craftchickapowpow
Full Member
My Circus My Monkeys
Posts: 206
Jun 26, 2014 16:12:18 GMT
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Post by craftchickapowpow on Aug 10, 2014 1:52:24 GMT
I read the boat thread and since we've BTDT, I wouldn't go back to boat ownership but the last few summers I've really had the urge to get back on the water so I'm thinking about a jet ski. We don't live on a lake but there are several lakes within 15 minutes of us. If we do buy one, we will probably wait until winter when they are (hopefully) less expensive. We would buy used. Do you own one, would you want one, love it , hate it?
Edited to correct auto correct  |
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 10, 2014 2:05:22 GMT
We used to have a jet ski. When DS was born we sold it because, when would we take a newborn, toddler... out on a jet ski. Then when he was 3, younger DS was born, so no point in getting on them.
They are now 13 and 10 and we are thinking about it again.
Do you have a place to store it? Are you in a year round area or summer only? I assume you have a truck to pull it.
There was regular maintenance, oil changes, life jackets, wet suits if we wanted it in colder water, insurance...
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 10, 2014 5:40:18 GMT
Personally I would prefer a boat that everyone can go out in, rather than a jet ski that only one or 2 people at a time can use.
You shouldn't need a truck to pull it. All the friends I know have normal 6 cylinder sedans that pull their jet skis just fine. I could even tow one with my 4 cylinder sedan.
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craftchickapowpow
Full Member
My Circus My Monkeys
Posts: 206
Jun 26, 2014 16:12:18 GMT
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Post by craftchickapowpow on Aug 10, 2014 6:24:24 GMT
I was thinking we could get a 2 person ski and if we liked it we'd get a 2nd ski. Hows are they on gas? Can you pull a tube with it? I'm going to have to convince DH so i do what i always do when he initially says no. I've started the drip drip drip until he's used to the idea....  |
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 10, 2014 10:20:02 GMT
A few of my friends who bought jet skis have ended up getting a second one.
And yes, you can tow a tube on it. You can also pull a skier if they're not too big. Remembering of course that you should also have an observer on the jet ski. I'm not sure what the law is where you live, but I think that here you can only tow if you have a 3 seater jet ski and then you can only tow 1 person. That's because you cannot have more people (including driver, observer and skier) than what your boat or jetski can legally carry.
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Post by miss_lizzie on Aug 10, 2014 11:19:59 GMT
Some lakes around here don't allow them. Be sure to check out the lakes you'd use one in.
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 10, 2014 13:43:37 GMT
Unless the water is very smooth, the jet skis can be very hard on the knees and back, so keep that in mind if either you or your husband have knee or back problems.
I think jet skis are fun for the person driving, but I don't think it's all that fun for the passengers sitting behind the driver.
My son has always loved the jet ski and he will take it out for hours and hours. My daughter and other kids we've brought to the lake like to ride the jet ski for about thirty minutes and then they are done and want to ride in the boat.
Jet skis are a lot less trouble than a boat. They are so easy to dock and tie up. It's easy to maneuver a jet ski in a tight spot and they can turn on a dime as opposed to a boat. I've only towed a jet ski once and that was pretty easy too.
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fitzy
Full Member
Posts: 227
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:04 GMT
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Post by fitzy on Aug 10, 2014 14:50:54 GMT
We have 2 jet skis. They are a lot of fun. We have a house on the intercostal waterway in NC so they are on lifts on the dock. We watch the water conditions carefully as it can get very rough. We usually go on average about 40 miles a trip. Mostly looking for wildlife like dolphins and birds. My husband once saw a bear swimming across the river. I had to work that day :-(.
One of our jet skis is very comfortable for 2. It's the newer of the 2 and sits higher. The other is good for 2 smaller riders. They are not good on gas. Though the newer ones are getting better. We have to be meticulous with cleaning them after every trip due to brackish water. Repairs as they age are pretty expensive. We spent over 1k this year alone.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,457
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 10, 2014 15:15:57 GMT
We had a JetSki (Kawasaki stand-up) a couple of WaveRunners (Yamaha sit-down 1-2 person) and a SeaDoo (3 person). We had many hours of fun at lakes. I don't regret the purchases, because that's what we were into at the time. And most of our friends has either boats or 'ski's. It's definitely less work than having a boat, but it's still work. Flush the engine, wash and wax when you're done for the day/weekend.
If I got a "do over" I would do it again.
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craftchickapowpow
Full Member
My Circus My Monkeys
Posts: 206
Jun 26, 2014 16:12:18 GMT
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Post by craftchickapowpow on Aug 10, 2014 21:44:40 GMT
DH has already moved from HELL NO to "how much?" so I'm making steady progress :-)
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 11, 2014 2:27:21 GMT
We have owned four jet skis. We got our first one when our youngest was three. I blame his need for speed on this particular vehicle. They are so much cheaper than a boat- insurance, storage, maintenance, gas, etc, but only one person can drive. Now if you had two jet skis for the four of you, that would be perfect. Our jet skis hold three people each, Three full grown adults is a little rough though. Kids can drive here when they turn fourteen if they take a water safety course. My youngest took that course on his 14th birthday and promptly got pulled over for under aged driving the next weekend. He was more than happy to show them his license.
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