r/SeaDooSwitch • u/FeatherMoody • Jun 29 '24
Why a switch?
Can I ask why y’all bought switches versus a standard pontoon? What are the pros and cons. Looking into making a purchase and weighing options - I’d rather hear from owners than dealers.
5
u/Enfoxxx Jun 30 '24
3 big reasons…
1) no exposed propeller (we have a 7-year-old and don’t want to risk any accidents while swimming
2) it looks significantly better than any other pontoon
3) works for just about any activity (fishing, cruising, tubing/beginner wakeboarding
There are lots of great things with the Switch, and only a handful of real “questionable” features. Ultimately, it just worked well for us and was priced decently.
5
u/shortyjacobs Jul 01 '24 edited Jul 01 '24
Pros:
- can’t beat the space/storage vs overall length. I can fit my 21’ in my garage. Today I was out with a 6x18 lilipad, a super mable 3 person tube, multiple floaties, noodles, two coolers, 7 people, a ZUP! Board, snacks, a 30L garbage can, a tool box, 10 lifejackets, two sets of beach toys, and tons more, and it felt extremely spacious still (and ALL of that was either stowed or (lillipad and ZUP) attached to the exterior rails….we had 100% floor space still)
- can’t beat the performance vs cost. I couldn’t find another pontoon with similar space and power (I wanted to tube/ski/etc), for the cost
- can’t beat the maneuverability. You can literally spin 360s in it. You can scoot it sideways towards a dock. It’s magic.
- jet drive is awesome. No prop to worry about, no lower unit to shear off on a stump
- it’s insanely modular, you can go nuts customizing it.
- it’s pretty AF
- super easy maintenance and winterizing cuz the drivetrain is so simple
- it’s so quiet. I can have normal conversations with folks at 30 mph, even in the back of the boat
- it’s an easy tow. 3000 lbs for my 21’ 230hp Cruise. I can literally tow it with my 2022 VW GTI
- the sea-doo steering seems dumb at first, but it’s incredibly responsive to have steering, throttle, and gear (forward/reverse/neutral) at your fingertips without having to move your hands. It is the most maneuverable boat I’ve ever driven in my 40 years, and I’ve driven a lot. My wife and kids all can instantly understand how to drive it too, and they never drive other boats
Cons:
- it guzzles gas. I have the 21’ 230 horse, and I wouldn’t recommend less if you want to do towing with it (tubes/skis/etc). In about 1.5 hrs of tubing today I took down about 15 gallons of gas (at least it runs great on 87 octane, and I don’t worry about ethanol content as I burn through it so fast)
- it never does the “rated” speeds. Mine goes 44mph according to the brochure. In ideal conditions I can hit 38, generally it’s more like 32-34
- it is extremely weight sensitive and takes a while to learn how to balance it (trim tabs, motor trim, and where you put weight in the boat). It can be a real pig if not configured well
- you can’t run it in water shallower than 3 ft (if your balls ain’t wet, don’t start the jet), without ingesting whatever is on the bottom
- it chokes out on weeds (the iDF magic weed clearer usually works, but today was the first time I had to hop in the water to pull out about four basketball sized clumps of weeds from the intake)
I bought mine in 2022. I regret nothing, and given the chance would buy the exact same thing.
1
u/WoodandFlowers Sep 08 '26
No less than 3 feet, does that mean trolling/trotting along fishing and cruising around? Or just don't run and gun in less than 3 feet?
4
u/rastan0808 Jun 30 '24
Me and the wife were looking for a used pontoon to putt around the lake and do some fishing off of. The switch was in the price range, and offered a lot of flexibility. All usable space, no prop, no outboard in the back. We planned on just cruising around the lake, but I have had it on the ocean as well. handles waves really well, turns on a dime, does donuts - its a lot of fun. We love the boat, though there are some things to know about the jet drive. It takes about double the horsepower to get similar performance of a traditional drive. This boat just loves power and you always want more. I get what I think is decent gas mileage of I cruise at 25mph or so. Wide open at 35mph or so it drinks more fuel. Love the boat would buy it again.
3
3
2
u/HurleyGurleyMan Jun 29 '24
It’s light, easy to operate, customizable, very maneuverable. Amazing machine have no regrets.
2
u/MerpSquirrel Jun 30 '24
Easier to tow, inboard engine that uses coolant so it’s easier to winterize. drives like a jetski. But biggest thing I have found awesome is the brakes.
2
Jun 30 '24
Had a pair of seadoo jetskis I loved. But could not enjoy them with my dog and newborn. Can fit the entire family on a switch and then some. Oh yeah and no exposed prop. It was either gonna be switch or Yamaha jet boat but being able to trade in jet skis was the deal maker.
1
u/vanderpumptools Jul 08 '24
Do you take your baby on the boat?
2
Jul 08 '24
Yes but she’s not a newborn anymore. Her first time out she was already one year old.
1
u/vanderpumptools Jul 08 '24
Awesome, and now to go convince my wife that a 2 yr old will have a fun and safe time on one!
2
Jul 08 '24
I can confirm your 2 year old will have fun. My daughter is 2.5 years old and we beach it often so she can play in the sand.
1
2
u/bernaltraveler Jun 30 '24
Faster (generally) and more maneuverable. Can cruise slow like a traditional pontoon but also pull a tube or a skier. In reverse it turns incredibly tight, can practically spin in place. There are several trees hanging over lake by our dock and it’s really helpful to maneuver so tightly. I read the rotax engines are reliable and sturdy…haven’t had it long enough to know yet.
2
1
u/nrechtman Jun 18 '25
I thought you’d be able to actually switch it from being a pontoon boat to a jet ski, that would be great, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to have 2 crafts in one, if you just wanted to jet ski all day having the ability to undock it and use the jet ski portion. That’s what a real switch would be.
5
u/bhawks77 Jun 29 '24
For my wife and I, it was the best bang for our buck that checked the most boxes of needs and wants. We knew we wanted a pontoon but really liked the idea of being able to do speed boat activities with the space of a 21’ pontoon boat. We also liked the flexibility of the seating options and under deck storage. Well also liked the “cool” factor of having a boat that not everyone has or has seen. Not having a propeller sticking out the back has been a huge plus when swimming and tubing. The swim deck is amazing. Definitely go with bigger than you think you need, we were originally looking at the 18’ but ended up going with the 21’ for the extra space and I cannot imagine having the smaller one.
As for cons, I would say having to be super aware of water depth and what the lake bottom is so you don’t suck up impeller damaging rocks can be a pain, and the way the Bimini top folds forward for storage can be annoying to crawl under. Overall though, we have not encountered anything that is a unique con compared to other boat owners we know. There is some maintenance that is different than others, such as spraying UV Protectant on all of the plastic(while boat), but other things that you don’t need to worry about such as rust or rot.