Newbie from Kapiti

Hi All,

The names Blair. I have always fished from small boats and in the past have got frustrated when I couldn't go out as no one was available to help launch etc. Am thinking about a jetski and found this great site. I want to do things on a budget. Can anyone advise on decent priced jetskis. I have seen a brand new Yamaha VX700 for very reasonable price - I know it's a 2 stroke but I have had 20 year old 2 stroke outboards that started 1st time everytime. Would it be a mistake to consider this ski? The other cheap deal I found was a new sea-doo GTI 130 for 16k with new trailer and cover. Basically any advise on buying appreciated. Also any info on what it's like - is it rough going on such a small craft in chop etc?

Many thanks,
Blair

Welcome Blair and great to here you are getting into it!!!

Private Message me your budget or disclose on here if your are not concerned about talking $ publicly and I will do my best to offer you my opinion to aid in your research to ensure you not only get the best value for money but also something that you will get plenty of enjoyment out of. Everyones circumstances are different so I have several questions to ask you first before making any recommendation.

Cheers Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the quick reply. I am still weighing up whether to get another cheapish new boat 25k or a Jetski. I cant imagine spending that sort of money on a jetski though. Maybe it's because they are so much smaller and I don't see where all the cost is. I guess I would go to 18k including trailer. Boat or Jetski will be on HP as I don't have that sort of cash lying around. I am open to suggestions - people say 2 strokes are unreliable but I have never had a problem with them. In fact I think they are such a nice simple design and easy to work on. The sales person for sea-doo said their 4 strokes have a 2 year warranty and shouldn't need a rebulid for 2000 hours. What surprises me though are the number of 4 strokes for sale that say they have been rebuilt after so few hours. Hoping advise from those that do it on this site will help rather than relying on sales people.

Cheers,
Blair

I have a 2 stroke Yamaha GP1200 135HP and I like it, good value for money 2nd hand. The min trade off is fuel mileage, though I rarely go many miles offshore, I stick to rocky outcrops and reefs within 1/2 hour of the ramp. So maybe it depends on where you want to fish too.

Thanks Orca - so you can get an hours run before fuel gets low? Does anyone have a yamaha vx700? Be interesting to know what sort of time you could get from a tank. I like the idea of 3-4 hours use so maybe I will need a 4 stroke.

Hi Blair, as Orca and others will attest to there is nothing too much wrong with the 2 strokes and if you were on a lessor budget say $10K or under I would recommend the Yamaha XLT1200. 2 stroke jetskis don't tend to be anywhre near as reliable as 2 stroke outboard engines. However any budget of say $12K + certainly puts any 4 stroke in contention, with the end result coming down to final spend dependant on age, hours and condition. Your budget is higher than most starting out, but is usually what most end up spending on the 2nd ski when upgrading from a cheaper ski just to try it out. Then of course there are the others who go straight into new because their budget allows.

When making a decision I would try and purchase a roller trailer, which will make a huge difference for you launching off the beach at Paraparaumu, a bunk/pad trailer will be too difficult unless you were launching at Mana or a beach with a step drop off.

A 4 stroke wil not only provide you with reliability but also fuel economy. Using Kapiti Island and surrounds as a gauge I would say from your location you would do approx 3-4 fishing trips to one tank of gas. Plenty of kingies lurking around those waters at the moment.

You should also allow for at least $1500 to get yourself well setup with everything you need for fishing off your ski. That would be an average spend, although some on here may spend a little more but if I was to mention names or quote dollars I would be aid domestic abuse from partners !!

So, I reckon your budget for a ski and roller trailer (which might not be essential until you have tried a bunk trailer out, but you can always change trailers or have bunks removed and rollers added) is around the $15-$16.5K mark or lower if a real bargain is available out there.

What I will do now, is do some research for you of what is around forsale at the moment and post my top picks. From there you can do what you like, but if you decide to purchase one an inspection by a reputable jetski mechanic will be very important.

Talk soon.

Mark

Fantastic info thanks Mark and exactly what I am after. Be interested in your thoughts on a brand new Sea-doo GTI130 - does it have enough grunt, reliabilty? They are selling new with 2 year warranty and trailer for 16k. From my research people seem to say yamaha are more reliable - but that could just be like a ford vs holden argument. I have most fishing gear already - VHF, good rods and reels, flares and so on.

Really looking forward to your recommendations.

Cheers,
Blair