one and a NA one. They have been flawless in the 50 hours I have owned them. I had no brand bias going into it i just wanted it to work.
I'm in Havasu also.. I've had a Sea Doo and now have a 1.8 fx/ho and the difference is amazing!.. the Yamaha feels like an army tank with a million H.P.
I'm in the market for a ski, no Yamaha stock remaining for a long while here, club member told me today he ordered one well before Xmas 2021, still waiting, so I'll likely grab a Sea-Doo, who regularly outsell Yamaha and continue to carry plenty of stock, perhaps Yamaha need to sort out their you know what and start producing more skis for consumers to buy??? PS I've owned Yamaha and BRP quads over the years, both have been brilliant, enjoyed both brands equally.
Definitely check with your dealer before putting money down on a Sea Doo. Many of them (including the one I deal with) have several in stock but can't deliver them because they have no cluster gauges or computer chips. It's not just Yamaha that is having supply chain issues. They just choose not to ship the ski until it's complete.
I know this is an older video, but I was wondering if you have purchasing advice: when to buy, how to score discounts, negotiations, what to look for in a dealer, etc. would be very helpful for those who are first time buyers like me😅
You may not have a lot of options these days because supply chain issues have caused a lot of shortages. Dealers are not likely to give discounts because they know that the machines are in demand. You may be able to walk into a dealer and buy one off of the showroom floor but if you want a specific hard-to-find model, you may have to order one. If you do order one, I would do so as early as you can. Typically dealers will start taking orders for the next model year in August. You may still have to wait a few months but you will have your best chances of getting one in time for the next riding season. Good luck.
Hi Captain Frank just wondering what is the warranty is on the PWC in America please. down here in Australia Seadoo has a 2 year warranty. Yamaha has a 3 year warranty. Kawasaki has a 5 year warranty. on another TH-cam channels that I have watching they said that Seadoo only had a 12-month warranty in Canada if that's true why is the length of warranty different in different countries. ?
Here, the Yamaha warranty is 12 months. You can buy an extended warranty at additional cost. My guess is that you guys have better laws requiring longer warranties there. I'm not absolutely sure though.
In the land of vegimite and thongs...we have laws that protect consumers, when warranties expire consumers can still take companies to court if a component fails prematurely ie a motor catastrophicly fails, reasonable expectation for something to last X amount of time, hours, km/miles etc, I'm not worried in the slightest what ever ski I own. Recent case of a 2 year old Chinese duel cab utility rusting out, buyer won and received a full refund, ha ha the manufacturer tried getting out of the claim saying the owner worked at a surf club, car parked near the coast, his fault....yeah right!
@@rescueert I can remember reading about that case personally I am mentally exhausted and I'm just going to wipe my hands of any BRP product in the future.
Capt. Frank, I enjoy all of your videos. Thanks for posting I hope to be out there some day if I could just get Yamaha to fill my order! Missed 2021 after waiting 6 months so last August I ordered a 22 Cruiser but still no show on the machine. Here in northern WI our season is short so I don’t think this market is a priority for Yamaha. Hope it comes this season???
Man I feel lucky. I was able to walk in a dealership early February and find the exact ski I wanted. 2022 VX Cruiser HO. Just picked it up yesterday. Also in Wisconsin. Waiting on warm weather now.
Hi Captain Frank i own a rental business for over 30years on a the island of Samos i have had Kawasaki Seadoo and Yamaha here in Greece i think its easier to find someone that can work on a yamaha than seadoo, parts are cheaper than seadoo and kawasaki and they just have been more reliable, open loop cooling seems more basic and a selling point here .No one really seems to make a true rental model something basic about 80hp and more durable than the fancy models .Really comes down to getting max hours and less running costs .
Wouldn’t a GTI 90 fit the bill? The engines rated at 3000 hours. Sounds like the ideal for that scenario. Plus it has a large stable hull compared to the Yamaha EX and especially over the Spark.
Not sure about those numbers. I think they are much closer than that. Besides, when the mechanic tells you that he likes Sea Doos but he bought a Yamaha because he's tired of having to fix his Sea Doo, that means something.
I have a 21 fx I like it, but like he said it’s a wet ride. I don’t like that part of it. They say the ride plate will help?? Does anyone have any experience with that?
@@TheShipsLogg Curious, why haven't you replaced your ride plate with a Riva or '22 FX version? Helps with the ride, handling and acceleration as well as keeping you drier. I know you love riding.
@@stanr5638 you are right. It does make a difference. I have heard that you lose a bit off the top end but have not confirmed that. So far, the wet ride has not been a major issue for me. I might do the ride plate in the future just as an experiment.
I plan to fish off of a ski when i finally purchase. I watch a lot of the Aussies fish them and its quite rough seas out there. Darn near all the hardcore aussie ski fishers use the fxho platform. I still bounce back and forth only cause the doo comes decked out for fishing here in the states
This is the first video on your channel I've seen. You are very good speaker and presented this topic perfectly. I agree with your points. Greetings from Poland. Subscribed.
The dealer you buy it from means a lot. Davids sport shop in oklahoma city understands business and how to do it right. They are a sea doo dealer. I personally would buy whatever they sell.
@@tonycolca2241 True. A good dealer does make a difference for a lot of people. I tend to not need the dealer after I buy because I do all of the maintenance myself. For those you go back to a dealer for oil changes, etc, it is a consideration.
I prefer the look of the rxp seadoo but yamaha reliability is what made me get fxsvho I prefer the look of a jeep but toyota reliability is what made me get a tacoma.
having owned several yamaha fx skis over the years. i thought id try the seadoo fish pro. worst decision ever. it wouldnt, nor could do the basic requirements i wanted in a water craft. and thats to go straight, and turn when i wanted it too. handled like a barge. i have now taken delivery of the new fx ho and love it. absolute chalk and cheese difference in rideability
Bro. You bought a Fish Pro. Just repeat those two words .. FISH PRO. They are designed with a hull that is wide and stable (like a barge), so you can fish from them with ease. You bought the wrong sea doo. Should have gone GTI 170 SE (which the watercraft journal gave the best ski of 2021).
Great analysis for a yamaha fan lol! Well done! I think comfort and handling are two distinctly different categories however! f1's have incredible handling but are very uncomfortable....
@@TheShipsLogg I first bought it because my Mother has a connection to that lighthouse! A family member worked there and died there. I’ve had it in every office of mine since! Mom’s ashes were spread there in 2007!!
Sea Doo. Yamaha has had my 2021 ski for 7 months now with a list of broken items out of the factory and I still don't have an expectation of when it'll get fixed. After decades of owning a Yamaha, I'll never buy another one after this experience.
@@Jay_Hall I’ve been into PWCs since the 80s and the intro of Kawasaki js330 and 440 models. When sit-down models showed up, I went to those and never went back to stand ups. My last 2-stroke was a XLT1200 Yamaha, so I’ve had Yamahas for many years. Decades even. In 2016 my XLT finally got to the point it needed an (second rebuilt) engine. It was time to get a 4-stroke. I bought a FX HO. It was great, never had ANY issues with it. I put some Riva stuff on it here and there and it was a reliable and fun ski for many years. It even had a proper OEM installed bilge pump. In 2021, I decided it was time to upgrade to a SVHO model. I sold my 2016 FX HO. This is where my relationship with Yamaha goes wrong. Because of the shortages, I didn’t get to take delivery of my 2021 FX SVHO ski until July. The ski was offered to me by the dealer as someone else decided not to purchase it. The dealer had stopped taking deposits because of the delivery irregularities. According to the mfg date on the interior sticker, it was only 2 weeks out of the factory. I was aware of some of the quality issues being reported with Yamahas such as sloppy graphics alignments, etc., but a look over of my machine only revealed that one of the handlebar panels was hastily installed leaving an alignment pin out next to the right handlebar. That was all that was openly visible. No electric bilge pump for 2021. Cost cutting? Wonder when that got thrown out. Now, is when it goes downhill fast… The following weekend, after setting up the ski to my preferences, I fill the tank up and head for the ramp. I park my truck, fire up the ski and start warming it up. First thing I notice is that neutral is not neutral. It’s pulling forward. Hmmmm. Next, the fuel gauge says it’s 95%. 92% if I shift my weight. Even with fuel so full, it’s in the filler neck, this reading doesn’t change. It’s break in time so I get out on the lake to see what else is wrong since my list is already at 3 items. Over the next 2 outings, only one more issue is found, until… Walking back to my truck after tying off at the dock for extraction on the ramp, I noticed long, red streaks on my trailer bunks. Crap. Sure enough, the paint on my hull had rubbed off on the bunks, after only 3x in the water. I had only 7-8 hours on it at this point and by now was pretty pissed at the growing list of items wrong with this brand-new ski I just paid $20k for. I hit 12 hours and take it in to my dealer for my 10-hour break-in service. It’s now early October. My list of items to be fixed is: gas gauge, handlebar panel re-install, bucket adjustment to fix neutral, overly sensitive trim buttons, and the hull paint. It is now Feb 16th and I haven’t seen my ski since I dropped it off. Regular check-ins with my dealer for updates are usually met with the phrase: “We are waiting on Yamaha to…”blah blah blah. The latest update as of Feb 12th is that the neutral can’t be fixed; the gas gauge required testing of the sending unit but after request, Yamaha didn’t supply any ohm specs to test it against; the dealer has sent multiple pics of the hull and had back-and-forth calls with them but after 4 months, still no authorization to re-paint or fix. Yamaha, you’ve known for a LONG time the Nano 2 hulls are prone to cracking and have paint issues! Yamaha even changed the hull composition for the 2022 FX models!
@@Jay_Hall Now, I’ve had a LONG list of new cars, trucks, bikes, and PWCs before. I’ve come to expect that all of them have their quality issues to deal with when new but this is just getting out of control. I don’t feel like I’m unreasonable in understanding this, but when a mfg doesn’t stand by their product and make it right, this is where I take my money and allegiance elsewhere. After all, that’s what a warranty is for! Riding season is starting up here at Lake Lanier. We’ve already had 1 ride (Jet Riders) this year that I couldn’t attend. Yamaha, you are on the verge of losing a LONG-time customer. Get your shit together or I’ll be going back to Kawi or switching to Sea-Doo. Sea-Doo already holds more market share than you do. Taking a position of not caring for your customers is a dangerous one when this is an expensive discretionary purchase. I’ve spoken with a leading watercraft industry editor via online chat with a copy of this write up and he’s heard of similar issues to mine. I’ve included our public TH-cam chat conversation below. In short, all I’m asking for is Yamaha to make good by the warranty and give the green light to my dealer (Jet Thrust Performance in Lawrenceville, GA) to get my ski fixed. It’s not like I’m asking for my $20k back. I’ve been waiting 4 months already and my patience is done at this point. Austen th-cam.com/video/m4nSNo4wg6A/w-d-xo.html&lc=z23vuf44gwe3zzxthacdp433ev0idgcfpaggvbel1d5w03c010c.1645056679558503 The Watercraft Journal Austen, thank you for this note. It was very thoughtful and well articulated. Unfortunately, we've seen severe dips in quality control in recent months and years. We're hoping to see improvements with coming models, but again, we all need to do our due diligence prior to buying. Austen @The Watercraft Journal I agree, but due diligence wouldn't have found the problems that I've run into with bad hull paint, bad fuel gauge, and bad bucket adjustment. These items are what a warranty is for. I can accept that a new ski isn't perfect. What I can't accept is a company that won't stand behind a product costing almost $20k. Four months my dealer has been fighting Yamaha and nothing has been done because Yamaha wants to play the back and forth game, primarily on hull paint which is a known issue! The Watercraft Journal Per the handle bars and bucket alignment, these are certainly sure to be warrantied, as they were pretty common repairs in '21. The fuel gauge was a massive pain for many (including yourself). Sadly, the hull issue will be bucked. They will claim that you ran up the bunks too quickly or didn't launch your ski with the trailer deep enough. Why? I've already heard others with the same complaint get the same response. (Sorry to be the messenger on that one.) The paint thickness, adhesion and durability are well below many buyer's expectations and Yamaha hasn't made moves that would say that they're interested in correcting the bad PR. Again, I'm sorry to relay this news - it's just what I have been shown over the year. Austen @The Watercraft Journal If that’s the case, then Yamaha will be losing a lifelong customer. Seems like a big gamble for a company NOT to take care of its customers when the item they produce is a discretionary purchase. Thanks for the chat! 😊 3/30/2022 UPDATE I received a call from Yamaha Corporate after sending the above experiences with the email (sent on 2/22) of Yamaha USA on 2/23/2022. His name was Grayson and he goes on to tell me he has received the forwarded email from the CEO that I sent. He tells me that he doesn’t see my warranty claim from the dealer in the Yamaha system and will research what is going on and call me back within the week. He calls me back on 3/2 and tells me that he’s sending out the corporate district Manager to work with the dealer to resolve and that he’ll be calling me frequently now to update me on progress. I speak with the dealer the following week and he tells me that he was instructed to break down my list into individual tickets and re-enter those into the system. The dealer had combined several skis that all had similar issues, such as the fuel gauge problem and paint problems, onto a single warranty claim ticket to Yamaha. This is why corporate couldn’t see my VIN for a claim when they tried looking it up. The dealer also tells me that once those tickets are in, they will have to be approved by Yamaha, then I’m in a waiting-mode for the ski to go to the body shop to get the hull repainted. That could be anywhere from 1-3 weeks before it can get into there and another 1-3 weeks for the actual re-paint/body work to be completed. 3/28/2022 I haven’t heard anything from Yamaha in a while. I call the Yamaha Corporate telephone number and ask for Grayson. I sit on hold for a bit and when I actually get to speak with a live person, I ask to be transferred to Grayson. I am on hold again… Sabrina tells me that I need to speak with the supervisor, Ben. Grayson will no longer be working on my account. Now I see why no one has called to update me. Another customer service failure for Yamaha. This mess just keeps growing. It’s now been almost 6 months since I put my ski in the shop. There is no end in sight. Sigh… I speak with Ben the Supervisor. He apologizes for the lack of communication that was promised to me. He calls the dealer while I’m on hold with him after telling me that all of my repair tickets were authorized. He comes back on line and tells me that my ski went into the body shop today but has no repair status on other items on my list. We discuss the fuel gauge issue, neutral, and trim position issues. He promises to update me on those fixes. I tell him I have no belief in anything they tell me at this point because they’ve failed at pretty much every turn since I’ve purchased this hunk of shit. I’m still just shocked at how far Yamaha has fallen. 20+ years of having wave runners and this single experience has really wiped all of that goodness out. Unreal. Still no estimated time for repair. I found a couple of TH-cam videos involving Yamaha PWCs and having hull coatings applied to them for the poor paint and other issues with “Nano” hulls. While the videos are VERY informational, the chat BELOW the video is even more telling about the Yamaha hull problems. th-cam.com/video/sNkDgFXORT4/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/4b2CsTHIsg0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/Qt45qfZsr6o/w-d-xo.html 4/19/2022 Exactly one month has passed and I haven’t heard from Yamaha AGAIN despite their promises to keep me informed as to the repairs on my WaveRunner. Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I predicted last month chatting with the supposed supervisor that I didn’t believe they would do what they said they would and here we are again. YAMAHA, RETURN MY SKI AND REFUND MY MONEY. I’M OVER THIS NOW. 7 MONTHS I’VE BEEN MAKING PAYMENTS ON A WAVERUNNER THAT I HAVEN’T SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAMAHA HAS PUSHED OUT A FAULTY PRODUCT AND YAMAHA WARRANTY CUSTOMER NO-SERVICE CONTINUES TO FAIL AT ITS PROMISES. 4/20/2022 I called the dealer this afternoon and the owner tells me that the ski is still at the body shop. He tells me that the mechanical items should have been completed and all that is left is to wash and detail the ski once it comes out of the body shop. I sent a copy of this documentation in an email to the CEO yesterday. I have not been contacted by Yamaha yet. 4/21/2022 I called Ben at Yamaha (10:15a). They had left me a couple of voicemails (Sabrina), one last night and one this morning. Ben wants to re-hash what his commitments were from the last call. He says it doesn’t make sense for him to call me with updates when nothing has changed with the ski. It’s still in the body shop. I tell him it’s been a month and he says he doesn’t want to argue but the status hasn’t changed, so he didn’t feel the need to update me. He asks me if the dealer updated me and I tell him that he (ben) made the promise to do that and once again, I have to initiate the calls to find out what is going on. I tell him that it’s now been 7 months that I’ve been making payments on this and I haven’t seen it, and still there is no estimated time of completion (per the dealer, Duane “hopes to hear something this week from the body shop about the repaint”). I tell Ben, I’m done, they can keep the ski and they need to refund my money because I could’ve bought another ski by this time. Ben wants to go back to our previous conversation again and tells me that per the dealer (Duane) the body shop could take up to 3 weeks to finish. I tell him that it’s been 4 weeks and still there is no estimated time to get my ski back, and at this point I just want my money back and they can keep the ski. Ben tells me that we (Yamaha) aren’t at that point (whatever that is) where he will refund me. Really?!?!?! 7 months in the shop with me making payments, a laundry list of items to fix, and no guesses as when I’ll see the ski again. THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO REFUND SOMEONE FOR A BAD PRODUCT?!?!?! How would you like to pay hundreds of dollars a month for something you can’t use, or haven’t seen in more than half a year?!?!? I tell Ben, that I’m getting a lawyer, and hang up. It’s pointless to deal with these idiots. Action only started AFTER I sent the initial email to Yamaha’s CEO and the ski had been sitting for 4 months at the dealership with them exchanging emails. It’s been all me having to push for action throughout this whole experience.
@@austenonyett5800 So sorry to hear that. Did you buy the extended warranty? If you haven't you should do it now. The YES is a contract between You and Yamaha and as with car dealers, this can raise the level of service you receive from both dealer and manufacturer because you can now have another contract to present in a court if they breach it. In essence now they have more reason to fear you. I have found this out in my dealings as I always negotiate and then buy the extended contract. I think you have a case in court and what needs to be done is for you to receive a new unit if they cannot carry out the service contract on you PWC. $20,000 is a lot of money and they MUST make it right!
@@Jay_Hall I did not buy the extended warranty as I usually start modding my skis after the first year. I don't want a new unit from them. I want my money back so I can get something else from another brand. Sadly, they haven't done anything right to begin with so I have no expectation that they'll turn this around now. I'd much rather be optimistic about this but after the last 7 months, their history has been poor.
I have over 5000 hrs experience with Rotax power plants, reasonably reliable if maintained and not at high revs which unfortunately jet ski’s require. Yamaha power plants are better designed for high revs so it’s Yamaha for me all day
My seadoos are from 1995. They've had issues, but are still very reliable. If you take care of something it will last. I typically see more older seadoos out on the lake than Yamahas here. That could be from the lack of Yamaha dealers in the area.
I appreciate your videos and the time you put into making them. Keep up the great work. I agree with most of what you had to say in this video, most of it. I disagree with your comments about Sea Doo having the advantage in rough water, and here's why. I can back up my thoughts with real world results and not opinion. Take a look at the P1 AquaX racing series and the results in this series. This series has arguably the roughest water conditions in closed course racing. Sea Doo struggles to compete in this series for the sole reason they do not handle the rougher conditions as well as the FX series hull from Yamaha. The racers will tell you this in their interviews, the results show it and have shown it for a few years now, and the privateers that actually have the ability to choose which hull they ride favor the Yamaha FX hull over the Sea Doo. Kevin Shaw from WaterCraft Journal even comments about this every year in his breakdown of each watercraft. Just my $.02 worth. Take it or leave it. Thank you again for always putting out great videos.
Actually, I think you are right. I guess in my comments, I was referring to the typical recreational rider. Most of them ride in relatively calm water compared to what the racers do. I think I remember mentioning in the video that the Yamaha FX is the best platform for big water. That is one of the reasons I bought one. Thanks for watching my videos!
@@TheShipsLogg you have valid points in all your comments. I have the same FX you have and could not be more pleased with the unit. Thank you for doing what you do.
What your saying has nothing to do with how the average guy handles a PWC in choppy conditions. Racing equipment isn't geared towards Joe Public whether it's bicycles, airplanes or anything else involved in racing.
Great video - I can appreciate your perspective and agree mostly - as a Seadude Rider - I love the lower center of gravity and the features - Yamaha's engines reliability are overall better - I've only had one issue with my 2020 Seadoo GTX230 - fuel sending unit - if you maintain the skis they were be reliable - some units regardless of brand - there are some that have more problems then others. As far as the carbon seal its really not as much of an issue was it was years ago - people need to know to limit to no more then 1 minutes running out of the water which is why the carbon seals degrade and will eventually fail. That saying until 2022 - Yamahas have a lot of delamination issues on their hulls.
Reliability is everything. None of the other preference stuff matters if the ski never works. My Seadoo is always broken, lol, and i take really good care of mine. Meanwhile, my buddies yamaha just works, zero issues ever and he literally never maintains it.
Yamaha and Sea-Doo both spend so much on marketing and on tech gizmos that they have neglected the drivetrains and hulls. Just look at the quality control issues in 2021. Kawasaki is King.
I just love your channel and your objectivity. Your channel has helped the most for going further into me becoming a jet ski addict :-) got my first ski last summer at age 64. Got a used 2019 sea doo Wave 155. Good entry level and works flawlessly. Ordered a Sea doo GTX 300 Limited in March 2022 with deposit. Was originally told delivery mid to late April. Now they say end of June. I’m NOW looking at USED 2020 and 2021 GTX and or Yamaha top of the line and might tell dealer to refund $$$. Based upon your reviews I feel just as comfortable purchasing a Yamaha. What model,would be the same as a Gtx 300 limited? I still will probably purchase a 2023 sea doo but get my order in as soon as sea doos accepts them form2023. Thanks so much for your videos.
Hi and thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately, everyone is having to wait for the skis they have ordered these days. I hope it all works out for you. If you want to consider a similar model in the Yamaha lineup, I would look at an FX Cruiser SVHO. That is the same one I have. If you want audio as well, you can look at the limited version. Good luck to you!
@@TheShipsLogg - thank you sir. I really don’t want audio. :-) I will look at the Yamaha model you have . Hopefully a 2020 or 2021. I’m 6’2” and 210 lbs. should work for me. It was very helpful to know you are 6’8”. That gives me assurance that your model of jet ski will be comfortable for me. Thanks again I REALLY appreciate it
@@CrochetNewsNetwork I'm not sure where you are located but I know of a 2021 FX Cruiser that is available in GA. It has very low hours and was only used once or twice. Let me know if you want more info.
@@TheShipsLogg although I live in Washington state, my son and family live in GA. If it’s a great deal I might be interested as my wife and I are hoping to spend winters in Flordia. I could possibly store the Yamaha in GA . We visit GA every Christmas and now will be heading to Flordia afterwards. It would be a long shot at the moment but keep me in mind for possibilities. Do you live in GA?
If I was the type person who replaces their ski every 4 or 5 years, I would consider a Seadoo. But I am not. I have a 2013 VXR with 115 hours that I have had no issues with and I plan to run it until I do. I had about 6 Seadoos before my Yamaha.
Great Video . The reliability category is what Yamaha clings to. Unless we have national repair specs and details of the type of repairs, its really hard to quantify . I've helped riders of broken PWCs of all makes, including Yamahas. They all can break and its not my experience that Yamahas are less prone than any other brand. Bottom line, we have a lot more in common than we have differences.
Yamaha makes WAY more engines for WAY more applications than seadoo/Polaris, Yamaha’s engine building prowess is so great company’s like Ford & Toyota outsource engine building to Yamaha from time to time- including the much vaunted V10 in the LFA & the current 5.0 n/a V8 used by Lexus. There’s simply no question Yamaha makes more reliable better quality mechanical stuff, period. Whether they’re on the cutting edge of tech/performance/options is a different story, but what good is luxury & tech when you’re dead in the water?
@@MS-mr4zm I don’t think this is so clear cut. Using your same type of argument one would say there are wayyyyyy more seadoos on the water than Yamaha. Some areas have significantly more sea doo market share. Without an actual failure rate of critical parts or a consumer reports if you will, saying Yamaha makes more engines is meaningless. Sea do/ski doo and can am dwarf Yamahas market share in those areas and Yamaha has dominance is in the motorcycle and boat (not pwc) market. There is not enough information to make claims here. But facts are more seadoos are on the water, even if you factor an equal failure rate, you will perceive more failures from seadoos because many more are out there.
@@MS-mr4zm that’s a straw man. Again, says nothing about reliability, you’re making assumptions. How many LFA’s were made?? Oh right 500 for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yamahas Celica GTS engines had a line of problems, brought to you by Yamaha. The 2020 Supra, BMW engine oil consumption problems, transmission failure to shit problems. Look it up, doesn’t mean crap because Toyota asked for help with an inline 6. I love Yamaha motorcycles and had two of them, had a VX deluxe ski too, as did a friend I go on the water with. It was us surrounded by seadoos. I haven’t met a person with any major sea doo issues, my brother has had two. My buddies Yamaha VX, had the 2019 speedometer issue and had to service that. Thankfully no issues for me. My 2016 R1 was perfect but, the early years had catastrophic engine failures. As an actual owner of both brands I at least know first hand. I’m not just here saying stuff. Have you owned a sea doo? If so what model and year? Have you owned a Yamaha? Same question? We’ll see how my GTI holds up this year. If it’s crap I’ll come let you know if I remember.
@@MS-mr4zm not sure where you get your information but Rotax is one of the leading aircraft engine makers in the world. Rotax engines are completely reliable machines.
Sea Doo has about 55 percent of the market and Yamaha about 35 percent. The rest belongs to Kawi and others. Still the rate of failure is still much higher with Sea Doo. I'm not saying they are unreliable but Yammys just have a better reliability record. Of course, Yamahas break down too. I can say that I have towed multiple Sea Doos back to the dock but never A Yamaha
Yes I am a yamaha owner. 2017 gp1800 svho with a few mods 140hrs runs 78.6 on fortrex gps. 2022 gp1800r svho 21hrs...medium heavy build runs 93mph on same fortrex 701 gps.
Yamaha's have weak hulls, I know a few rider friends that have large cracks from just a minor bumps on the dock. Other than that, I think Yamaha is pretty good. I think they got cheap on the hulls though.
I assume you are referring to the NanoExcel hulls. They are actually pretty strong but very susceptible to delamination if you don't watch your bottom. I think Yamaha figured the typical rider would be a bit more careful in how they beach their machine and/or everything else. They were wrong. That is why they went back to SMC. NanoExcel came about because it is very strong and light. Perfect for racing. Those who race skis loved it but they also take good care of their machines. The recreational rider is different. Yamaha realized that rec riders need something they can abuse a bit more.
Great video Captain Frank. I've have been jet skiing for around 10 years and in that 10 years I've owned two new seadoos RXT 260is and a GTXs 155 both skis were well looked after and serviced on time Everytime they were both suspension skis and bought for long distance riding. within the first 12 months are owning RXT 260 I replaced the front wiring harness, cluster gauge, seat, 3 intercoolers ,1 blown supercharger ,1 cracked coolant bottle, replace the ibr supercharger hose blew off etc etc all before 93 hours I sold that ski and bought a 2015 GTX 155 this ski burnt oil from new after getting nowhere with my dealer for two years I took it to another dealer who put a new motor in it all under warranty last December 2 years after the motor was put in and 126 hours number 2 piston let go and blew the motor. After my experience with BRP I can honestly say that I have never owned something that has given me so much trouble as 2 new seadoos never will i own anything stamp BRP again there quality control, duty care and customer service is appalling.
OK I have just clicked on the video and will watch til the end, but Yamaha is simply the best. There are many reasons but I want to see what you pick and possibly why you pick it... Now on with the video.
@@TheShipsLogg Sure. I think you are spot on, as you were discussing engine size and power potential it's like you were reading my mind because you gotta push a smaller engine harder to get even the same power levels as a larger engine. The yamy wins in what to me is the most important area and that area is reliability. The yamy has a purpose built marine engine and they use special blend alloy for their drive line and exposed parts. I'm willing to bet you have little to no corrosion on your outer drive components. There is a reason seado uses closed loop cooling because their engine is a reperposed land unit. I gues the only area I have a question about is handling. I've seen several reviews of seadoos and they appear to be somewhat unstable in even slightly choppy water. Thnx for the video it was indeed very interesting.
Kawasaki THE BEST..The hull yelco and fiberglass and IS A V HULL ,engine supercharge 18.5 psi BOV (factory )dual water box,biggest intercooler .and the main point MADE IN USA..
Ive always enjoyed Ski Do Snowmobiles. Now in the South I bought a YAMAHA 22 GP1800R SVHO. Riva Tune and its awesome. Fantastic Quality. I cant imagine wanting coolers and deck options being a sport type rider. Coolers and such do zero for me and not a consideration at all.
The cool thing about it is that there are so many options these days to fit just about every type of rider and that is truly a good thing. Glad you are enjoying your Yammy! Stay safe!
As far as color schemes go… there are a lot of people who have terrible/no taste, and want those ugly color schemes…. Most reliable motors on the planet? Honda…… but Honda no longer makes jet skis, second most reliable motor manufacturer on the planet? Yamaha…. full stop. I like that Seadoo makes a special fishing jet ski, HOWEVER, Yamaha’s method of making each ski work for multiple things and being able to bolt on the fishing platform and then removing it is actually a better system….
I agree. That would have been interesting. I'm hoping to get my hands on a Kawi sometime this year just for a test ride. They are nice looking machines but I have not ridden any of the newer models.
Cabt discuss reliability without mentioning market share seadoo has 60% yamaha has 6% ofcourse they'll be more seadoos in the shop they are 54% more of them
You are correct that Sea-Doo has a larger market share, but your numbers are way off. Yamaha has about 40% of the market share while Sea-doo has about 55%. Even still, the numbers of Sea-Doos that are in for repair way outweighs the difference in percentage of market share.
If you buy a seadoo it won't hold its value you look at all jetski that have been for sale in boat trader most of our seed use you're hardly able to see a cow assockie sometimes you see Yamaha's but you always see cedars because they don't hold their value so you should learn all about Kawasaki before you even have something to talk about
When you go buy something to enjoy, not everyone is thinking " When i sell it will , i get my money back?" That is a dangerous way to make any large purchase. We buy what we like to enjoy what we like. Simple. All makes are different, just like people. Owned all 3 and all are great , just comes down to preference. And no offence , out of the 3, Kawasaki has the least amount of units overall on the water.
Definitely a major player in the industry. For some reason, the controversy always seems to be between SeaDoo and Yamaha. It may be because they are the two biggest in sales.
I would of separated comfort and handling, after riding both back to back in various models. I found the Yamaha had a more direct and stable steering along with better tracking, FYI, I’ve owned seadoos all my life, I bought my first Yamaha a year ago and it’s the best ski I’ve ever ridden, I still like the looks of the seadoo more than the Yamaha though Cheers
Wow! Seems like someone has been drinking some haterade. But since you brought it up. I use that name because that's what my boating friends call me. It just so happens, though, that I am a Coast Guard licensed captain for 15 years and I have been boating all my life. Hope you are not offended anymore.
Maybe you should check Kawasaki out because kawasaki's have the it's have the best haul for deep water they outshine both Yamaha and she do and I've always won the offshore races you like to offshore races cow sock as him always ojeff always won not Yamaha not seedo and a new Kawasaki you're sitting lower in a Seaton last year's end years and it is just to awesome jet ski and it will out perform any Yamaha and any seed that you can put up against itMaybe you should check Kawasaki out because kawasaki's have the it's have the best haul for deep water they outshine both Yamaha and she do and I've always won the offshore races you like to offshore races cow sock as him always ojeff always won not Yamaha not seedo and a new Kawasaki you're sitting lower in a Seaton last year's end years and it is just to awesome jet ski and it will out perform any Yamaha and any seed that you can put up against it
I agree that Kawis are good machines and I love the way they look. I do have to disagree that they win more races than Sea Doo or Yamaha though. Yamaha definitely has more wins. That being said, I would not shy away from buying a Kawasaki.
Despite the categories being tied, there is a clear winner. Reliability and efficiency are by far the two most important categories, and both were won by Yamaha. This is perfectly understandable because Yamaha are acknowledged experts at engines and BRP don't even make engines.
Those are definitely the most important categories for me and that is why I own a Yamaha.
You're right. Sea doo don't make engines, but the Rotax ACE engine is German / Austrian made. The best engines in the world are either Japanese or German made. Both seadoo and Yamaha engines are made by quality countries.
@@JDDD33 the most reliable engine manufacturer on the planet of any/all types is Honda (who stopped making jet skis after the 2008 crisis), the second most reliable engine manufacturer on the planet is Yamaha…..
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ thanks for your words of wisdom. But when i look at nearly every jet ski hire company (in Australia), they are all running Sea Doo GTI (naturally aspirated) skis - and they're clocking 600+ hours. I'm pretty sure a hire place would go for a brand/model of jet ski which will be the most reliable (for their money spent) and also be able to take many many hours of abuse. Actually, here in Australia, I've never come across one hire place that hires out Yamaha's, and I live in the coastal Venice of Australia (the Gold Coast), where JetSki rental companies are everywhere. Funny that. Also, Australia is one of the largest jet ski consumers in the world, and 8/10 skis used/consumed/hired-out here are Sea Doo. Follow the maintenance schedule on a Sea Doo, and drop the oil regularly, and those Austrian/German engines go all day long.
th-cam.com/video/uh_opNQbVW4/w-d-xo.html
@@JDDD33 My Doo has 400hrs., and I still run the crap out of it.
im a former seadoo mechanic, yamahas are made for salt water not a seadoo. Yamaha marine they make outboard never seen a seadoo outboard. juat a fact.
So in fresh water, a seadoo is fine/better? or theres no difference?
Actually seadoo has enenrude
@@hondo-pr4tu never seen an Evenrude motorcycle….. Yamaha has much more experience with motors….
Why former mechanic? Did you lose a nut?
Ok, I'm going to put money down for a sea doo fish trophy and I will be using it in lake Erie. Fresh water only. In your opinion will it last just as long as a Yamaha?
Could your assessment in reliability be a result if there being more Seadoo ski’s on the water?
It is true that there are more SeaDoos on the water but the increase in issues that SeaDoo has vs Yamaha is much more than the increase in the number of machines.
@@TheShipsLogg got it, I like the look of Seadoo honestly, they need to get their shit together they are making machines without parts. The demand is there clearly it’s just crazy
@@Anni3sgotagun I agree!
For tall riders (6'3") I had a lot of issues with just sitting on most of the 2022 Sea Doo line. The leg/knee indentation is just not made for someone my size, very cramped position especially with the speakers installed. I also like the 1800 Yamaha engine, have a lot of hours on three of these engines and never had any issues with them, tried and true. Having said that I do now own a Rotax powered water craft with the new ACE 1630 300 supercharged engines, will see how they hold up. For my next jet ski I'm leaning toward the FX line again, leaning towards naturally asperated but if I go with supercharged engine I'd go with the ones that use regular octane gas. Filling up my boat with 93 is now costing an eye watering $500! I also have to say who comes up with some of the colors for these? I know its subjective but I really think both brands have come up with come very ugly combos!
Their snowmobiles are the same way.
Excellent unbiased video, you got my subscription. 👍
The reason you see Seadoos getting fixed is because there are many more of them.... Possibly?
There are more of them but the increase in Seadoos that you see in the repair shop is far greater than their increase in total numbers.
@@TheShipsLogg the missing info here unfortunately is what the repairs are. For instance the demographics could be very different. If you can get a supercharged seadoo cheaper than a Yamaha, all the kids being idiots will be out jumping any bump, modifying them for performance over reliability. Not saying that is necessarily the case but, every kid I run into wants the supercharged seadoo. That mix doesn’t usually lead to good things.
@@mattvmani Good point. I do think they are running pretty close on price but that could make a difference. Sea Doo parts are cheaper than Yamaha so that may lead to more people modding them this causing this situation
Great review and comparison. I'm a yamaha guy and agree with everything you rated. I can tell you this though when your going on long trips like from miami to the bahamas lets say a 600 mile trip, I feel more comfortable on the yamaha VX HO's or FX HO's vs seadoo's GTI or RXTX models because of reliability and having less problems on the water. other than that they both are great ski's.
As they say: Yamadoo and Seadon't
Hey Captain Frank, once again a great video. Thank you for all you do! Heard you talk about future trip to Bahamas. When are you planning to do it?
We are doing the Bahamas trip in June. Going with the Gulf Streamers PWC Club.
Very nice! Definitely on my bucket list!!
Hey Captain Frank what do you recommend for a battery tender
Hey Tex! I just use a basic charger that I got at Home Depot. During the winter months, I connect it to the ski once a month and top the battery off. It also can do trickle charging so I can leave it connected it I want to.
Well done Captain very informative.
Thank you!!!
I owned two Sea Doo watercraft. My experience was as follows: 1) Great Performance, 2) Great Innovation, 3) Super Kool and Fun, 4) Horrible Reliability, 4) Horrible Warranty Support. I'll never buy another Sea Doo as along as I live. Reliability is now my number 1 criteria after having had the Sea Doo experience. Having your watercraft in the shop all the time is not fun!
I have heard that story before. You want to be on the water, not watching other people be on the water.
@@TheShipsLogg. Thanks so much for your video. I'm in the market for some new watercraft and it really helped me finalize the direction I need to head :)
Me too bro. Seadoos give me anxiety 😟
@@markmiller2509 what did you end up getting?
Good review and attention to what people are looking for. SeaDoo seems to listen to end user’s more, but Yamaha & Kawasaki are starting to see the value in end user experience. Really enjoyed your video.
Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey buddy. I have a question for you.. through much consideration I had decided I wanted to buy a 23 or newer FX non-supercharged.. which is I think basically the same machine you have.. I went to the dealer today stepped up on one walked around back and it felt like I was walking on a trampoline. I've never stood on a jet ski that felt springy like that. I can't imagine that holds up . Can you please give me your input. Thank you
Hey there. The padding on the deck does have some cushion on it and may make the deck seem a little springy but the deck underneath should be solid. Is it a new ski or a used one?
@@TheShipsLogg . Well this particular thing was a used one. But I was at a new dealer.. and I know about fiberglass and paint work. It was a whole lot more springy than anything I had ever walked across. And I have had at least 30 jet skis in my life. But never one of these Yamahas.. I honestly think it's this nano exceL or whatever.. it just doesn't seem like the longevity would be very good..
@@richievaughan7810 I'm wondering if it may be something else. Mine is also NanoExcel and it is not springy like that. And I'm a big guy. I would be wary.
I'll take a Kawasaki over the other brands due to the reliability, the heavy Hull that is the best for choppy water, and the fact that a Kawasaki is the only PWC you can actually call a JetSki.
I'm hoping to get my hands on one soon to do a test drive. They are very nice looking machines. I will tell you that.
@@TheShipsLogg what area of the US are you located in?
@@Gmtail I'm in Atlanta
@@TheShipsLogg Damn, ok. If you were close I’d let you have at a new Kawasaki Ultra LX-S. But if you’re ever in NJ hit me up 👍
@@Gmtail Will do!
Yamaha Pros: reliable engine, supercharger, better resale value and better straight line tracking/handling.
Yamaha cons: nanoxcel ( paint issues), wet ride, seating ergos and accessories lack compared to BRP.
Seadoo Pros: ergo lock seats, cool designs/ storage and accessories.
Seadoo Cons: carbon seal, supercharger goes...so does your engine ( yamaha just get reduced rpm) . Less fuel economy. Also closed loop cooling. Some say advantage, I disagree. You cannot modify ride plate. If you hit ride plate and crack...lose coolant. Open loop have been used in the marine industry forever...less chance of failure. IBR reliability issues.
Ideally I Seadoo hull with Yamaha drivetrain would be the bomb.
A Yamaha/Sea Doo combo. I feel like somebody out there is trying to do that. I'd love to see it.
Totally agree. I’m not quite on the same page with the close loop. Where I ride there’s not much to hit and end up taking the ski out to the ocean from a river often.
I wish Yamaha would copy more of the design even if they had a dedicate rec/cruiser model. More stable, even deeper footwells, large, tall, front portion of the ski with accessible storage that blocks wind/water. A better designed back deck for their Linq copy cat, that still needs work. Much narrower seats despite them already doing this.
I find it frustrating Yamaha after all these years is so far away from this. Still a great ski but I truly feel like they need a fresh mind to walk in there and be like guys, sit on a sea ski, take it out, ride it, use their parts and accessories, try the DIY maintenance. And take all of that and pick a model or make a whole new line to address all of those items. They make fantastic motorcycles to ride with amazing engines, they can pull off a better jet ski.
Family just wants a jet ski that is reliable and not in shop all the time. We kind of leaning on Yamaha just because of this reason. But, I do like that seadoo has accessories where you can clamp a cooler on the back. Not sure if Kawasaki or Yamaha have this or not.
Yamaha has the rec deck but you have to buy that separately and I'm not sure it's worth the price, especially since you can get a pic rack for much less.
@@TheShipsLogg I have a 2024 FX HO cruiser I purchased the rec deck. Yes it is very expensive but if you just want something to stand on it’s larger than the Sea-Doo if you want to have integration with aftermarket parts then go with the Sea-Doo they do a better job. Just remember when you add that rec deck you make access to the ladder we’re trying to stir it pretty much impossible unless you’re in the water to push it back into its storage position, if you have anything on the rack deck, like coolers or gasoline tanks, or anything else forget about using the ladder.
@@itowmyhome797 I feel you on the ladder issue. On the Bimini trip, I had to go into the water to unclog my intake. I had a rack mounted on the back of the ski and climbing back up the ladder to get on the ski was difficult. I was able to do it but getting over that rack was not easy.
My decision was easy, I called non-dealer jet ski repair shops in bullhead city Arizona and lake havisue Arizona. I simply asked what jet ski can I buy and not have any issues outside of normal wear and tear? They both said get a naturally aspirated 1.8l Yamaha. Put gas in it and enjoy it. So I bought a supercharged one and a NA one. They have been flawless in the 50 hours I have owned them. I had no brand bias going into it i just wanted it to work.
I'm in Havasu also.. I've had a Sea Doo and now have a 1.8 fx/ho and the difference is amazing!.. the Yamaha feels like an army tank with a million H.P.
Thanks for the video !
You are welcome!
"We're all one brotherhood." Luv it! Subscribed!
I'm in the market for a ski, no Yamaha stock remaining for a long while here, club member told me today he ordered one well before Xmas 2021, still waiting, so I'll likely grab a Sea-Doo, who regularly outsell Yamaha and continue to carry plenty of stock, perhaps Yamaha need to sort out their you know what and start producing more skis for consumers to buy??? PS I've owned Yamaha and BRP quads over the years, both have been brilliant, enjoyed both brands equally.
Definitely check with your dealer before putting money down on a Sea Doo. Many of them (including the one I deal with) have several in stock but can't deliver them because they have no cluster gauges or computer chips. It's not just Yamaha that is having supply chain issues. They just choose not to ship the ski until it's complete.
I know this is an older video, but I was wondering if you have purchasing advice: when to buy, how to score discounts, negotiations, what to look for in a dealer, etc. would be very helpful for those who are first time buyers like me😅
You may not have a lot of options these days because supply chain issues have caused a lot of shortages. Dealers are not likely to give discounts because they know that the machines are in demand. You may be able to walk into a dealer and buy one off of the showroom floor but if you want a specific hard-to-find model, you may have to order one. If you do order one, I would do so as early as you can. Typically dealers will start taking orders for the next model year in August. You may still have to wait a few months but you will have your best chances of getting one in time for the next riding season. Good luck.
Best ever video thank you so much James in Australia 🤞
You are welcome!!! Glad you liked it!!!
I still have fun with my 1999 Polaris SLX, which out performs my 2014 Yamaha VXR! I do like my VXR though, they are both fun, in their own ways!
Wow!! A blast from the past! You must know how to take care of your machines!
Hi Captain Frank just wondering what is the warranty is on the PWC in America please.
down here in Australia
Seadoo has a 2 year warranty.
Yamaha has a 3 year warranty.
Kawasaki has a 5 year warranty.
on another TH-cam channels that I have watching they said that Seadoo only had a 12-month warranty in Canada if that's true why is the length of warranty different in different countries. ?
Here, the Yamaha warranty is 12 months. You can buy an extended warranty at additional cost. My guess is that you guys have better laws requiring longer warranties there. I'm not absolutely sure though.
In the land of vegimite and thongs...we have laws that protect consumers, when warranties expire consumers can still take companies to court if a component fails prematurely ie a motor catastrophicly fails, reasonable expectation for something to last X amount of time, hours, km/miles etc, I'm not worried in the slightest what ever ski I own. Recent case of a 2 year old Chinese duel cab utility rusting out, buyer won and received a full refund, ha ha the manufacturer tried getting out of the claim saying the owner worked at a surf club, car parked near the coast, his fault....yeah right!
@@rescueert sweet! We need to get some of those law makers up here in the US!!!
@@rescueert I can remember reading about that case personally I am mentally exhausted and I'm just going to wipe my hands of any BRP product in the future.
Capt. Frank, I enjoy all of your videos. Thanks for posting I hope to be out there some day if I could just get Yamaha to fill my order! Missed 2021 after waiting 6 months so last August I ordered a 22 Cruiser but still no show on the machine. Here in northern WI our season is short so I don’t think this market is a priority for Yamaha. Hope it comes this season???
I hope you get your machine soon. I know how it is to have to wait, especially when you do not know when it is going to happen. Hang in there.
Man I feel lucky. I was able to walk in a dealership early February and find the exact ski I wanted. 2022 VX Cruiser HO. Just picked it up yesterday. Also in Wisconsin. Waiting on warm weather now.
@@djJK17 That is awesome!!!! Have a blast!
Hi Captain Frank i own a rental business for over 30years on a the island of Samos i have had Kawasaki Seadoo and Yamaha here in Greece i think its easier to find someone that can work on a yamaha than seadoo, parts are cheaper than seadoo and kawasaki and they just have been more reliable, open loop cooling seems more basic and a selling point here .No one really seems to make a true rental model something basic about 80hp and more durable than the fancy models .Really comes down to getting max hours and less running costs .
Team Yamaha
@@captainjocassee Love Lake Jocassee!
@@timk2853
Rain Or Shine
Hot Or Cold
Jocassee Is My Gold
Load up Tim and let’s roll
Wouldn’t a GTI 90 fit the bill? The engines rated at 3000 hours. Sounds like the ideal for that scenario. Plus it has a large stable hull compared to the Yamaha EX and especially over the Spark.
When you go into the shop and you see more seadoos getting fixed. That might be because seadoo outsell Yamaha 3 to 1 lol
Not sure about those numbers. I think they are much closer than that. Besides, when the mechanic tells you that he likes Sea Doos but he bought a Yamaha because he's tired of having to fix his Sea Doo, that means something.
@@TheShipsLogg Mechanics love Seadoo's cause it's a steady income stream haha...love your channel. Thx
@@timk2853 🤣🤣
That's because sea doo pays for more advertising. I have sold sea doos for 13+ years. I do own a yamaha I like the made in Japan fator
I have a 21 fx I like it, but like he said it’s a wet ride. I don’t like that part of it. They say the ride plate will help?? Does anyone have any experience with that?
Actually, a friend of mine who has the same machine as I do, did the ride plate. He said it does make a big difference.
@@TheShipsLogg thanks!!
@@TheShipsLogg Curious, why haven't you replaced your ride plate with a Riva or '22 FX version? Helps with the ride, handling and acceleration as well as keeping you drier. I know you love riding.
@@stanr5638 you are right. It does make a difference. I have heard that you lose a bit off the top end but have not confirmed that. So far, the wet ride has not been a major issue for me. I might do the ride plate in the future just as an experiment.
I plan to fish off of a ski when i finally purchase. I watch a lot of the Aussies fish them and its quite rough seas out there. Darn near all the hardcore aussie ski fishers use the fxho platform. I still bounce back and forth only cause the doo comes decked out for fishing here in the states
The FX platform is definitely good for big water and it's very stable
This is the first video on your channel I've seen. You are very good speaker and presented this topic perfectly. I agree with your points. Greetings from Poland. Subscribed.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!! Glad you like my videos!!!
Fantastic, real evaluation. Thanks.
Thank you!!
Absolutely great video! Subscribed
Thank you!!!
The dealer you buy it from means a lot. Davids sport shop in oklahoma city understands business and how to do it right. They are a sea doo dealer. I personally would buy whatever they sell.
@@tonycolca2241 True. A good dealer does make a difference for a lot of people. I tend to not need the dealer after I buy because I do all of the maintenance myself. For those you go back to a dealer for oil changes, etc, it is a consideration.
I prefer the look of the rxp seadoo but yamaha reliability is what made me get fxsvho
I prefer the look of a jeep but toyota reliability is what made me get a tacoma.
I agree. SeaDoo makes a nice looking machine. I bought a Yamaha for the same reason you did.
having owned several yamaha fx skis over the years. i thought id try the seadoo fish pro. worst decision ever. it wouldnt, nor could do the basic requirements i wanted in a water craft. and thats to go straight, and turn when i wanted it too. handled like a barge. i have now taken delivery of the new fx ho and love it. absolute chalk and cheese difference in rideability
Sometimes you just have to stick with what works.
Bro. You bought a Fish Pro. Just repeat those two words .. FISH PRO. They are designed with a hull that is wide and stable (like a barge), so you can fish from them with ease. You bought the wrong sea doo. Should have gone GTI 170 SE (which the watercraft journal gave the best ski of 2021).
Yea I agree
Great analysis for a yamaha fan lol! Well done! I think comfort and handling are two distinctly different categories however! f1's have incredible handling but are very uncomfortable....
I was trying to not make the analysis too much but that is a good point.
"f1's" You mean F1 car? Uncomfortable? That's really impressive you've driven one!
I have the exact same Lighthouse Pic behind my desk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had it for over 20 years!!
That's awesome!! It's one of my favorites!!
@@TheShipsLogg I first bought it because my Mother has a connection to that lighthouse! A family member worked there and died there. I’ve had it in every office of mine since!
Mom’s ashes were spread there in 2007!!
@@Mrjmhill wow!! What a great story! I'd love to see it in person.
@@TheShipsLogg You should!!!!
Sea Doo. Yamaha has had my 2021 ski for 7 months now with a list of broken items out of the factory and I still don't have an expectation of when it'll get fixed. After decades of owning a Yamaha, I'll never buy another one after this experience.
Austern,,please be more specific. :)
@@Jay_Hall I’ve been into PWCs since the 80s and the intro of Kawasaki js330 and 440 models. When sit-down models showed up, I went to those and never went back to stand ups. My last 2-stroke was a XLT1200 Yamaha, so I’ve had Yamahas for many years. Decades even. In 2016 my XLT finally got to the point it needed an (second rebuilt) engine. It was time to get a 4-stroke. I bought a FX HO. It was great, never had ANY issues with it. I put some Riva stuff on it here and there and it was a reliable and fun ski for many years. It even had a proper OEM installed bilge pump.
In 2021, I decided it was time to upgrade to a SVHO model. I sold my 2016 FX HO. This is where my relationship with Yamaha goes wrong.
Because of the shortages, I didn’t get to take delivery of my 2021 FX SVHO ski until July. The ski was offered to me by the dealer as someone else decided not to purchase it. The dealer had stopped taking deposits because of the delivery irregularities. According to the mfg date on the interior sticker, it was only 2 weeks out of the factory. I was aware of some of the quality issues being reported with Yamahas such as sloppy graphics alignments, etc., but a look over of my machine only revealed that one of the handlebar panels was hastily installed leaving an alignment pin out next to the right handlebar. That was all that was openly visible. No electric bilge pump for 2021. Cost cutting? Wonder when that got thrown out. Now, is when it goes downhill fast…
The following weekend, after setting up the ski to my preferences, I fill the tank up and head for the ramp. I park my truck, fire up the ski and start warming it up. First thing I notice is that neutral is not neutral. It’s pulling forward. Hmmmm. Next, the fuel gauge says it’s 95%. 92% if I shift my weight. Even with fuel so full, it’s in the filler neck, this reading doesn’t change. It’s break in time so I get out on the lake to see what else is wrong since my list is already at 3 items. Over the next 2 outings, only one more issue is found, until…
Walking back to my truck after tying off at the dock for extraction on the ramp, I noticed long, red streaks on my trailer bunks. Crap. Sure enough, the paint on my hull had rubbed off on the bunks, after only 3x in the water. I had only 7-8 hours on it at this point and by now was pretty pissed at the growing list of items wrong with this brand-new ski I just paid $20k for.
I hit 12 hours and take it in to my dealer for my 10-hour break-in service. It’s now early October. My list of items to be fixed is: gas gauge, handlebar panel re-install, bucket adjustment to fix neutral, overly sensitive trim buttons, and the hull paint. It is now Feb 16th and I haven’t seen my ski since I dropped it off. Regular check-ins with my dealer for updates are usually met with the phrase: “We are waiting on Yamaha to…”blah blah blah. The latest update as of Feb 12th is that the neutral can’t be fixed; the gas gauge required testing of the sending unit but after request, Yamaha didn’t supply any ohm specs to test it against; the dealer has sent multiple pics of the hull and had back-and-forth calls with them but after 4 months, still no authorization to re-paint or fix. Yamaha, you’ve known for a LONG time the Nano 2 hulls are prone to cracking and have paint issues! Yamaha even changed the hull composition for the 2022 FX models!
@@Jay_Hall
Now, I’ve had a LONG list of new cars, trucks, bikes, and PWCs before. I’ve come to expect that all of them have their quality issues to deal with when new but this is just getting out of control. I don’t feel like I’m unreasonable in understanding this, but when a mfg doesn’t stand by their product and make it right, this is where I take my money and allegiance elsewhere. After all, that’s what a warranty is for! Riding season is starting up here at Lake Lanier. We’ve already had 1 ride (Jet Riders) this year that I couldn’t attend. Yamaha, you are on the verge of losing a LONG-time customer. Get your shit together or I’ll be going back to Kawi or switching to Sea-Doo. Sea-Doo already holds more market share than you do. Taking a position of not caring for your customers is a dangerous one when this is an expensive discretionary purchase. I’ve spoken with a leading watercraft industry editor via online chat with a copy of this write up and he’s heard of similar issues to mine. I’ve included our public TH-cam chat conversation below. In short, all I’m asking for is Yamaha to make good by the warranty and give the green light to my dealer (Jet Thrust Performance in Lawrenceville, GA) to get my ski fixed. It’s not like I’m asking for my $20k back. I’ve been waiting 4 months already and my patience is done at this point.
Austen
th-cam.com/video/m4nSNo4wg6A/w-d-xo.html&lc=z23vuf44gwe3zzxthacdp433ev0idgcfpaggvbel1d5w03c010c.1645056679558503
The Watercraft Journal
Austen, thank you for this note. It was very thoughtful and well articulated. Unfortunately, we've seen severe dips in quality control in recent months and years. We're hoping to see improvements with coming models, but again, we all need to do our due diligence prior to buying.
Austen
@The Watercraft Journal I agree, but due diligence wouldn't have found the problems that I've run into with bad hull paint, bad fuel gauge, and bad bucket adjustment. These items are what a warranty is for. I can accept that a new ski isn't perfect. What I can't accept is a company that won't stand behind a product costing almost $20k. Four months my dealer has been fighting Yamaha and nothing has been done because Yamaha wants to play the back and forth game, primarily on hull paint which is a known issue!
The Watercraft Journal
Per the handle bars and bucket alignment, these are certainly sure to be warrantied, as they were pretty common repairs in '21. The fuel gauge was a massive pain for many (including yourself). Sadly, the hull issue will be bucked. They will claim that you ran up the bunks too quickly or didn't launch your ski with the trailer deep enough. Why? I've already heard others with the same complaint get the same response. (Sorry to be the messenger on that one.) The paint thickness, adhesion and durability are well below many buyer's expectations and Yamaha hasn't made moves that would say that they're interested in correcting the bad PR. Again, I'm sorry to relay this news - it's just what I have been shown over the year.
Austen
@The Watercraft Journal If that’s the case, then Yamaha will be losing a lifelong customer. Seems like a big gamble for a company NOT to take care of its customers when the item they produce is a discretionary purchase. Thanks for the chat! 😊
3/30/2022 UPDATE
I received a call from Yamaha Corporate after sending the above experiences with the email (sent on 2/22) of Yamaha USA on 2/23/2022. His name was Grayson and he goes on to tell me he has received the forwarded email from the CEO that I sent. He tells me that he doesn’t see my warranty claim from the dealer in the Yamaha system and will research what is going on and call me back within the week. He calls me back on 3/2 and tells me that he’s sending out the corporate district Manager to work with the dealer to resolve and that he’ll be calling me frequently now to update me on progress. I speak with the dealer the following week and he tells me that he was instructed to break down my list into individual tickets and re-enter those into the system. The dealer had combined several skis that all had similar issues, such as the fuel gauge problem and paint problems, onto a single warranty claim ticket to Yamaha. This is why corporate couldn’t see my VIN for a claim when they tried looking it up. The dealer also tells me that once those tickets are in, they will have to be approved by Yamaha, then I’m in a waiting-mode for the ski to go to the body shop to get the hull repainted. That could be anywhere from 1-3 weeks before it can get into there and another 1-3 weeks for the actual re-paint/body work to be completed.
3/28/2022
I haven’t heard anything from Yamaha in a while. I call the Yamaha Corporate telephone number and ask for Grayson. I sit on hold for a bit and when I actually get to speak with a live person, I ask to be transferred to Grayson. I am on hold again…
Sabrina tells me that I need to speak with the supervisor, Ben. Grayson will no longer be working on my account. Now I see why no one has called to update me. Another customer service failure for Yamaha. This mess just keeps growing. It’s now been almost 6 months since I put my ski in the shop. There is no end in sight. Sigh…
I speak with Ben the Supervisor. He apologizes for the lack of communication that was promised to me. He calls the dealer while I’m on hold with him after telling me that all of my repair tickets were authorized. He comes back on line and tells me that my ski went into the body shop today but has no repair status on other items on my list. We discuss the fuel gauge issue, neutral, and trim position issues. He promises to update me on those fixes. I tell him I have no belief in anything they tell me at this point because they’ve failed at pretty much every turn since I’ve purchased this hunk of shit. I’m still just shocked at how far Yamaha has fallen. 20+ years of having wave runners and this single experience has really wiped all of that goodness out. Unreal. Still no estimated time for repair.
I found a couple of TH-cam videos involving Yamaha PWCs and having hull coatings applied to them for the poor paint and other issues with “Nano” hulls. While the videos are VERY informational, the chat BELOW the video is even more telling about the Yamaha hull problems.
th-cam.com/video/sNkDgFXORT4/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/4b2CsTHIsg0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Qt45qfZsr6o/w-d-xo.html
4/19/2022
Exactly one month has passed and I haven’t heard from Yamaha AGAIN despite their promises to keep me informed as to the repairs on my WaveRunner. Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I predicted last month chatting with the supposed supervisor that I didn’t believe they would do what they said they would and here we are again.
YAMAHA, RETURN MY SKI AND REFUND MY MONEY. I’M OVER THIS NOW. 7 MONTHS I’VE BEEN MAKING PAYMENTS ON A WAVERUNNER THAT I HAVEN’T SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAMAHA HAS PUSHED OUT A FAULTY PRODUCT AND YAMAHA WARRANTY CUSTOMER NO-SERVICE CONTINUES TO FAIL AT ITS PROMISES.
4/20/2022
I called the dealer this afternoon and the owner tells me that the ski is still at the body shop. He tells me that the mechanical items should have been completed and all that is left is to wash and detail the ski once it comes out of the body shop. I sent a copy of this documentation in an email to the CEO yesterday. I have not been contacted by Yamaha yet.
4/21/2022
I called Ben at Yamaha (10:15a). They had left me a couple of voicemails (Sabrina), one last night and one this morning. Ben wants to re-hash what his commitments were from the last call. He says it doesn’t make sense for him to call me with updates when nothing has changed with the ski. It’s still in the body shop. I tell him it’s been a month and he says he doesn’t want to argue but the status hasn’t changed, so he didn’t feel the need to update me. He asks me if the dealer updated me and I tell him that he (ben) made the promise to do that and once again, I have to initiate the calls to find out what is going on. I tell him that it’s now been 7 months that I’ve been making payments on this and I haven’t seen it, and still there is no estimated time of completion (per the dealer, Duane “hopes to hear something this week from the body shop about the repaint”). I tell Ben, I’m done, they can keep the ski and they need to refund my money because I could’ve bought another ski by this time. Ben wants to go back to our previous conversation again and tells me that per the dealer (Duane) the body shop could take up to 3 weeks to finish. I tell him that it’s been 4 weeks and still there is no estimated time to get my ski back, and at this point I just want my money back and they can keep the ski. Ben tells me that we (Yamaha) aren’t at that point (whatever that is) where he will refund me. Really?!?!?! 7 months in the shop with me making payments, a laundry list of items to fix, and no guesses as when I’ll see the ski again. THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO REFUND SOMEONE FOR A BAD PRODUCT?!?!?! How would you like to pay hundreds of dollars a month for something you can’t use, or haven’t seen in more than half a year?!?!?
I tell Ben, that I’m getting a lawyer, and hang up. It’s pointless to deal with these idiots. Action only started AFTER I sent the initial email to Yamaha’s CEO and the ski had been sitting for 4 months at the dealership with them exchanging emails. It’s been all me having to push for action throughout this whole experience.
@@austenonyett5800 So sorry to hear that. Did you buy the extended warranty? If you haven't you should do it now. The YES is a contract between You and Yamaha and as with car dealers, this can raise the level of service you receive from both dealer and manufacturer because you can now have another contract to present in a court if they breach it. In essence now they have more reason to fear you. I have found this out in my dealings as I always negotiate and then buy the extended contract. I think you have a case in court and what needs to be done is for you to receive a new unit if they cannot carry out the service contract on you PWC. $20,000 is a lot of money and they MUST make it right!
@@Jay_Hall I did not buy the extended warranty as I usually start modding my skis after the first year. I don't want a new unit from them. I want my money back so I can get something else from another brand. Sadly, they haven't done anything right to begin with so I have no expectation that they'll turn this around now. I'd much rather be optimistic about this but after the last 7 months, their history has been poor.
I feel so blessed to experience both brands having an rxt 230 and now a Yamaha superjet I have waay more fun on my superjet and got rid of my rxt
I wish I had the skills to ride a superjet. They really do look like fun!!
I have over 5000 hrs experience with Rotax power plants, reasonably reliable if maintained and not at high revs which unfortunately jet ski’s require. Yamaha power plants are better designed for high revs so it’s Yamaha for me all day
I bought Seadoo because of the Rotax, had many on my airplanes also. Yamaha has a good keybaord though. lol
SeaDoo Owner 2022 Gti Se 170 with Audio ! Previously owned kawasaki ! Agree With Your findings i personally like them All !! 100
Thanks! Hope you are enjoying your machine!
@@TheShipsLogg Yes taking ride now ! Live on water Mystic Island NJ .. Bought jan 30 got it may 13th !
My seadoos are from 1995. They've had issues, but are still very reliable. If you take care of something it will last. I typically see more older seadoos out on the lake than Yamahas here. That could be from the lack of Yamaha dealers in the area.
Agreed. No matter what you have, maintenance is key!
I love my new yellow RXP X 300. It's insane. Great vid. Stay wet.
Let us know when you are going to the Bahamas.
We are going June 5 - 12. Doing the trip with the Gulf Streamers
Totally agree on all your category wins
I appreciate your videos and the time you put into making them. Keep up the great work.
I agree with most of what you had to say in this video, most of it. I disagree with your comments about Sea Doo having the advantage in rough water, and here's why. I can back up my thoughts with real world results and not opinion. Take a look at the P1 AquaX racing series and the results in this series. This series has arguably the roughest water conditions in closed course racing. Sea Doo struggles to compete in this series for the sole reason they do not handle the rougher conditions as well as the FX series hull from Yamaha. The racers will tell you this in their interviews, the results show it and have shown it for a few years now, and the privateers that actually have the ability to choose which hull they ride favor the Yamaha FX hull over the Sea Doo. Kevin Shaw from WaterCraft Journal even comments about this every year in his breakdown of each watercraft.
Just my $.02 worth. Take it or leave it.
Thank you again for always putting out great videos.
Actually, I think you are right. I guess in my comments, I was referring to the typical recreational rider. Most of them ride in relatively calm water compared to what the racers do. I think I remember mentioning in the video that the Yamaha FX is the best platform for big water. That is one of the reasons I bought one. Thanks for watching my videos!
@@TheShipsLogg you have valid points in all your comments. I have the same FX you have and could not be more pleased with the unit. Thank you for doing what you do.
What your saying has nothing to do with how the average guy handles a PWC in choppy conditions. Racing equipment isn't geared towards Joe Public whether it's bicycles, airplanes or anything else involved in racing.
best thing for me is the one with less repairs haha.
Me too!
I have a jet ski repair shop I don't even have to watch this video Sea-Doos are garbage!!!!
Great video - I can appreciate your perspective and agree mostly - as a Seadude Rider - I love the lower center of gravity and the features - Yamaha's engines reliability are overall better - I've only had one issue with my 2020 Seadoo GTX230 - fuel sending unit - if you maintain the skis they were be reliable - some units regardless of brand - there are some that have more problems then others. As far as the carbon seal its really not as much of an issue was it was years ago - people need to know to limit to no more then 1 minutes running out of the water which is why the carbon seals degrade and will eventually fail. That saying until 2022 - Yamahas have a lot of delamination issues on their hulls.
I just bought an RXTX 300, but I think I'm going to get a second one and make it a Yami.
The best of both worlds!!! 😁
Reliability is everything. None of the other preference stuff matters if the ski never works. My Seadoo is always broken, lol, and i take really good care of mine. Meanwhile, my buddies yamaha just works, zero issues ever and he literally never maintains it.
You are absolutely right!
Yamaha and Sea-Doo both spend so much on marketing and on tech gizmos that they have neglected the drivetrains and hulls. Just look at the quality control issues in 2021. Kawasaki is King.
I do hope to get my hands on a Kawi soon so I can check it out. One thing I know is that it is a good looking machine.
@@TheShipsLogg I’m way biased towards the Kawis, but thank you for your objective review, very informative!
Kawi. Started on a js550 in the mid 80s. Many skis later I now have a STX15f. Kawi started it all. There can only be 1.
I just love your channel and your objectivity. Your channel has helped the most for going further into me becoming a jet ski addict :-) got my first ski last summer at age 64. Got a used 2019 sea doo Wave 155. Good entry level and works flawlessly. Ordered a Sea doo GTX 300 Limited in March 2022 with deposit. Was originally told delivery mid to late April. Now they say end of June.
I’m NOW looking at USED 2020 and 2021 GTX and or Yamaha top of the line and might tell dealer to refund $$$. Based upon your reviews I feel just as comfortable purchasing a Yamaha. What model,would be the same as a Gtx 300 limited?
I still will probably purchase a 2023 sea doo but get my order in as soon as sea doos accepts them form2023.
Thanks so much for your videos.
Hi and thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately, everyone is having to wait for the skis they have ordered these days. I hope it all works out for you. If you want to consider a similar model in the Yamaha lineup, I would look at an FX Cruiser SVHO. That is the same one I have. If you want audio as well, you can look at the limited version. Good luck to you!
@@TheShipsLogg - thank you sir. I really don’t want audio. :-)
I will look at the Yamaha model you have . Hopefully a 2020 or 2021.
I’m 6’2” and 210 lbs. should work for me. It was very helpful to know you are 6’8”. That gives me assurance that your model of jet ski will be comfortable for me.
Thanks again I REALLY appreciate it
@@CrochetNewsNetwork I'm not sure where you are located but I know of a 2021 FX Cruiser that is available in GA. It has very low hours and was only used once or twice. Let me know if you want more info.
@@TheShipsLogg although I live in Washington state, my son and family live in GA. If it’s a great deal I might be interested as my wife and I are hoping to spend winters in Flordia. I could possibly store the Yamaha in GA . We visit GA every Christmas and now will be heading to Flordia afterwards. It would be a long shot at the moment but keep me in mind for possibilities. Do you live in GA?
@@CrochetNewsNetwork yes. I'm in GA.
This isn’t even a Question. It’s been long known that BRP Makes garbage
Idk, I’ve been on both and Sea doo feels way more powerful, and the quality of the sea doo feels better. The audio sounds better. And Sea doo has IDF.
Six Eight....holy shi#! I am surprised you can have any comfort on the PWC at that height....;)
If I was the type person who replaces their ski every 4 or 5 years, I would consider a Seadoo. But I am not. I have a 2013 VXR with 115 hours that I have had no issues with and I plan to run it until I do. I had about 6 Seadoos before my Yamaha.
Good point. Yamahas are really made to last as long as you take care of them. That is why I have a Yammy.
Great Video . The reliability category is what Yamaha clings to. Unless we have national repair specs and details of the type of repairs, its really hard to quantify . I've helped riders of broken PWCs of all makes, including Yamahas. They all can break and its not my experience that Yamahas are less prone than any other brand. Bottom line, we have a lot more in common than we have differences.
Yamaha makes WAY more engines for WAY more applications than seadoo/Polaris, Yamaha’s engine building prowess is so great company’s like Ford & Toyota outsource engine building to Yamaha from time to time- including the much vaunted V10 in the LFA & the current 5.0 n/a V8 used by Lexus. There’s simply no question Yamaha makes more reliable better quality mechanical stuff, period. Whether they’re on the cutting edge of tech/performance/options is a different story, but what good is luxury & tech when you’re dead in the water?
@@MS-mr4zm I don’t think this is so clear cut. Using your same type of argument one would say there are wayyyyyy more seadoos on the water than Yamaha. Some areas have significantly more sea doo market share. Without an actual failure rate of critical parts or a consumer reports if you will, saying Yamaha makes more engines is meaningless. Sea do/ski doo and can am dwarf Yamahas market share in those areas and Yamaha has dominance is in the motorcycle and boat (not pwc) market.
There is not enough information to make claims here. But facts are more seadoos are on the water, even if you factor an equal failure rate, you will perceive more failures from seadoos because many more are out there.
@@mattvmani it’s clear cut bro, who did Toyota call on to make their supercar/lemans V10 engine for the LFA?
@@MS-mr4zm that’s a straw man. Again, says nothing about reliability, you’re making assumptions. How many LFA’s were made?? Oh right 500 for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yamahas Celica GTS engines had a line of problems, brought to you by Yamaha. The 2020 Supra, BMW engine oil consumption problems, transmission failure to shit problems. Look it up, doesn’t mean crap because Toyota asked for help with an inline 6. I love Yamaha motorcycles and had two of them, had a VX deluxe ski too, as did a friend I go on the water with. It was us surrounded by seadoos. I haven’t met a person with any major sea doo issues, my brother has had two. My buddies Yamaha VX, had the 2019 speedometer issue and had to service that. Thankfully no issues for me. My 2016 R1 was perfect but, the early years had catastrophic engine failures.
As an actual owner of both brands I at least know first hand. I’m not just here saying stuff. Have you owned a sea doo? If so what model and year? Have you owned a Yamaha? Same question? We’ll see how my GTI holds up this year. If it’s crap I’ll come let you know if I remember.
@@MS-mr4zm not sure where you get your information but Rotax is one of the leading aircraft engine makers in the world. Rotax engines are completely reliable machines.
There's alot more Sea-Doos being fixed partly because dealerships sell many more Sea-Doos than Yamaha. My dealership sells 3 BRP versus 1 for Yamaha.
Sea Doo has about 55 percent of the market and Yamaha about 35 percent. The rest belongs to Kawi and others. Still the rate of failure is still much higher with Sea Doo. I'm not saying they are unreliable but Yammys just have a better reliability record. Of course, Yamahas break down too. I can say that I have towed multiple Sea Doos back to the dock but never A Yamaha
Let's be real, Sea Doos are head and shoulders above the competition...
I guess we know which machine you own. LOL!
@@TheShipsLoggYessir! Couldn't be more proud!
Check the raceboards and champion racecraft for the last 10 years bro. Proof is in the water...not in opinion
Yes I am a yamaha owner. 2017 gp1800 svho with a few mods 140hrs runs 78.6 on fortrex gps. 2022 gp1800r svho 21hrs...medium heavy build runs 93mph on same fortrex 701 gps.
@@larryspencer4075 That's cool man. I'm just saying Sea Doo is better overall
Yamaha's have weak hulls, I know a few rider friends that have large cracks from just a minor bumps on the dock. Other than that, I think Yamaha is pretty good. I think they got cheap on the hulls though.
I assume you are referring to the NanoExcel hulls. They are actually pretty strong but very susceptible to delamination if you don't watch your bottom. I think Yamaha figured the typical rider would be a bit more careful in how they beach their machine and/or everything else. They were wrong. That is why they went back to SMC. NanoExcel came about because it is very strong and light. Perfect for racing. Those who race skis loved it but they also take good care of their machines. The recreational rider is different. Yamaha realized that rec riders need something they can abuse a bit more.
Bought new gp1800svho this year. I have only owned seadoos before with the odd issues. Excited to see how yami compares!
Congratulations!!! I think you will love it!!
Great video Captain Frank.
I've have been jet skiing for around 10 years and in that 10 years I've owned two new seadoos RXT 260is and a GTXs 155 both skis were well looked after and serviced on time Everytime they were both suspension skis and bought for long distance riding.
within the first 12 months are owning RXT 260 I replaced the front wiring harness, cluster gauge, seat, 3 intercoolers ,1 blown supercharger ,1 cracked coolant bottle, replace the ibr supercharger hose blew off etc etc all before 93 hours I sold that ski and bought a 2015 GTX 155 this ski burnt oil from new after getting nowhere with my dealer for two years I took it to another dealer who put a new motor in it all under warranty last December 2 years after the motor was put in and 126 hours number 2 piston let go and blew the motor.
After my experience with BRP I can honestly say that I have never owned something that has given me so much trouble as 2 new seadoos never will i own anything stamp BRP again there quality control, duty care and customer service is appalling.
Wow! You definitely had more than your share of issues. Hopefully, you will have much better luck with the next one.
So sea doos are that sea pooop
@@tanako98x 0:19
Sea Doo is about all-out performance whereas Yamaha is about reliability. That's the way I see it.
Why does Sea Doo have the majority of the pwc market world wide?
Well first Yamaha Superjet was made 1990. I have one of those
Those look like so much fun!
OK I have just clicked on the video and will watch til the end, but Yamaha is simply the best. There are many reasons but I want to see what you pick and possibly why you pick it... Now on with the video.
Id love to hear your thoughts when you are finished.
@@TheShipsLogg Sure. I think you are spot on, as you were discussing engine size and power potential it's like you were reading my mind because you gotta push a smaller engine harder to get even the same power levels as a larger engine. The yamy wins in what to me is the most important area and that area is reliability. The yamy has a purpose built marine engine and they use special blend alloy for their drive line and exposed parts. I'm willing to bet you have little to no corrosion on your outer drive components. There is a reason seado uses closed loop cooling because their engine is a reperposed land unit. I gues the only area I have a question about is handling. I've seen several reviews of seadoos and they appear to be somewhat unstable in even slightly choppy water. Thnx for the video it was indeed very interesting.
@@danav3387 you are welcome and thanks for your comments. Enjoy your Yammy!!!
Kawasaki Ultra 310 😏
Sea-Doo owners love Yamaha owners, because someone has to tow them back in when they break down
@@itowmyhome797 🤣🤣
Kawasaki THE BEST..The hull yelco and fiberglass and IS A V HULL ,engine supercharge 18.5 psi BOV (factory )dual water box,biggest intercooler .and the main point MADE IN USA..
I like the Kawis as well but they are not the only ones made in the USA. The Yamahas are as well.
Like always excellent video I am Yamaha fan lol
Thank you!!
Ive always enjoyed Ski Do Snowmobiles. Now in the South I bought a YAMAHA 22 GP1800R SVHO. Riva Tune and its awesome. Fantastic Quality. I cant imagine wanting coolers and deck options being a sport type rider. Coolers and such do zero for me and not a consideration at all.
The cool thing about it is that there are so many options these days to fit just about every type of rider and that is truly a good thing. Glad you are enjoying your Yammy! Stay safe!
As far as color schemes go… there are a lot of people who have terrible/no taste, and want those ugly color schemes….
Most reliable motors on the planet? Honda…… but Honda no longer makes jet skis, second most reliable motor manufacturer on the planet? Yamaha…. full stop.
I like that Seadoo makes a special fishing jet ski, HOWEVER, Yamaha’s method of making each ski work for multiple things and being able to bolt on the fishing platform and then removing it is actually a better system….
Yeah, I have been wondering who has been coming up with those colors myself. 🤣
Great review captain Frank keep up the good work
Thank you!! Will do!
Yamaha = You And Me Are Hauling Ass 👍
Yesssirrrr!
Reliability and mpg is more important.... Yamaha! Wonder if you included Kawasaki they would of been the winer?
I agree. That would have been interesting. I'm hoping to get my hands on a Kawi sometime this year just for a test ride. They are nice looking machines but I have not ridden any of the newer models.
neither...the engine should never be under the seat.
yamaha, more reliable and better resale.
Cabt discuss reliability without mentioning market share seadoo has 60% yamaha has 6% ofcourse they'll be more seadoos in the shop they are 54% more of them
You are correct that Sea-Doo has a larger market share, but your numbers are way off. Yamaha has about 40% of the market share while Sea-doo has about 55%. Even still, the numbers of Sea-Doos that are in for repair way outweighs the difference in percentage of market share.
Hello, Yoo-Hoo…Kawasaki anyone?
The parts are cheaper because they break easier on seadoo you get what you pay for...
Dude this voice scared the crap out of me 😂
😂😂😂. Yup. I've been playing with some of the options in the video editing software!
@@TheShipsLogg had to turn on the lights 😂
@@JonathanSebastian407 😂😂
Kawasaki 2022 310lx !!!
If you buy a seadoo it won't hold its value you look at all jetski that have been for sale in boat trader most of our seed use you're hardly able to see a cow assockie sometimes you see Yamaha's but you always see cedars because they don't hold their value so you should learn all about Kawasaki before you even have something to talk about
Good point!
When you go buy something to enjoy, not everyone is thinking " When i sell it will , i get my money back?" That is a dangerous way to make any large purchase. We buy what we like to enjoy what we like. Simple. All makes are different, just like people. Owned all 3 and all are great , just comes down to preference. And no offence , out of the 3, Kawasaki has the least amount of units overall on the water.
😂😂😂😂 a brand new Sea-Doo needs to go from the assembly line straight to the dump! Absolute garbage!
🤣🤣🤣
Kawasaki ?!?!
Definitely a major player in the industry. For some reason, the controversy always seems to be between SeaDoo and Yamaha. It may be because they are the two biggest in sales.
I would of separated comfort and handling, after riding both back to back in various models. I found the Yamaha had a more direct and stable steering along with better tracking,
FYI, I’ve owned seadoos all my life, I bought my first Yamaha a year ago and it’s the best ski I’ve ever ridden, I still like the looks of the seadoo more than the Yamaha though
Cheers
Good points!
Call himself a captain cause he ride a jet ski? Lol
Wow! Seems like someone has been drinking some haterade. But since you brought it up. I use that name because that's what my boating friends call me. It just so happens, though, that I am a Coast Guard licensed captain for 15 years and I have been boating all my life. Hope you are not offended anymore.
some people man…. Just commenting with the hate for no reason but come across as an absolute tool.
i see a seadoo on podium weekly.
Maybe you should check Kawasaki out because kawasaki's have the it's have the best haul for deep water they outshine both Yamaha and she do and I've always won the offshore races you like to offshore races cow sock as him always ojeff always won not Yamaha not seedo and a new Kawasaki you're sitting lower in a Seaton last year's end years and it is just to awesome jet ski and it will out perform any Yamaha and any seed that you can put up against itMaybe you should check Kawasaki out because kawasaki's have the it's have the best haul for deep water they outshine both Yamaha and she do and I've always won the offshore races you like to offshore races cow sock as him always ojeff always won not Yamaha not seedo and a new Kawasaki you're sitting lower in a Seaton last year's end years and it is just to awesome jet ski and it will out perform any Yamaha and any seed that you can put up against it
I agree that Kawis are good machines and I love the way they look. I do have to disagree that they win more races than Sea Doo or Yamaha though. Yamaha definitely has more wins. That being said, I would not shy away from buying a Kawasaki.
Seadoo hands down
Kawasaki Ultra 310R
Its really Mexico vs USA in terms of production
You could say that but it's not just where it's built. It's also about design.
You talk 3.5x more than needed