Scarab 215 On the River

[@jchu5276]

John you're killing me with all the nice (land, sea, air) scenery on your boat! I might have to go there the next time I'm out at Vegas, and rent a boat. Have you ever consider one of those grills that you can hang off the side of the boat?

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Lol! I love the river! lots to see! I've seen a few that have them. I don't do a lot of cooking on the boat couple hot dogs here and there. it just gets too hot here! usually over 100. if the boats not moving you're in the water. Lol! plus there are bunch of good places to eat on the river! Thanks for Watching and commenting on the vids Really appreciate it!

[@DirtNassty]

Hey man quick question... If you get the versa lounge area on these scarabs do you still have the option to remove that middle seat for a proper walk thru or is the middle cushion permanent if you opt for the seats that lay flat?

[@jetboatjohn8171]

You know I’m not really sure if you need to have the middle seat in for them to work properly? I’m going out on the boat in a little while and I’ll get back to you. That middle seat is pretty low when folded down and it has a thick texture cover to step on. If you took it out you would still have to step on the seat cushion to get in. It might actually make it harder if you took the middle backrest out.

[@DirtNassty]

@@jetboatjohn8171 oh okay.. So obviously they don't just pop out?... It looks to me like on the models without the versa lounge the seat just pops in and out... If you look alot of photos with the middle cushion gone the seadek/marine mat continues up thru the middle of those back seats, so I'm guessing the answer is no, that if you have the flat lounge in the back that middle seat stays in place...

[@jetboatjohn8171]

@@DirtNassty yeah you would have to unbolt it for sure. The seats are different with the versa. The back cushion you sit on is one long bench. Not separate seats.

[@DirtNassty]

@@jetboatjohn8171 oh okay!... I think I'm like you though, I think I (and more importantly the wife) would like the flat sun lounge better than having the actual walk thru between the seats... The back of the boat is where we will be spending most of our time letting the kids play in the water etc..

[@Bubbles99718]

The guy in the orange cat, couldn't make out the brand, followed my golden rule: 2 girls for every guy when out on the water. Will allow 1 to 1 in a pinch. Way Way too many sausage fests out there

[@Bubbles99718]

More specifically: if you're married or spoken for, plus 1. If you're single: 2 honies or yer stayin on the dock

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Sean O Lol! Never understood why people go out with 6 dudes on the boat! And the girls notice and stay clear of the them! Lol!

[@Bubbles99718]

While I'm on the topic: if someone shows up empty handed: no beer, chow or Betties, they stay on the dock. If someone says they have to come back early: they stay on the dock. I don't accept it but if they don't at least offer gas money: mental note is made and further invites tend not to be forth coming. Having a boat is like having a pick up, peeps ask to use it or in the case of the boat ask to join. Often. Which is kool but show some etiquette. Fun stuff

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Sean O Golden rules for sure!

[@Bubbles99718]

@@jetboatjohn8171 It's a fun topic. I have an old HS buddy who lives in Kentucky. He has a house boat. So imagine the numbers! He'l have 20 or more peeps on it. 1 or 2 r kool with the reality of boat ownership and chip in. Happens every time. Drives him crazy. It's fun and frustrating to compile the list of guest etiquette with him when we talk. He's too nice of a guy. Or maybe I'm too crusty. Good topic for a vid. Have at it!

[@cmcconn100]

I'm also looking into the fish ski models. I love the tailgate design on the Scarab. A source close to Scarab says the are releasing 215 Open soon. I do think Yamaha will do much better on resale. They have tremendous brand recognition. I also think they have better reliability. But the Scarab looks better especially the interior and you have loads of options. I'm not getting anything this year so I'm curious what else turns up on the market. The new Yamaha 195 FSH SPORT looks really interesting. I have a PWC with that engine and it's quite impressive. The only drawback is it needs 91 octane gas. The redundancy of dual engines is nice though. My buddy lives in Fort Mohave... see you on the river.

[@hambone4495]

the only thing I don't care for about the scarab is the don't have offshore controls

[@MTBGil]

have you ever done a trip from laughlin to havasu? its always been a dream of mine

[@henceoku3574]

Boss how much is the price and how to order if we are from Indonesia bro

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Prices are up in the 60 thousands US. here is a link. www.scarabjetboats.com

[@cmcconn100]

It'd be nice if mentioned more specs. What engines do you have? How fast does it go? I too have pondered Scarab vs Yamaha vs Vortex. I do like the Yamaha glass display better than the mostly analog Scarab. The Scarab interior seems nicer though. Frankly I'm not sold on either makes approach to dealing with tow ropes. If the Scarab sucks a tow rope, will the pump just chop it up and spit it out? I just worry about little pieces getting wrapped in the wrong place. Especially if someone else is pulling you and they are slow shutting it off.

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Chris M I’ll try to add that to a video! All good ideas! I have the twin 150hp non supercharged for a total 300hp. 45mph is about all it has. Scarab has a nice glass display I just didn’t get it. Not going to chop up a rope. The Scarab’s might just buy you an extra second to catch it. Sucks to get a rope in anything. I would avoid if possible! Lol! Really doesn’t happen that much. You’re more likely to run over someone’s lost hat. I just sucked something up again last week. I put it in reverse and turned off the key and the water pushed it out. Never saw what it was.

[@joshuamartin5095]

What kind of car were you pulling your boat with?

[@jetboatjohn8171]

2019 Dodge Durango Rt. Pulls 7200 lbs thanks for watching!

[@JohnSmith-qi8rc]

which hp motors do you have and what do you recommend 150's 200's or 300's. for the scarabb 215

[@jetboatjohn8171]

It's hard to recommend what horse power to get. I was looking to get 250's but the one I found at a good price had the tan interior, wife wasn't having it! Lol! It still was way more money than the one we ended up with. all I was worried about was that the 150's were under powered but luckily I'm pretty happy with them. the take off is snappy and has an easy cruise of 40mph.. so any of the super charged ones are going to be fast in the 215. I wouldn't do less the 250"s in a 255. It's a much bigger boat and if you are getting a 255 you must be planning on having a lot of people on it.

[@JohnSmith-qi8rc]

I just want to find a happy medium in the 215. As of now not many will be in the boat, but hopefully I find some eyecandly. fuel economy is a concern, what are you averaging

[@jetboatjohn8171]

@@JohnSmith-qi8rcSounds like you would be good with the 150"s. my boat is plenty fast! plus you don't have to worry about blowing up a supercharger. but it all depends on what you find. If you find one at the end of the season they are trying to move I would snatch one up in a second! I haven't calculated my fuel yet only have 8 hours on it, but it's not bad! I would say that the 9 to 10 gph at 35 - 40 mph is probably accurate

[@OSkyFireO]

I have a 2018 215 ID with twin 250s.....Yes, I can go faster and yes it sounds nicer, but John is having just as much fun as I am with his 150s.....much better to get a 215 with twin 150s than say a 190 with a single 300 (that's the new top of the line option as of 2019). I love having two engines....especially up here in Canada with our inland seas....if you can find a reasonably priced used 215 within your budget, don't worry so much about engine size. Fuel consumption.....well....I'm gonna be honest, It's a boat....if you're worried about the price of fuel maybe you should look at a different kind of boat? On the plus side....while Rotax recommends 91 / 93 premium fuel for peak performance, these boats DO run just fine on 87.......and as of 2018, the new rotor engines don't need turbo re-builds after 200 hours.....My honest opinion? save the money on bigger engines, go with 150s or if you can swing it 200s and add the wake package!

[@jetboatjohn8171]

​@@OSkyFireOGreat recommendations! thanks for the comments!

[@alphasxsignal]

Yamaha Throttles on four of my boats has never broken. I trust Yamaha. What crap throttle handle are the using on that Scarab. I like the seats and design how they work but if they built stuff like that throttle handle I would pass.

[@jetboatjohn8171]

alphasxsignal 2019 Yamaha 242 has a recall right now because it goes forward in reverse...😁

[@brianagnew4831]

John , We haven't seen a new Video in a long time

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Brian Agnew I know I’m sorry about that. We went out and recorded a little. Then I got the flu. ( not vivid-19) I have things planned as soon as this craziness is over, like we are going to sea-Dek the inside of the boat and I’m trying out some less expensive gel coat protection products. Hopefully we can get back to it soon!

[@socalifone3044]

@@jetboatjohn8171 I finally put my Hot Sauce aside unless serious water spots. Switched to The Last Coat. Use it on Gel coat, Windows and Vinyl. Not 3 separate bottles. Look for the 20% off coupon. I tried F11 not a fan.

[@jetboatjohn8171]

@@socalifone3044 I’ll have to check that out. I pretty much stopped using f11 myself. It’s too expensive. I still use hot sauce when I pull the boat out of the water.

[@socalifone3044]

@@jetboatjohn8171 I got my boat professionally detailed this year. And my detailer saw my hot sauce and he said. If I use that it will strip all of the wax he just applied. He recommended Last Coat. It's not cheap either. But a very little goes a long way. I had my boat out at least 15 trips in BHC this year still have half a bottle.

[@Nickdevro]

Hey John, really enjoying your great vids. I'm a new Scarab 195 owner (couldn't fit a 215 in my port spot here on Lake Geneva in Switzerland). The 195 is still on the trailer at the moment as we don't have the amazing weather you guys enjoy in the southern US. But we're looking forward to a good few hot summer months. Quick question: how did you find the getting used to opposite reverse steering from usual outboard and stern drive boats ? Did you not scare yourself a few times manoeuvring in tight areas ? Thanks !

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Nickdevro Switzerland? That’s Awesome! I didn’t really have to get used to steering, turn it to the right and it spins to the right in forward or reverse. What took some time was how quickly it turns in neutral or backing off the trailer. A little input does a lot. You have to pay attention to the steering wheel position before you start it. I had a couple surprise moments the first time I went into a busy channel, but now that I’m used to it I love it! I get a lot of how did he do that? looks for sure. Enjoy your new boat Thanks for watching!

[@Nickdevro]

@@jetboatjohn8171 thanks for the reply. On outboard and stern drive boats, steering in reverse is like in a car: Turning the wheel left will pull the stern towards port side. From what I understand, steering action is opposite to that on a jet boat. I've had many boats but they've all been outboard or stren driven. So I'm a little apprehensive that habit might play tricks on me. Guess I'll just have to wait and see and be careful. Thanks for the tip on the steering wheel position! I would not have thought of that, but it makes total sense. Looking forward to more vids! 😉

[@jetboatjohn8171]

Nickdevro I was a forklift driver for years and they steer from the rear like a boat so I didn’t have to give it much thought. But The thrust vectoring bucket drops in front of the jet nozzles during neutral or reverse is why it stays the same, if that makes sense? Either way you will adjust to that pretty quickly. Glad you are getting value from the videos! I will be filming all next week so I’ll have more out soon!