I'm in the market for a pair. I've never owned any but have rode them a few times. From what I have been reading, and talking to a few people, I need to be looking at Yamaha or Seadoo. I'm looking for some that are around 4-5 yrs old. If you have one, tell me how you like it. I'm kinda leaning toward the Yamaha FX Cruiser HO or SHO. Opinions please!

 

I have two, they are 2000's but in great shape. Kawasaki ZXI 1100's, I would like a new Sea doo though but still have allot of fun on mine.

 

The post-2000 Yamahas are a very stable hull with soft handling. The Seadoo hulls are a bit more edgy and playful but the larger models are still very stable. Stay away from the direct injected two-stroke seadoos (98-04 era). I have a modified 2002 RXDI. It is a very fun ski to ride and sips gas if your are just riding normal but replacement parts for it are stupidly overpriced and they are not mod friendly if that's your intent. If I were in the market for another one, I would probably be looking for an older supercharged four stroke RXP(X).

 

Yamaha is a decent ski, but overall the sea doo is a better ski IMO..

 

I am a big fan of Yamaha and seadoo skis for people who just want a good reliable ski. I do things a little different though. My 2 favorite skis have been a 96 Polaris and a 98 kawasaki. I love to buy old skis for dirt cheap and fix them up nice. I have picked up running skis with trailers for under$1,000. You can sell a single trailer for 4-600 and buy a double triple or quadruple trailer for $6-800. Pretty fun to be able to run these things for next to nothing and i have even flipped some skis for profit. Polaris has no parts availible and Kawasaki is worse. All of that said, if I bought a newer ski today it would be a Honda.

 

Well the Yamaha's that I was looking at sold before I could get a chance to look at them. They were 5 hours away. I haven't heard anything about Kawasaki not having parts available. I was considering Honda's at one time but found out Honda quit making jet skis in 09. I spoke to a dealer that use to sell Honda and Yamaha and he told me that they could still get parts for Honda but there is no tech support. So I'll keep looking. You ever notice that when you do find a good deal on something, its hundreds of miles away.

 

yamaha=reliability with a little more maintenance and not as nimble
Seadoo=a little less reliable but easy maintenance and great for salt water and very nimble

the only two brands of skis you need to look at, have sold them all in the past

 

Seadoo-RXP-X
Yahama-FZR

 

I've owned a Kawasaki ultra 150 for years now and I love it but id get a sea doo if I did it over. My farther in law has a 2000 sea doo gtx with over 350 hours on it and has never has any trouble. Just replace the spark plugs and don't beat on it too hard, don't let people ride it that are hard on it and don't run it up on the beach, that is extteamly hard on Them