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" (Published in the October 1999 issue) More: Comparison test of the best boat props. Futuristic jet boat or traditional outboard runabout. Which one is better? More specifically, which one is better for you? We thought this was such an intriguing question that we assembled two examples of each type and staged a showdown in the protected waters of Pine Island Sound, near Captiva Island on Florida&amp;#039;s west coast.  Yamaha and Sea-Doo build the best-known jet boats. Both are fully optioned bowriders powered by twinjet drives. Each comes as a turnkey package complete with custom trailer, and each is priced around $18,500.  The Yamaha LS2000 is over 19 ft. long, weighs 2100 pounds and boasts 270 hp from twin three-cylinder engines of just over 1100cc each. The slightly smaller Bombardier Sea-Doo Challenger 1800 is 18 ft. long, weighs just under 1900 pounds and has 220 hp from twin Rotax two-cylinder engines of 782cc.   A traditional outboard runabout seems positively mundane by comparison. We ordered a Sea Ray 180 Dual Console, an 18-ft., 1950-pound bowrider equipped with a four-cylinder Mercury outboard of 1848cc, rated at 115 hp. At $19,830 including trailer, this is the most expensive package in our group.   At the other end of the spectrum is the entry-level Bayliner Capri LS. This similar bowrider is 17 ft. 7 in. long, weighs just over 1800 pounds and comes with a more powerful 125-hp version of the same Mercury outboard. Including boat, motor and trailer, the Bayliner lists for a bargain $11,895.  All four boats, then, are about the same size, weight and configuration, though the jet boats claim double the horsepower. The two jets have shallow-draft hulls that skip over the water like a flat stone, while the outboards have V-shaped bows that cleave through the waves. At a glance, you&amp;#039;d expect the jet boats to be quicker, faster and more fun, and the outboards to be roomier, more stable and more seaworthy.   And that&amp;#039;s pretty much the way our carefully instrumented testing worked out. The little Sea-Doo accelerates like a scalded sea dog, zipping to 30 mph in under 5 seconds. That may seem tame by motorcycle standards, but it&amp;#039;s seriously quick for something that floats. The Yamaha is a tick slower, the Bayliner much slower and the Sea Ray lags 4 seconds behind.  The jet boats are also faster, both topping out at 51   mph, while the outboards reached just over 40 mph. The jets are clearly quicker and faster, but you pay for that performance. Two highly tuned small engines require roughly twice as much fuel as one moderately tuned large engine. At wide open throttle, the little Yamaha gets just 1.8 mpg. The efficient Sea Ray, on the other hand, delivers 3.5 mpg.   The twin-engine jet boats are also 10 dBA noisier than either outboard boat, at both idle and wide open throttle. Even more annoying, the small, high-revving engines of the jet boats produce a high-frequency scream. It&amp;#039;s impossible to get away from the noise. For example, at a No Wake 6 mph, when the outboard is turning a quiet 1200 rpm, the engines in the Sea-Doo are already spinning at 3500 rpm to maintain the same speed.  Control Yourself The jet boats are also harder to operate than an outboard, for a couple of unexpected reasons. First of all, their skimming-stone hulls have little directional stability, so at No Wake speeds they require constant steering corrections. And unlike conventional twin-screw boats that have separate throttle and shift levers for each engine, both of these jet boats have twin throttles but only one shifter.  In other words, it&amp;#039;s impossible to shift one engine into Forward and the other into Neutral or Reverse, the way you would when docking a conventional twin-screw. Low-speed steering is so dicey that the Sea-Doo actually has a gizmo called the Control Steering System that automatically revs the throttle on the appropriate engine when you spin the wheel in order to boost steering input at low speeds.  On the other hand, No Wake zones are not what these hot rods are all about.  On smooth water, you can thread a needle at top speed, tossing either jet boat around like a Formula One racer. Throw it into a high-speed turn, and a jet boat will go into the watery equivalent of a four-wheel drift, sliding sideways, or even backward, as you work the throttles and steering. You can get airborne or perform stunts that no stodgy outboard runabout could ever contemplate. Yee-haw! With their quick acceleration, the jets are masterful craft for popping a slalom skier out of the water. And thanks to heavily bolstered seats for the helmsman, first mate and rear passengers, you stay firmly in place during the most violent maneuvers. Bottom line: Either jet boat is fun with a capital &amp;quot;F&amp;quot;.  How do the two jet boats compare with each other? We think the Sea-Doo Challenger is smoother, easier to drive and more comfortable than the Yamaha, but the ride is a lot wetter in rough water. The Challenger bristles with clever design features, from flip-up auxiliary windshields to sweeping grab rails to well-designed wraparound seats. The helmsman&amp;#039;s seat neatly adjusts, leaving enough room to stand comfortably during low-speed maneuvers.   ALIGN=&amp;quot;LEFT&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;   Test Conditions   COLOR&amp;amp;gt;  Weather/Water Conditions: Clear/light chop, 80 degree surface water Temperature/ Humidity: 95 degrees/100 percent Wind Speed/Direction: 5 to 8 mph from west Test Course Direction: North-south  Detail Comparison By comparison, our Yamaha is prettier, with high-quality seats, carpets and controls. Our one criticism: Fake carbon-fiber trim doesn&amp;#039;t look any better in a Yamaha jet boat than it does in a Mercedes sports car. Compared to the Sea-Doo, the Yamaha seems to have more engine vibration, and noticeably poorer directional stability at both low and high speeds. It feels, well ... nervous.  What about the outboards? There&amp;#039;s a reason the outboard runabout has been a boating standard for decades: It&amp;#039;s comfortable, versatile and easy to use - and it feels safe as a house. Comparing a $12,000 Bayliner with a $20,000 Sea Ray seems lopsided. But the quality seems remarkably equal. The only areas in which the Sea Ray clearly excels are reduced wave slap against the fiberglass hull thanks to better sound deadening, fancier instrumentation - including a depthfinder - and a stainless steel destroyer-style wheel. The controls and engines are identical, though our Bayliner came with an extra 10 hp despite its lower price.  The expensive Sea Ray has a couple of design flaws that make you wonder. The pedestal seats, particularly by comparison to the neat seats in the jet boats, seem poorly designed and assembled. Our testers found it difficult to get comfortable either sitting or standing at the helm.  Even worse is an exposed seam between two different fiberglass moldings that runs right across the whole boat in the helm area and is sloppily filled with silicone seal like a bathtub caulk job. On an open boat that costs more than $1000 a foot? Please!  The Bayliner has no such obvious flaws. The traditional back-to-back reclining lounge seats are comfortable whether you&amp;#039;re standing or sitting at the helm, spotting for a waterskier or sunbathing. The only thing not offered is enough lateral support during violent maneuvers. Indeed, one of our testers turned sharply to starboard to please the photographer, slid right out of the seat and found himself sitting on the cockpit sole heading at full throttle toward the photo boat without a hand on the helm.  The Bayliner has a cheap-looking dashboard literally cut from a piece of plywood, but otherwise the quality seems fine throughout. The molded-in glovebox is usefully shaped like a sink, and there&amp;#039;s lots of hidden storage space under the seats and consoles. A snap-on cover protects the bow seats. Even the trailer, with rustproof plastic fenders, seems straightforward and low-maintenance.  Both the Sea Ray and Bayliner hulls track and perform perfectly, punching through waves and wakes with a commendably dry ride. Compared to the jet boats, the outboards&amp;#039; cockpits are huge, with a large open area suitable for fishing or ski equipment. Both are as comfortable as an old boat shoe.  Jet boat or outboard? It might almost be an age thing. If you&amp;#039;re 20 years old and you want to hot-dog   around the lake and impress the girls, take your buddies waterskiing and generally raise hell, you need a jet boat. We prefer the Sea-Doo, mostly because the girls seem to like it better than the Yamaha.  If you&amp;#039;re 50 years old and you want a boat safe and versatile enough to take your married daughter waterskiing with her whole family and later on in the evening, teach your grandson how to fish, you need an outboard runabout. We prefer the Bayliner, mostly because we couldn&amp;#039;t find enough additional value in the Sea Ray to justify the extra $8000 in its price tag.  If you&amp;#039;re a 20-year-old fisherman or a 50-year-old hot rodder, we&amp;#039;re not sure what to tell you. Maybe you should buy one of each.  &amp;amp;gt;  SPECIFICATIONS, DIMENSIONS AND PERFORMANCE 1999 JETS/RUNABOUTS SEA-DOO YAMAHA BAYLINER SEA RAY Model Challenger 1800 LS2000 Capri LS 180 Dual Console Length 17 ft. 11 in. 19 ft. 6 in. 17 ft. 7 in. 18 ft. Beam 7 ft. 6 in. 8 ft. 6 ft. 11 in. 18 ft. Draft (Drive Up/Drive Down) 12 in./12 in. 18 in./18 in. 15 in./32 in. 12 in./30 in. Engine Type/Displacement Twin Inline-2, 2-stroke/782cc x 2 Twin Inline-3, 2-stroke/1131cc x 2 Mercury Inline-4, 2-stroke/1848cc Mercury Inline-4, 2-stroke/1848cc Power (hp/rpm) 110 hp/7000 rpm x 2 135 hp/6500 rpm x 2 125 hp/5250 rpm 115 hp/5250 rpm Drive System/Prop Twin Bombardier Formula pumps Twin 155mm Hyper Flow pumps Outboard/12.75x21 aluminum Outboard/12.75x21 aluminum Fuel Capacity 40 gal. 42 gal. 23 gal. 35 gal. Base Price $18,500 with trailer $17,999 with trailer $11,895 with trailer $19,830 with trailer Price As Tested $18,500 $18,999 $11,895 $19,830 0-30 Acceleration 4.87 sec 5.38 sec 8.38 sec 8.80 sec Top Speed 51 mph (7000 rpm) 51 mph (6500 rpm) 41 mph (5200 rpm) 42 mph (5000 rpm) Sound Level (Idle/WOT) 76/104 dBA 81/104 dBA 67/96 dBA 67/96 dBA Fuel Consumption (Cruise) 4500 rpm/33 mph/7 gph 4500 rpm/30 mph/12 gph 3500 rpm/29 mph/5 gph 3500 rpm/29 mph/7 gph Fuel Consumption (WOT) 7000 rpm/51 mph/22 gph 6500 rpm/51 mph/28 gph 5200 rpm/41 mph/14 gph 5000 rpm/42 mph/12 gph Dry Weight &amp;amp;gt;1865 lb. &amp;amp;gt;2100 lb. &amp;amp;gt;1815 lb. &amp;amp;gt;1950 lb. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a5328/1276876/>