Should You Buy A Supercharged Or Non-Supercharged Jet Ski? | Watercraft Zone

We performance test the supercharged Yamaha FX SVHO and the Yamaha FX HO back-to-back and run VBox numbers to see what the speed difference really is, including acceleration and top speed.
Supercharged versus non-supercharged? It’s a question many Jet Ski riders begin with, even before they’ve set foot in a showroom or hit the water for a test ride.
To help answer that question we’ve lined up the non-supercharged Yamaha FX HO Cruiser alongside the supercharged Yamaha FX SVHO.
Because of shipping delays over the past year or so, it took a while for both of these skis to arrive in Australia.
No sooner had they hit showrooms, they were replaced by 2023 models with new colour schemes.
However, this test is still relevant to the Yamaha WaveRunners on sale as this video was published.
These 2022 editions are identical to the 2023 models in every way except colour schemes.
Both the 2022 and 2023 models have the same stronger hull introduced in 2022, the same top deck and new centre console design, the same engines, the same jet pumps (155mm for the HO and 160mm for the SVHO), and the same upgraded ride plates (5 degree cut on the HO and 3 degree cut on the SVHO).
The intake grates differ from non-supercharged (no 'scoop' grate) to supercharged models ('scoop' grate). However they did not change between 2022 and 2023 models.
While this generation Yamaha FX has been out since 2019, Yamaha made massive upgrades to the 2022 FX series which carried over into 2023.
In this video we will go through current Australian and US pricing for the 2023 Yamaha WaveRunner FX models - supercharged and non-supercharged - and show you the colour schemes for the current models.
We also VBox tested each of these WaveRunners - using super-accurate GPS-based timing equipment - so we can demonstrate once and for all what the speed difference really is.
This video is not sponsored content. We own the Yamaha FX HO Cruiser used in this test. The Yamaha FX SVHO was kindly loaned to us for this comparison by Sydney Watercraft Centre. www.sydneywatercraft.com.au.
Time codes:
00:00 Introduction
02:35 Quick recap
04:14 Similarities and differences FX HO v FX SVHO
08:12 Australian pricing
08:53 US pricing
09:38 Ride plate differences
10:30 Jet pump differences
10:50 Performance test
12:04 Performance times FX HO versus FX SVHO

[@3-2-1-.]

I went with a 22 fx cruiser ho. Tops out at 62 mph. If I stay out of the throttle and cruise, I can go for six or seven hours on a tank of fuel. The weight is lighter without the supercharger and all associated equipment. I am very pleased with my purchase.

[@WatercraftZone]

Great feedback. We also started off on the supercharged Jet Skis but have since switched to non-supercharged models for longer riding range. Speed demons will always go for supercharged (and we understand that) but non-supercharged Jet Skis are plenty quick enough. Thanks for sharing.

[@phimister78]

i have the old xlt 1200 i only get 3 hours from a tank full . i’m looking forward to obtaining a newer model.

[@joef2504]

glad you pointed out the Resetting Fuel Used Data and Low Fuel Alarm (when there's still 1/2 tank) Beep issues in the video, Yamaha NEEDS to fix them!

[@airun130]

I have a 22 FXHO. Absolutely love it compared to my previous VXR. A couple months ago, had it out with a full tank. Towards the end, was showing 1/4 tank with alarm going off. Got back and topped it off. Only took 9 gallons for the 18.5 gallon tank.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. The fuel buzzer issue is frustrating but can be temporarily fixed by pulling the relevant cable behind the dash (accessed via the bow storage area), though it's best a Yamaha expert does it so you don't pull the wrong plug. I also used to rely heavily on the 'fuel used in litres' section of the trip computer (2019 FX). It was more accurate than the fuel gauge itself. But on the 2022 and 2023 FX models the 'fuel used in litres' section of the trip meter resets every time you key off. Hopefully Yamaha has a fix for these on the way soon.

[@WatercraftZone]

I had the same issue. Fuel buzzer going off despite a nearly full tank. I pulled the fuel buzzer cable and now use a GPS on my phone to figure out how far I've been and when I need to head back in. Usually it's time to head back to shore after 30 miles / 50 km (total journey approaching 60 miles / 100km). That should still leave a bit in reserve for emergencies.

[@oswaldocastillo6305]

Supposely fixed. Dealer told me that the system was way to sensitive. Already send mine to get it update

[@joef2504]

@@oswaldocastillo6305 I just had my 2022 updated, i'll report back when I finally get it on the water..

[@supergenius74]

great video, i have a 21 SVHO and let a friend with an HO ride mine and he said I ruined his waverunner for him. It's not so much the top speed because you are not always maxed out because of water conditions. its the acceleration. I have ran with best from kawasaki and sea doo and so far have not been beaten in takeoff.

[@WatercraftZone]

Great feedback, thanks for sharing. We're testing the 2024 Yamaha FX HO 1.9 at the moment and early results show this new non-supercharged model has closed the gap to the supercharged 1.8-litre SVHO. The scoop grate on the new 1.9 helps too. Stay tuned!

[@JoshDK-]

As always great information and done like professionals, the V box is a great tool you should utilize it on all your reviews/test rides.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the feedback. I wish we started using the VBox earlier in our reviews. But we will do so from now on. It's tricky to not trip the start at 5kmh (3mph) but we're getting it down now.

[@Gunter512]

You clearly demonstrated there is a scary performance difference between the two. The price difference is a bargain if you like acceleration and the potential for even more performance.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. We always knew supercharged was faster, but I was genuinely surprised after the numbers came back just how big the difference is.

[@Gunter512]

Awesome comparison video. Also, according to the service manual, the deck material is NanoXcel for the HO, and NanoXcel 2 for the SVHO.

[@WatercraftZone]

You are right. Unfortunately we didn't cover that detail regarding the top deck material but we should have. Thanks for watching and thanks for the feedback. We will be sure to mention that next time.

[@jonofnazare2450]

What do you mean? In practical terms, i mean... thank you

[@NoNopeAndNo]

Brilliant video guys 👍🔥 Would loved to have seen the fuel comparison for the days rides on both...maybe next time...Please

[@WatercraftZone]

Sure thing. Previous tests by us have shown the Yamaha FX HO uses about 50L/100km in ocean riding while the Yamaha FX SVHO uses about 55L/100km. But we will be sure to cover this in more detail in future. Thanks for the feedback.

[@Skip11AM]

This is useful piece of information but it should be accompanied by the speed at which these 100 km were made. Making it at 20 km/h will give totally different consumption than making it at 100km/h.@@WatercraftZone

[@edwardramos9666]

great video!

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback, we have plenty more lined up.

[@mrstorm9415]

Need a video like this for the new Kawasaki ultra 160/310 differences please if you guys can 👍...

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for feedback! It's on the list but will be later this year unfortunately. Kawasaki still has limited stock availability in Australia but we are working on it. Thanks for watching.

[@mrstorm9415]

@@WatercraftZone alright thanks for reply 👍 I enjoyed this video nice...

[@danielmarjanovic9957]

Had a 2014 ultra lx 160. Upgraded to a 23 ultra 310 lx-s. Night and day difference and the power is unbelievable. Love supercharged even though they are more maintenance

[@TheMuddatrucker]

I had the first waverunner that came with the 1800cc engine, it was a 2009 fxho cruiser and on flat water would achieve 64mph on the gps. Brand new with the trailer I paid £11,800 🇬🇧

[@WatercraftZone]

Great memories! Thanks for sharing.

[@LifeBeginsOnTheWater]

Great job guys, I loved the informative content. Please keep it coming, thanks for sharing! Billy D

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks Billy. Some cool stuff coming up in the next few weeks before the 2024 Yamaha and 2024 Sea-Doos are unveiled. Stay tuned!

[@LifeBeginsOnTheWater]

@@WatercraftZone Good deal, can’t wait to watch it. Stay safe out there on the water.

[@Gunter512]

Would love the see a side-by-side fuel consumption comparison as well. Some have reported that the SVHO actually gets better gas mileage than the HO at the same cruising speeds.

[@markadler8968]

I have an FXHO and my friend who I ride with has an FXSVHO of the same year and the fuel consumption is comparable up to about 5000-6000 rpm. After that the SVHO drinks the fuel insanely quick. It also costs considerably more to fill as it requires 91 octane. We ride in the ocean almost every time and it is so rough out there that there really is not too much of an advantage in having a supercharged ski. I also don't really need the extra acceleration as I feel my machine has plenty enough for me. Both machines are super reliable and I highly recommend getting one.

[@WatercraftZone]

Apologies for not including fuel consumption this time around. From personal experience, I found the FX SVHO uses about 10 per cent more fuel than the FX HO in ocean riding. If you gas the FX SVHO from a standing start all day it will use more than this of course. But I do know some FX SVHO riders get very good mileage. Thanks for the query and the feedback.

[@BrianNC81]

I want a supercharged FX SVHO next, with a stage 2+ RIVA kit they do about 81mph / 130kmh. A friend of mine has a GP SVHO that tops out at 86mph / 138kmh. Supercharged skis have so much more potential, just a tune alone gives a nice speed bump not available on a non-supercharged ski.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. Be sure to check out the guys at Green Hulk. They can get you moving real quick.

[@RickWestwood-vs6wh]

All FX svho’s do 67/68mph because they have been limited by the ecu rpm range 7500/7600 rpm by Yamaha to stop them going over this speed, take that off and they rev to 8000rpm and do 72/73mph where as the Ho just can’t go any faster than it does already. So saying the svho is only 10kph faster may be true but only because it’s being held back. I’ve had both Ho & sho & now svho which I love my svho and it’s got the power/ speed when I need it, mapped to 8000 rpm I’m hitting 77.6 on the gps.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for sharing your feedback and insight.

[@ericsmith6677]

not true. the H.O ecu allows 7200 rpms an ecu flash gets the ski in the high 60s

[@kckuc310]

I went with non supercharged just with saving in maintenance, gas and octane and not needing extra top speed, sometimes wish I had but it is what it is

[@WatercraftZone]

I started out owning two FX SVHO WaveRunners back to back but have been on a series of FX HO WaveRunners ever since and have no complaints about speed. The VBox numbers in this test underlined just how different the performance is. I initially thought the FX HO didn't feel much slower than the FX SVHO ... until I jumped back on the supercharged ski after a while. Yeowww. I forgot how quick they were. Thanks for sharing your insight.

[@snakedudemarosfoi1962]

Great video if u guys could make a video about the rxpx and the rxpx apex that would be great even though just by what i gathered the extra 5k isnt really worth it😂

[@WatercraftZone]

We will add that request to the list. All the Apex editions of the Sea-Doo RXP-X300 are sold out in Australia but for one or two examples. The entire country only got about 85 examples. We are hoping to ask an owner nicely if we can borrow their ski for a day providing it is stock and not modified. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the feedback.

[@snakedudemarosfoi1962]

@@WatercraftZone ok thankyou

[@Justoutdoors360]

Non-Supercharged for me is the way to go.

[@WatercraftZone]

I agree. I started out on supercharged skis but really enjoy NA now. That said, after a fresh taste of supercharged power recently, I can see why it's so addictive.

[@puttingwarheadsonforeheads9872]

If you’re a casual or want something that’s needs less maintenance no n/a. If you’re experienced you’re not a first time owner or wanna go fast supercharged can be a great alternative.

[@WatercraftZone]

Good summary. Both are huge amounts of fun.

[@TheRealHeavyG]

I'm not a first time owner, but went with n/a HO skis for me and my wife. I may get a super charged ski in the future on a single trailer for some real speed in the future. For now, I just love going exploring, so range and reliability is king.

[@oswaldocastillo6305]

So the HO has a better rideplate? I think im going to try that, but i put a 2 degree wedge.

[@WatercraftZone]

The FX HO now has a deeper cut in the ride plate (to bring the nose up) but we prefer the flatter ride plate from the FX SVHO because it brings the nose down and carves through chop better.

[@oswaldocastillo6305]

@@WatercraftZone i have a 22 fx svho. Rough water it feels like it flaps the water gead on. Sometime i like wgen it its jumping over it, nose up helps a bit, just trying to get more speed

[@Gunter512]

What extra maintenance do the supercharged Yamahas need? I don't see anything in the owners manual.

[@WatercraftZone]

In our experience, the Yamaha FX SVHO supercharger clutches are known to be replaced about the 100-hour mark, though this depends on how hard it has been used.

[@WhiteMinorityWorld]

I am wondering the same... Svho clutch replacement every 100hrs at $1400ish scares me from a super charger.... I'm a torque freak drive mustang 5.0 and ride fz09....

[@Review-This]

Now the 2024 has a completely different motor going from the 1.8 letter 180 Hp to the new 1.9 letter 200 Hp naturally aspirated. Not sure on the turbo upgrade models though.

[@WatercraftZone]

We will be sure to test the 1.9 FX HO as soon as we can. It will good to compare the acceleration and speed of the 1.8 and 1.8 FX HO models. Stay tuned!

[@jorbedo]

Test the new 2023 kawasaki ultra 160 against the FX HO and the GTX 170 on a long range fuel consumption ride.

[@WatercraftZone]

That would be an awesome review and we would love to do it. We will have to start looking for some owners with stock skis that want to come for a ride one day. Pulling three different brands together at the same time is unfortunately not that easy at the moment. But we are working on it. Thanks for the feedback.

[@MikeLJ-ku7ov]

My 2023 cruiser ho will go 65 with a half tank of fuel 64 with a full tank 3to 4 mph for $5,000 difference?

[@Gunter512]

It's more about supercar vs school bus acceleration.

[@WatercraftZone]

Fair observation and, as we said in the video, we are fans of non-supercharged Jet Skis for several reasons. They sure don't feel slow. But the VBox times (and our side-by-side GoPro footage), really highlighted the acceleration difference.

[@alfredpeters3427]

Own a Superc Kawasaki 310 Ultra insane fun. But my next will be a non. Because insane cost of maintenance.

[@WatercraftZone]

We love supercharged Jet Skis but after owning three in a row we've been on non-supercharged Jet Skis ever since.

[@deafwish6819]

Might you have the maximum RPM the FX HO was turning at full speed? I can’t quite make it out on this video. 😊

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the note. The maximum rpm for the Yamaha FX HO 1.8-litre and the Yamaha FX SVHO supercharged 1.8-litre is 7600rpm.

[@pete7129]

So it looks like we need the FXHO rideplate on the SVHO

[@WatercraftZone]

Spot on. Super keen to try that combination but will wait for the 2024 model to turn up before we do that test. But that video is definitely on our to 'to-do' list. Thanks for the feedback.

[@Gunter512]

I thought is was the other way around.

[@Ethan-rl8bf]

Not sure where to ask this so I'm commenting on different videos. Should I get the FX cruiser or just FX? I'll be in the ocean and also riding long distance (not getting a SVHO). I also don't care about color because I'll be wrapping it. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

[@WatercraftZone]

Great question. We have owned both the Yamaha FX HO and Yamaha FX HO Cruiser. Unless you prefer the tiered seating of the Cruiser (such as to carry kids or other family members on the back) the regular FX HO is fine. There really is no other difference, other than colour choice. The Yamaha FX HO Cruiser previously was equipped with docking cleats but that's no longer the case. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[@davidbalan6571]

If you don't have a need for face numbing and powered acceleration, you will be perfectly happy on a more affordable naturally inspirated ski .

[@WatercraftZone]

We love supercharged Jet Skis but also perfectly happy on non-supercharged.

[@Bill-xb2rh]

2024 vx non turbo is now 1.9 200 hp

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for your feedback. What you say is true, but when we published this video the Yamaha 1.9-litre was yet to be unveiled.

[@rykehuss3435]

Supercharge is only worth it if you value bragging rights and a slight increase in performance above all else. Fuel economy, weight, maintenance, cost.. All of those and more are in favor of non-supercharged.

[@WatercraftZone]

We agree! Supercharged Jet Skis are a blast, but non-supercharged Jet Skis are still plenty of fun and have more than enough power for most buyers.

[@Gunter512]

Wrong! There is a huge performance difference. Watch the video.

[@sweetanddiscreet1283]

Not good looking colors at all The red with the black hull looks really sharp. I also like the better blue with a black hull. 2020 Fx HO was a real nice color combination so was the 2019 SVHO black gray and red..

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for the feedback. These colour schemes are from 2022 and they changed for 2023 and 2024. The 2025 colour schemes are due to be unveiled later this year. Also the US gets more colour options than Australia on some models because our market is much smaller. So Yamaha Australia keeps the lineup simpler.

[@callez2402]

KNOTS, we are on the sea ;)

[@WatercraftZone]

Yes but every Jet Ski / personal watercraft has speed displayed in MPH or km/h. Many are GPS based speedometers for better accuracy.

[@callez2402]

@@WatercraftZone I soon get a new Trophy, one must able to switch to Knots on the display, or?

[@SpaceRanger187]

Neither, LS swap your ski

[@ericsmith6677]

get the highoutput NA ski add a riva stage 1 will get you up there with the super charged boys and you wont have the up keep of a SC and the shitty milege

[@WatercraftZone]

We are also a fan of today's non-supercharged Jet Skis. They get the job done, are plenty of fun, and use less fuel. Thanks for the feedback.

[@jimwortham8634]

Need to talk money

[@WatercraftZone]

The cost of the skis is in the video (in Australian and US dollars). Give it anther watch! Please and thank you.

[@jemery3]

The correct is to turbocharge the jet ski regardless if it came na or with a blower 😂

[@WatercraftZone]

We hear you. And some people do turbo their Jet Skis. With epic results.

[@fernandomartin624]

Honda did it but they gave up

[@hchaud5267]

kawasaki all dayyyyy

[@WatercraftZone]

Next on the list, watch this space.

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

How about we stop trying to pronounce out t's ? It sounds beyond ridiculous.

[@WatercraftZone]

Tsk, tsk. : )

[@LifeInLandscaping]

These yamahas are so ugly

[@WatercraftZone]

The colours pop when you see them in person. New 2024 colour schemes out soon.

[@400hpmustang]

If you're not concerned with speed, go na, a sc is just another component to fail.

[@WatercraftZone]

Thanks for your feedback. We agree non-supercharged Jet Skis have more than enough grunt.