Best 3 seater for rough water?

[Davesavvy]

I currently own a 2013 Seadoo GTR 215. I have a camp on a very large lake (Upstate NY) which is very rough water about 80% of the time in season. My GTR gets slammed and I've had enough.

Not a speed demon anymore so doing over 65 mph isn't that important. But cruising 45 mph in chop is important with busting my nuts lol Prefer models 2021 & up.

I know the Seadoo RXT-X 300 is a good choice but I've heard they're "thirtsty" and then the Supercharger rebuild down the road.

Any other good options?

[jetplane]

RXT-X is 300 not a good choice for moderate - high speed chop . The Ultra is the king of the chop , 2nd is the Yamaha Fx , especially the '22 an 23' models .

[smokeysevin]

Pickup an Ultra and never look back.

Sean

[Davesavvy]

I guess I need to check out the Ultra then. What makes it so much better?

[K447]

… the Ultra ... What makes it so much better?

Ride quality in non-smooth water is almost entirely dependent on the hull shape, the part that gets wet.

Generally speaking a lower hull shaped like the letter V will cut through the waves and ride well in rough water. A deep V hull tends to have a lot of wetted surface which creates water drag on the hull. These hulls tend to need more power to achieve a given speed compared to a flatter V design.

With a flatter the V there is less drag in the water and the hull needs less power to achieve high speeds. But the hull tends to bounce off the waves more and the ride can be harsher.

Years ago the Kawasaki Ultra 300 hull was considered the absolute best in terms of rough water ride. Since then the Yamaha FX hull has been redesigned and evolved to also be quite competent in non-smooth water.

There are multiple other factors involved in PWC hull design, some of which are unique to PWC compared to boat hulls. Sponsons, the jet pump itself, and of course the ride plate.

[Davesavvy]

Ride quality in non-smooth water is almost entirely dependent on the hull shape, the part that gets wet.

Generally speaking a lower hull shaped like the letter V will cut through the waves and ride well in rough water. A deep V hull tends to have a lot of wetted surface which creates water drag on the hull. These hulls tend to need more power to achieve a given speed compared to a flatter V design.

With a flatter the V there is less drag in the water and the hull needs less power to achieve high speeds. But the hull tends to bounce off the waves more and the ride can be harsher.

Years ago the Kawasaki Ultra 300 hull was considered the absolute best in terms of rough water ride. Since then the Yamaha FX hull has been redesigned and evolved to also be quite competent in non-smooth water.

There are multiple other factors involved in PWC hull design, some of which are unique to PWC compared to boat hulls. Sponsons, the jet pump itself, and of course the ride plate.

Great explanation...thx!

[steve45]

When looking at a Kawasaki Ultra, consider the Ultra LX. This is different from the Ultra 310 LX. Kawasaki's naming system is confusing (but not nearly as bad as Yamaha). The 310 version is supercharged, the Ultra LX is normally aspirated. Top speed of the Ultra LX is about 50 MPH, depending on loading. It's a simple 'Ski, no trim, no supercharger, extremely stable, has a huge storage compartment, and it's great for beginners.