Mini Jet Boat Manufacturers Compared [Sea-Doo vs. Yamaha vs. Others]

Around the Millennium the popularity of “PWC-like” mini jet boats skyrocketed. Over the years, numerous marine manufacturers entered this lucrative segment, including Sea-Doo, Yamaha, Sea-Ray, Sugar Sand, Bayliner, and more.

If you want to find out more about these manufacturers and their mini jet boats, this post is for you.

We at BoatReviewGuide have compiled all you need to know under one roof!

What is a “PWC-Like” Mini Jet Boat?

PWC-like mini jet boats were tiny, lightweight bowriders featuring a V-shaped fiberglass hull and one or two high-performance 2-stroke jet engines. The most agile models featured extremely small, 14-16-foot hulls, but their 18-foot brothers also offered a thrilling riding experience.

Many boaters considered these vessels to be oversized jet skis, rather than “real” boats, and with good reason.

They offered extreme top speeds, outstanding acceleration, and a unique PWC-like boating experience.

On top of that, they were capable of a lot of tricks that traditional boats couldn’t even dream of.

Without the need for completeness, the most well-known tricks of these boats were sharp turns, power slides, spins (180 or even 360 degrees), and the legendary “submarine.”  The latter was a very scary maneuver when the captain submerged the bow under the water.

Besides offering a thrilling riding experience, these boats had many other hidden advantages.

Due to their lightweight construction, they were easy to move on the beach and when they being put on the trailer. Also, they could even be towed by a small car.

This is why they instantly became popular among both beginner and experienced boaters.

The Most Well-Known Mini Jet Boat Manufacturers

Sea-Doo

The history of PWC-like jet boats goes back to the early ‘90s when Sea-Doo revealed its innovative twin-engine Speedster jet boat.

Although it wasn’t the very first “PWC-like” mini jet boat ever built, she made her class popular.

Its single-engine variant, the Sportster also gained many fans, but its popularity lagged behind its twin-engine brother.

Over the years, Sea-Doo released a complete series of 2-stroke jet boats, which were as follows:

• Explorer (‘93-‘97)
• Speedster (‘94-‘04)
• Sportster (‘95-‘06)
• Challenger (‘96-‘05)
• Islandia (‘00-‘05)
• Utopia (‘01-‘05)

However, the most lively of them were early 2-stroke Speedsters built on 14.5 and 16.5-foot fiberglass hulls. They housed 160-240hp twin Rotax jet engine packages depending on the model and the year.

The Canadian manufacturer marketed the 2-stroke Speedsters until 2004, but the Sportster with the 947 Rotax DI engine remained in production until 2006.

From the mid-2000s, they were slowly phased out by larger, 4-stroke Sea-Doo jet boats, including:

• Speedster 150
• Speedster 200
• Utopia 185
• Utopia 205
• Challenger 180
• Challenger 230
• Islandia 220

Yamaha

The Yamaha vs. Sea-Doo competition started in 1988 when the latter re-entered the PWC market.

As one might expect, the rivalry between these two brands continued in the boat market as well.

Released in 1996, the Yamaha Exciter 220 was Yamaha’s answer to Sea-Doo’s Speedster mini jet boat.

This model was continued with many new 2-stroke Yamaha jet boats, which were as follows:

• Exciter 220 (’95-’98)
• Exciter 270 (’98-’99)
• Exciter 135 (’98-’99)
• LS2000 (’99-’03)
• XR1800 (’00-’01)
• LX210 (’03-’05)
• AR210 (’03-’05)

For your convenience, we’ve compiled the key specs of them into one chart:

Model	Engine (cc)	HP	Length
Exciter 220	2 x 1051	2 x 110	16’7″
Exciter 135	1 x 1131	1 x 135	16’7″
Exciter 270	2 x 1131	2 x 135	16’7″
XR1800	2 x 1176	2 x 155	17’7″
LS2000	2 x 1131	2 x 135	19’6″
LX210	2 x 1131	2 x 135	20’11”
AR210 (2T)	2 x 1131	2 x 135	20’11’

From 2003 onwards, 23-footer 4-stroke models become more prevalent in Yamaha’s jet boat fleet.

The most popular of them were arguably the SX230 and the AR230.

Yamaha jet boats were known for their outstanding reliability and innovative pump cleaning ports.

Bayliner

Bayliner also entered this market segment with the introduction of the basic Jazz 1400.

This was followed by the more advanced Jazz 1500 and the lesser-known, closed-deck Reflexx.

They were built on 14–15-foot hulls and housed single 90 or 120hp Mercury SportJet engines.

Bayliner jet boats were known for their simplicity, affordable price tag, and unreliable power sources.

Comparison chart:

Specs	Jazz 1400	Reflexx	Jazz 1500
Years	93 – ’95	94 -’95	96 -’99
Overall Length	14’0″	14’0″	15’2”
Beam	5’8″	5’11”	6’10”
Approximate dry weight (w/std engine)	1000 lb.	1180 lb.	1395 lb.
Std. Engine	90hp, I3, 1231cc	90hp, I3, 1231cc	120hp I4, 1687cc
Opt. engine	120hp, I4, 1687cc	–	175hp V6, 2507cc
Passenger capacity	3	4	4

Sugar Sand             

Encouraged by her success in the competition, Sugar Sand also took the opportunity and released its mini jet boat series in the mid-‘90s.

The most well-known models in this fleet were the Mirage, Calais, Oasis, Super Sport, and the Tango Xtreme.

These boats were built on 14-23-foot fiberglass hulls and could be opted with many different Mercury SportJet engines.

Sea Ray

Our list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Sea-Ray’s Sea-Rayder F14 and its larger brother, the Sea-Rayder F16.

In a nutshell, the key factory specs of these boats included:

Specs	Sea Rayder F14	Sea Rayder F16
Years	93-’96	95-’98
Overall Length	13’6″	15’6″
Beam	6’8″	6’11”
Dry weight (w/std engine)	875 lb.	1425 lb.
Engine	90hp, I4	120hp, I4
Opt. Engine	120hp, V6	175hp, V6
Passenger capacity	4	5

 

Other Manufacturers

In addition to the above, a lot of manufacturers released one or two mini jet boats during this era.

Without the need for completeness, some of the most well-known models were as follows:

• Four Winns Fling
• Ultranautics Jetstar 1250
• Delta Jet (Grew, Bandit, Legend, Activa)
• Seaswirl Squirt
• Baja Blast
• Regal Rush XP
• Euroline Cyclone
• North Star Blast 140
• Rinker Rocket Jet Boat 14
• Nautica RIB 10
• Dynasty Jet Storm
• Donzi Medallion 152
• Donzi Medallion 182

Takeaways

The 2-stroke mini jet boats were typically 14- or 16-foot bowriders featuring a deep-V fiberglass hull and high-performance jet engines.

They instantly became popular among buyers, thanks to their easy handling and thrilling, PWC-like riding experience.

Around the Millennium many different boat manufacturers entered this market segment, including:

• Sea-Doo
• Yamaha
• Sugar Sand
• Bayliner
• Sea-Ray
• Four Winns
• Delta Jet
• Donzi
• Dynasty
• Seaswirl
• Regal
• Baja
• Nautica

If you are looking for some of the most reliable models in this segment, you can’t go wrong with a vintage 2-stroke Yamaha jet boat!