2023 Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 Review | WatercraftZone

The 2023 Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 is another new niche in the Jet Ski market established by the world’s biggest personal watercraft manufacturer.
In this video we will go through prices, unique features, fuel consumption, what it’s like to ride, and cover the pros and cons.
Based on the extended platform developed for the Sea-Doo Fish Pro, the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro has a bunch of cool features - and a number of industry firsts - to appeal to riders with a sense of adventure.
We clocked up more than 1000km - or 600 miles - over 30 hours during our test of this machine.
Watercraft Zone would like to thank Beaches Sea-Doo and Can-Am in Sydney, Australia ( www.seadoobeaches.com.au ) for providing this example of the 2023 Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 for independent review.
Full disclosure, Sea-Doo did not pay for this review and this is not sponsored content.
We tested this craft over a fortnight in late February and early March 2023.
To find out more details on the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 - as well as similar models from Yamaha and Kawasaki - go to WatercraftZone.com.au.
Please hit like if you’ve enjoyed this video and subscribe to this channel so you don’t miss any future updates - and help us grow our Jet Ski community.
#SeaDoo #JetSki #JetSkiAustralia
00:00 Introduction
01:23 Family tree
01:55 Unique features
02:20 Fuel capacity
04:40 Debris removal tech
05:35 Performance
07:05 Australian pricing
07:17 US pricing
(If this is too close then just do 07:05 Pricing to cover both)
08:16 Ocean test
10:16 Hand grips
10:57 Windshield
13:00 Navigation
14:05 Bow storage
14:55 Debris removal tech
16:12 Pros
17:35 Cons
18:35 Final summary

[@russellleonard5321]

I have had my new Explorer Pro out 13 times now. The longest run we took was 52 miles. Cruising at 30 miles per hour we are getting a little over 7 miles per gallon. That means we have a theoretical range of almost 130 miles without our extra fuel storage.This Seadoo was made for us. I never considered buying a PWC before this model was introduced. The storage is amazing and it is quick enough. We have several Ocean adventures planned for the Summer out in Long Island Sound and along the coast of New England.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for sharing your feedback. That's epic mileage, and shows what is possible at modest speeds in good conditions. Best of all, if you ever need extra fuel there is always the optional Sea-Doo jerry cans for the rear deck.

[@ExplorerPWC]

We have had the same experience Russell !! We have been out about half as many times as ya'll, but we have just fell in love with this PWC. We have owned several boats and PWC's in the past, and nothing even comes close to the comfort, storage and range of this craft! And the WINDSHIELD is AMAZING!! I have heard purists say they hate it....I am guessing they are WAY YOUNGER than me...because I don't miss all that water, salt and wind....and I can even wear a hat without it blowing off!!! Can't wait to hear how your adventures go!!

[@russellleonard5321]

@@ExplorerPWC We have had our Explorer Pro out 17 times as of yesterday . Lately we have been in larger lake’s because we had heavy rains that produced flooding in the rivers which washed large debris into Long Island Sound. Next week we plan on being back in the ocean. Enjoy your Seadoo!

[@ExplorerPWC]

@@russellleonard5321 Wow! Love that area as we used to take our PWC's out in Peconic Bay back in the day...even went out to Montauk on them once in my younger days! Hope the water clears up for ya!! We will be posting our adventures on our KZbin Channel if you care to come along with us virtually! Ya'll have a great weekend and of course be safe!! kzbin.info/door/fa-nbn6m1zwEaIsMA81wjQ

[@russellleonard5321]

@@ExplorerPWC Thanks, We will definitely checkout your videos on youtube

[@ExplorerPWC]

Love this review...and even though we are in the States, your reviews had a lot of influence on our decision!! Thx for covering it top to bottom!!! We are super pleased with our purchase!! #SeaDooExplorerForTheWin

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for your feedback and for taking the time to leave a comment. The Sea-Doo Explorer Pro is a new niche we hope to see grow into a new category of personal watercraft. Sea-Doo's industrial design and fresh ideas never cease to amaze. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks again.

[@eranmaron909]

Still happy with it?

[@Overland-me1xg]

Very excited, ordered one last Sept and can’t wait to hit the Great Lakes here in Canada.

[@WatercraftZone]

Hey thanks for the note. You're going to love it. Be sure to take time with the selling dealer during the handover so they can walk you through all the features, especially the Garmin navigation unit and the IDF debris removal system.

[@americandude3825]

Are these models hard to tip over? Rented a 2023 Yamaha and it was horrible. It flipped on my son and I with boat wakes while we were sitting still…..couldn’t believe it.

[@WRXXXual]

Just pivled up my Explorer Pro on November 4th. I'm so exicted to get it on the water!!

[@WatercraftZone]

Congratulations, a great choice of ski. Some Jet Ski riders don't understand where the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro fits in the personal watercraft market, but we reckon the more options there are out there, the better. We love the extra features versus the other Sea-Doo ST3-based models. Happy riding!

[@orkunolgar1977]

Great review guys

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it. More to come!

[@davidbalan6571]

For the the Jet 🎿 Sea Doo it's selling at Montarey Penrissen Aircraft Kuching Sarawak's with price RM 86 ,750 and RM 87,000.

[@tomlam3680]

Is this Explorer have trolling speed for fishing like the Fishpro? and can I buy the cooler from Seadoo to attach to this boat? Thank you

[@MikeS309]

Not sure about the trolling cruise control….but you can definitely buy the cooler direct from seadoo.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the question. There is a no wake mode on the Explorer Pro but it is our understanding low speed / trolling speed control is a feature of the Fish Pro Sport and Fish Pro Trophy at this stage.

[@ridendrive]

The ocean handling characteristics of the ST3 hull are one of the issues not many like to discuss. Reality is it seems like when the ocean gets even a bit rough the ski is a handful to use. The design and layout of the ski is awesome, but I wish I could get all these features on a Yamaha or Kawasaki Hull, at least for open ocean riding.

[@WatercraftZone]

Great feedback. The ST3 top deck is close to perfection, the hull just needs broader capability. I really hope the next generation is better in rough conditions. Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki all test future Jet Skis extensively in lake conditions but rarely in the ocean. Here's hoping they start venturing out of their secret closed-off lakes when testing future hull designs.

[@ARI.P1989]

Hello sir big fan of you, i also own a 23 gtx 230 , i couldnt help to notice there a big kink in the oil carch can hose i heard it needs to be curved with no kinks or els wont be efficiant.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the note! And thanks for letting us know. We hadn't heard about that issue. Will check with our resident Sea-Doo expert and find out if this is common. Thanks again.

[@sloth6765]

The debree removal/reverse gearing... Why introduce complex gearbox into the system? I want reliable marine systems, simple shaft seems like a better bet. How do people get stuff sucked up and stuck? Riding into the marshes? I've ridden extensively in ocean and lakes and never sucked up anything that got stuck.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. We were skeptical about Sea-Doo's IDF debris removal tech at first, too. Especially as the initial batch had some quality glitches. But the problems are fixed now and we've done big hours on IDF-equipped models (Explorer Pro and Fish Pro) and so far have had no complaints. AND we've had to use the tech a couple of times after picking up some debris despite staying out of shallow water.

[@chasebachman3842]

How do you turn on Cruise control??

[@WatercraftZone]

Press the button that looks like a speedometer with a needle on it. And you're all set.

[@MB-rp6od]

Was that salt water collected below the engine at 5:50-6 min?

[@WatercraftZone]

Good spot and a fair question. We filmed the engine bay after we finished testing, and after we flushed the ski and gave the engine bay a gentle spray with fresh water. Filming the engine bay on the water is not ideal because the craft moves around a lot with the waves, so we waited until we got the craft back on the trailer and back home to film the engine bay properly. After we filmed this clip, we used a wet vacuum to remove the bulk of the hose water that was left in bottom of the engine bay (we always give the engine bay a gentle spray with fresh water after a day on salt water). Then we used a blower to get the rest out, and tilted the trailer so any last drops came out of the drain plug holes. We are putting together a video on that process, so check back with us in a bit. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching.

[@TheMuddatrucker]

I was starting to be impressed by this until you started to speak about the fuel consumption and performance vs other brands. I had a 2009 Yamaha FXHO Cruiser 1800cc - 70 litre tank - would cruise at around 45mph and give 180mile range, and still well over 100mile at top speed! And speaking of top speed mine would hit 64mph on flat water NON SUPERCHARGED. I’m not impressed by the seadoo anymore 😢 shame because I like some of their features. Edit…. Yes I know the Speedo on my ski was wildly inaccurate, we did have GPS apps back in them days too you know!

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for sharing your insight. Worth noting however the fuel consumption we achieved was after high speed, heavy use in the ocean. You can certainly get better economy if you take it easy. We were just sharing our experience.

[@khilbajarga6077]

How to buy

[@alhit007]

It’s a great review and you always give a very detailed overview and description of the various skis, But I have to ask,,, Why is the tester wearing a helmet 🪖?? Is he the Aussie version of the stig 😜 just looks over kill, but please keep the reviews coming, excellent 👌

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. Well spotted. We use a helmet for a few reasons. We use two or three different riders for filming at times (in the same gear: black wetsuit, yellow vest, black helmet) because we want the watercraft to be the star and this helps keep the rider anonymous. It's also helpful for sun protection when filming in the Aussie summer (these shoots take all day, sometimes over two or more days). Lastly, although helmets are still relatively rare in leisure use, we want to promote safe riding, especially in the clips the riders are performing sharp turns (on the smaller or high-performance craft). We might change it up one day, but for now that's the thinking behind the helmets. Hope it makes sense. Appreciate the interest and the comments. It keeps us going!

[@akmatis]

Can you give us more details about fuel consumption ? Liters per khilometers or per Hour...

[@russellleonard5321]

I am getting a little over 7 miles per gallon at 30 miles per hour. At 50 mph the fuel consumption increases dramatically. I bought mine for long distance travel. Going fast and getting somewhere quick is not a priority with me.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the note. The measure we use (calculating distance via a GPS tracker and them brimming the tank after the ride) is 45L/100km for the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 (sometimes even a touch lower than this, 43-44L/100km). The Yamaha FX HO 1.8 uses about 50-52L/100km in the same conditions in our experience (ocean riding).

[@Thekingcmk]

What makes the Fishpro so different all I can tell is the top end has the swivel seat and the mid and top end have a live bait well capability. Outisde of the all the addons can be put on the Explorer and it has a shield yet I have seen these cheaper then the Fish pros. I have been trying to decide on either a explorer or fish pro and atm it looks like the explorer is a better choice. Anyone have experience with the 2?

[@WatercraftZone]

That's a really great question, and we're working on the answer now. Watch this space : ) In the meantime, it comes down to the importance of (a) dual battery set-up and pop-up swivel seat in the Sea-Doo Fish Pro Trophy or (b) the height and tilt adjustable handlebars on the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro. After spending a decent amount of time on the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro and its height-adjustable handlebars (I ride standing up) I found it hard to go back to regular handlebar heights on other Sea-Doos (and the Yamaha FX). I hope more watercraft across all brands consider height AND tilt adjustment for the handlebars. For me it's a game-changer.

[@jeffro5032]

Kind of in the same boat as TheKing above here. Had my mind set on a Fish pro , but I come from a motocross back ground ( raced for 35+ years ) and with the handlebar adjustment option on this new explorer....is really making me re-think my options here. I want to set it up for a fishing rig , but also just to go out and do some MX on the water haha. BTW......I really dig that back extended deck on this one in the video. The only other explorer I've seen was about 20" shorter than this. I'll have to look into this a bit further , because I really want that extended back deck.

[@ExplorerPWC]

After looking at both, we came to the conclusion that they were so similar (and the Explorer Pro was much less expensive), that we would simply equip it ourselves and so far we are really glad we made that decision!!

[@T4Abyss]

I was in this same comparisonboat too! As I know most features can be inter-swopped by ordering the parts from Sea-Doo, in the end I went for the Trophy, as my deal was for a brand new 2022 model and I got a big discount (model not a great deal different to 2024). My logic was I could add the windscreen. But I will miss the steering adjustable height handle bars. I did want the trolling mode the Trophy ha, and all the other fishing related extras. The dual battery is crap tbh, don't let that be a viable comparison point, as you can sit a better solution for less. Like I say, for me, the cost of each was the main difference for the trophy vs the explorer pro, and the heavily discounted trophy + fishing gear swung it for me. Soon I will be adding this windscreen as the vent looks wild!

[@ThomasShue]

Wow the Exchange rate from US to AUS is horrendous for AUS!

[@WatercraftZone]

Yeah we feel it. Those US prices sure look good!

[@redbull660r]

When hitting rough waves my windshield pops unlocked. Very annoying!

[@WatercraftZone]

I had it happen once during our first ride but actually it didn't happen again after clicking it back into place firmly. And we really pushed it to the limits. The screen got swamped for seven days straight in rough ocean swell and the screen didn't dislodge once.

[@Spaceinvaderzim]

Bro really wearing a motorcycle helmet in the water 😂😂

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for your feedback. We get this query a bit. We use a Jet Ski helmet for (a) safety (b) sun protection in the sweltering Aussie summer (we are out all day filming) (c) anonymity for when we use different riders. We want the personal watercraft to the be the star, not the rider. Hope that makes sense.

[@maxflight777]

You don’t need the supercharger

[@WatercraftZone]

We agree. The 170hp non-supercharged 1630cc is plenty of power for the Sea-Doo Fish Pro and Sea-Doo Explorer Pro.

[@maxflight777]

@@WatercraftZone I have the SeaDoo Wake Pro 230. I utterly love it ! However the number of times we have been over 50mph is very small ! The 170 is pretty quick. I’ll be replacing this year with a 170 adventure

[@bitkong9445]

where to buy this sucking adapter for garden hose? (18:14)

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the note. Try the guys at Beaches Sea-Doo on Sydney's Northern Beaches. They can ship nationwide and worldwide. This suction hose adaptor is a must have for clearing water in Sea-Doo, Yamaha WaveRunner and Kawasaki Jet Ski footwells. We are preparing a separate video on this and other cleaning kit. Watch this space.

[@nigel22347]

Should be called the Lakedoo, or Flatseadoo. Waves over 50mm will tip the craft!

[@WatercraftZone]

Honestly we love the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro (and the related Fish Pro). We understand the feedback about water ingress in the footwells when you come to a quick stop. But in our experience, a quick blast of the throttle empties the footwells pretty quickly. It also encourages you to keep a better balance when idling, so you don't invite water in. Hope this helps. As always, thanks for the feedback.

[@rob379lqz]

Umm, why in 2023 cons?

[@WatercraftZone]

Umm, not sure what you're asking? But let's know if we can help.

[@gunny2shoes102]

90 ain't 55 where i come from

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for your note. Your are right that 55mph is 88.514kmh. We rounded the number in the voice over. And we have briefly seen 90kmh on the GPS speedometer.

[@tomlam3680]

Seadoo needs to increase the horse power on the Explorer

[@WatercraftZone]

I see your point, however Sea-Doo says fuel range is the priority on this model. Plus there is always the option of adding the Fish Pro or Explorer Pro parts to a the supercharged RXT-X300 or GTX 300 Limited.

[@tonyg3091]

This is a GS Adventure, not M1000RR

[@ExplorerPWC]

@@WatercraftZoneI would agree with your assessment, the goal of the machine was long range cruising and comfort…for me at least, just shy of 60 mph is just fine , but I understand that some may want some more horses.