Seadoos

[Supa Dexta]

Was thinking of picking up a seadoo for the summer, just wondering what I need to know. I see I need some sort of 'operators card'... Do they need to be registered and insured?

[tylere]

You will need a boat license; the entire process is a joke. I got mine online at boaterexam.com it’s a simple process and pretty cheap but such a stupid concept.

You will also need to register the boat; transport Canada will give you a registration number which you will have to get printed on vinyl and place on the side. If you have a trailer you will need to register that as well and get a plate. Not 100% sure about the insurance requirement but I would HIGHLY recommend at least liability insurance. Since it’s a seadoo theft insurance would also be a good idea. Just be prepared to pay a fair chunk of change for it. Are you buying new? Most dealers will take care of the registration and help you getting insurance.

Make sure you also have the “required safety equipment” I got a 250 dollar ticket last year for not having a flashlight / flare on board.

[beyond_ban]

Originally posted by tylere
You will need a boat license; the entire process is a joke. I got mine online at boaterexam.com it’s a simple process and pretty cheap but such a stupid concept.

You will also need to register the boat; transport Canada will give you a registration number which you will have to get printed on vinyl and place on the side. If you have a trailer you will need to register that as well and get a plate. Not 100% sure about the insurance requirement but I would HIGHLY recommend at least liability insurance. Since it’s a seadoo theft insurance would also be a good idea. Just be prepared to pay a fair chunk of change for it. Are you buying new? Most dealers will take care of the registration and help you getting insurance.

Make sure you also have the “required safety equipment” I got a 250 dollar ticket last year for not having a flashlight / flare on board.

^^ Great post.

[rookie101]

Originally posted by tylere
You will need a boat license; the entire process is a joke. I got mine online at boaterexam.com it’s a simple process and pretty cheap but such a stupid concept.

You will also need to register the boat; transport Canada will give you a registration number which you will have to get printed on vinyl and place on the side. If you have a trailer you will need to register that as well and get a plate. Not 100% sure about the insurance requirement but I would HIGHLY recommend at least liability insurance. Since it’s a seadoo theft insurance would also be a good idea. Just be prepared to pay a fair chunk of change for it. Are you buying new? Most dealers will take care of the registration and help you getting insurance.

Make sure you also have the “required safety equipment” I got a 250 dollar ticket last year for not having a flashlight / flare on board.

Covered just about everything you need.

One other thing is if you know nothing about boating stop by any registries office and pick up a copy of the boater exam study guide. It's free, and will give a bit of a run down on the safety requirements, and talks a bit about the buoys and other things you will need to know for the exam.

Most importantly, learn to be courteous and stay away from the loading ramp!!!! There is nothing I hate more than trying to load, or unload my boat and having some jackass on a PWC thinking "HOW COOL I LOOK" while ripping around the launch.


Here are a couple of good websites to check out for info, or problems you may have with any PWC you pick up.

http://www.seadooforum.com/index.php

http://greenhulk.net/forums/index.php

http://www.pwctoday.com/

[95EagleAWD]

Make sure you're wearing a lifejacket too. I've tossed myself off a SeaDoo a bunch of times and I imagine it isn't too hard to get hurt doing it.

[CMW403]

Originally posted by tylere
You will need a boat license; the entire process is a joke. I got mine online at boaterexam.com it’s a simple process and pretty cheap but such a stupid concept.

You will also need to register the boat; transport Canada will give you a registration number which you will have to get printed on vinyl and place on the side. If you have a trailer you will need to register that as well and get a plate. Not 100% sure about the insurance requirement but I would HIGHLY recommend at least liability insurance. Since it’s a seadoo theft insurance would also be a good idea. Just be prepared to pay a fair chunk of change for it. Are you buying new? Most dealers will take care of the registration and help you getting insurance.

Make sure you also have the “required safety equipment” I got a 250 dollar ticket last year for not having a flashlight / flare on board.

this covered everything

also be prepared for a whole lot of fun. wear a lifejacket cause once you get used to it you'll start getting bored and want to push it so hard you throw yourself off.:thumbsup:

[kamakurakid]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD
Make sure you're wearing a lifejacket too. I've tossed myself off a SeaDoo a bunch of times and I imagine it isn't too hard to get hurt doing it.

I went ass over tea kettle in Thailand on a Sea Doo, that chilled me for a few minutes. I wish they had mentioned how one gets on the bloody thing once I was floating in the sea. Tried the side, no go and figured from the rear would do it and it did. Hard to get it all together, easy when I originally got on in three feet of water.

[Supa Dexta]

Nah I'm just going to buy a used one for a couple months maybe..

I've been on lots of boats before, and used to offshore fish... I've just never owned one..

I actually started reading over the boating exam last night, will likely do it tonight.

Since I will be buying used, it will already have a number assigned to it, since all the ones I see have it plastered to the front of them, so would it just be like a transfer of ownership?. I talked with another guy and he said insurance will only be needed if I leave it at a marina.. But thats not happening. I live on the harbour, so it will be coming home with me all the time. I live in northern NS so I can cruise over to PEI and stuff. :rofl:

[tylere]

As long as the owner is not taking the registration with him (you can move registration to another vessel) all you have to do is take the bill of sale to a registry and they will transfer it. If I recall there is no fee to get or transfer a license.

Sounds like you are using it in the ocean, go over it really well as the older seadoos don't have any cathodic protection and don't have closed loop cooling, if its not flushed regularly the pump and cooling system won't last long. I think most of the 4 stoke units have protection but they have not been around as long as the 2 strokers. If you get a 2 stoke might want to get the engine checked, they don't last very long. My old old seadoo only lasted ~400 hours before it needed a rebuild. The 4 stroke's last much longer minus the stupid supercharger bearing on the supercharged units :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Personally after owning 3 seadoos I would look at a used Yamaha wave runner, I know a bunch of people with waverunners and they like them a lot more than the seadoos. Seadoo has really gone down hill lately since they stopped making them in Canada and moved production to Mexico, I have had multiple problems on both my 07 and 08.

[CMW403]

Originally posted by tylere
As long as the owner is not taking the registration with him (you can move registration to another vessel) all you have to do is take the bill of sale to a registry and they will transfer it. If I recall there is no fee to get or transfer a license.

Sounds like you are using it in the ocean, go over it really well as the older seadoos don't have any cathodic protection and don't have closed loop cooling, if its not flushed regularly the pump and cooling system won't last long. I think most of the 4 stoke units have protection but they have not been around as long as the 2 strokers. If you get a 2 stoke might want to get the engine checked, they don't last very long. My old old seadoo only lasted ~400 hours before it needed a rebuild. The 4 stroke's last much longer minus the stupid supercharger bearing on the supercharged units :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Personally after owning 3 seadoos I would look at a used Yamaha wave runner, I know a bunch of people with waverunners and they like them a lot more than the seadoos. Seadoo has really gone down hill lately since they stopped making them in Canada and moved production to Mexico, I have had multiple problems on both my 07 and 08.

which model seedoo's do you own? and are you using these in salt or fresh water?

[kevie88]

Originally posted by tylere
As long as the owner is not taking the registration with him (you can move registration to another vessel) all you have to do is take the bill of sale to a registry and they will transfer it. If I recall there is no fee to get or transfer a license.

Sounds like you are using it in the ocean, go over it really well as the older seadoos don't have any cathodic protection and don't have closed loop cooling, if its not flushed regularly the pump and cooling system won't last long. I think most of the 4 stoke units have protection but they have not been around as long as the 2 strokers. If you get a 2 stoke might want to get the engine checked, they don't last very long. My old old seadoo only lasted ~400 hours before it needed a rebuild. The 4 stroke's last much longer minus the stupid supercharger bearing on the supercharged units :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Personally after owning 3 seadoos I would look at a used Yamaha wave runner, I know a bunch of people with waverunners and they like them a lot more than the seadoos. Seadoo has really gone down hill lately since they stopped making them in Canada and moved production to Mexico, I have had multiple problems on both my 07 and 08.


absolutely.. I have worked at SeaDoo dealers in the very recent past and those things are junk. Motors blowing, superchargers blowing up, pumps going ect ect ect

I would only look at a Yamaha waverunner if I was looking. Not quite as much power usually but far far better reliability. Yamaha's been building PWC's and outboard motors for a long long time now.

BTW, don't ever go into a yamaha dealership and ask where the Seadoo's are haha.. That's like walking into a Honda dealer and asking where the chevy's are.. Or don't say I'm going 'Seadooing' You might as well say you're going 'Subaruing' lol

[spikerS]

Originally posted by kevie88



absolutely.. I have worked at SeaDoo dealers in the very recent past and those things are junk. Motors blowing, superchargers blowing up, pumps going ect ect ect

I would only look at a Yamaha waverunner if I was looking. Not quite as much power usually but far far better reliability. Yamaha's been building PWC's and outboard motors for a long long time now.

BTW, don't ever go into a yamaha dealership and ask where the Seadoo's are haha.. That's like walking into a Honda dealer and asking where the chevy's are.. Or don't say I'm going 'Seadooing' You might as well say you're going 'Subaruing' lol

but Seadooing is a generally accepted term and people know what you are talking about with more clairity than PWC.

Just like Kraft dinner, or skidoo ect.

besides, nobody but the stuck up purists are going to care.

[kevie88]

Consider me a stuck-up purist then haha

[sputnik]

Originally posted by kevie88
Or don't say I'm going 'Seadooing' You might as well say you're going 'Subaruing' lol

What do you call it then?

[Eleanor]

Jet-skiing?

EDIT: Never mind, that's Kawi's name for them :rofl:

[kevie88]

if someone asked me what I did last weekend I would say I "got the boat out" or "I went to the lake with the watercraft".

If I went snowmobiling I would say I was going snowmobiling, not skidooing.

Or sledding.. that works too.


*edit* looks like I've thouroughly derailed this thread lol..

Back on topic!

[Eleanor]

How would you differentiate from a regular boat though? Would you say you're going "personal watercrafting"? :D

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Jet-skiing?

EDIT: Never mind, that's Kawi's name for them :rofl:

jet ski is the stand up typeee haha

[Supa Dexta]

Yeah we'll see what goes on next month.. I'm on the fence for getting a seadoo or quad. May end up just gettig the seadoo for a couple months then turn around and sell it again.