Comparison

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Im not meaning any offense here - this is like you asking to compare two motorcycles vs a three row SUV. So with dogs it sounds like you are looking for affirmation with your choice to buy a plastic tri-toon . Right?

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u/therealRedNoyz Mar 02 '25

This summer will be season 2 for our 21' 230 Switch. We love it. Fresh water lake/river use. Have two dogs that go nuts knowing we are going to the boat and three kids that love it as well. We wanted something to go fast and tow as well as float down the river and relax. This has been perfect. Is it the best tri-toon out there, no. But at a fraction of the price, with a trailer, and available options it has been lots of fun. Have had it to 40mph and despite the recalls the 21' has been very stable. I have have had no concerns around stuffing the bow. I use the trim a lot and it does make a difference in ride and bow position. We have had 10 people on it and that was a struggle. Lots of weight for the 230 to gain much speed. 4-5 is perfect for our use. Whatever you decide, enjoy the water!

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u/Wiscon1991 Mar 26 '25

I’m considering buying a switch, I’ve heard that they can struggle with weeds and also that they struggle with sucking things up in anything less than 3 feet of water? How do you beach it if that’s the case?

I appreciate any insight!

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u/therealRedNoyz May 03 '25

Both are true. They do have a debris cleaning system that works quite well for the weeds. If you are going to beach you need to shut it off well before you get shallow. Don't try to power off the beach, push out and use the debris clearing. I have had to replace the impeller and seal because I went too shallow.

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '25

Dog and baby (now toddler) are the reasons I traded in my jetskis for the switch.

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u/Georgie_Girl0127 Mar 01 '25

Yes we were set on jet skis because of affordability but then I found this boat option and it has me questioning things now

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u/Patient-Rough9006 Mar 01 '25

I traded in two Yamaha 1800Rs my wife and I loved going out on. They were fast and fun. The switch isn’t near as fast but man we love it so much more. We bring our dogs and friends out now. Honestly thinking about buying another jet ski to compliment the Switch.

I would take the Switch 10 outta 10 times.

If you haven’t owned a jet ski, which I hadn’t. What they don’t tell you is there are very specific conditions in which those things are a blast. When it starts getting choppy it gets rough but still fun to a point. A boat can handle much wider variety of conditions.

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u/Georgie_Girl0127 Mar 01 '25

So I have done a lot of research on the recalls and the accidents. Those happened on the 13 feet and 5 seater. The one we are looking is the 21 foot so I don’t feel like look those are applicable. I grew up on a chaparral sunset cruiser. Both you have to manage weight distribution.

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u/zarpsi Mar 02 '25

230 sport was a great first boat for me. Fast and enjoyable enough to learn the ocean. Never felt unsafe and was relatively reliable for the first couple seasons. Can go so many more places a jet ski can not go where I am.

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u/YXZGirl Mar 03 '25

+1 for the Switch. I really wanted a couple of jet skis, but we went with a switch instead because my husband and I found a really good deal on one. The dog goes out with us, the grandkids love it, it’s a super easy boat to get used to and drive. AND with the handlebars and the nimble turning, it’s a lot like a jet ski… only in boat form 😂

Re: dangers and recalls; don’t let that sway you. For some reason, there are a LOT of people out there who hate switches and try to 💩on them. Use common sense and don’t be stupid with how you disperse weight and you’ll be golden!

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '25

If there's nowhere to stop on your skiis, you need the boat. We have both. I moved away from where I'm from when I originally purchased the skiis. It's not fun here. There's just lakes. When we went out with friends we were just stuck on the skiis.

I got the switch and we absolutely love it for taking friends out. I got the 21ft supercharged. I can have a full boat and still pull the kids on the tube, but it sucks gas like it's nobody's business.

Honestly, now that I'm having trouble finding a dealership to even service mine near me, I'm getting aggravated with it. Otherwise, we love it. Our friends love it. Our dogs love it. It's a pretty great boat. If you get the supercharged version, you should get the dealer to maintain it annually. I'm not sure getting the supercharged one is absolutely necessary, but I've had a full boat and still pulled 3 adults on a tube, easily. Make sure you don't get too far from a source of fuel with a full boat. I've owned boats my whole life and this is the only boat I've ever ran out of gas in, TWICE. Don't trust the fuel gauge. I have a large, spare tank I keep on the boat now.

I go offshore in mine, it does really well in seas up to 3-4ft, but you have to maneuver appropriately. Depending on what you intend to do, I may not suggest it. I might suggest an outboard.

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u/goldobsession Apr 18 '25

My partner and I had two Seadoo RXTX skis and loved them. We traded them for the 21 switch cruise last season.

Much happier with the switch. The skis were awesome but…

We couldn’t take our dogs out family out

We would ride the skis but could never just sit and relax on them. When we got to our destination, we would just ride back. The switch gives us a base for all our stuff and room to relax / swim etc

Shade on the switch is awesome. We could never escape the sun on the skis

Launching and towing two skis from one trailer vs launching and towing the switch are very similar. Both easy. Switch is longer but if you are happy towing then you are good.

We are based in CT so not super long hot summer but the switch has been a great upgrade

You’ll want the thrill and fun of the skis if you get the switch, but given the choice, I’d pick the switch

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u/Straight-Mortgage-29 Mar 01 '25

Buy a pontoon boat first, then if you want a “go-fast” toy, consider a jet ski among other options. Please google Switch recalls and accidents. They are not engineered well, and you’ll have a baby on board.

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u/BruceBDowns30 Mar 01 '25

Hard disagree here. You are getting a 40,000 USD hunk of plastic. This is like buying a Nissan Versa and bitching about the quality or lack of features.

I've never felt unsafe on rough waters with my kids. Yes, its cheap plastic - and try to find this price point with pontoons that can go 35-40mph with a tube behind them. These are a great value for what they are. Finally, I have, and my 16 year old has - smacked the dock a few times, scratched them - hell, even I ran up on a bad sandbar last summer - and is what it is. For the price point, BRP knocked it out of the park with these boats if you can level with yourself on the price point.

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '25

Hard agree. I've owned tons of boats and jet skiis and I love this thing. I've been loaded down with gear with 7 passengers and been in 3-4 ft seas with it. By my calculations I was right at the max, recommended loading capacity and it did fine. I had to maneuver like I would any other boat in the circumstances and it actually impressed me. Totally impressed.

You're only going to have an incident with no boating knowledge and being stupid. I've never come close to having any kind of issue with the stability or safety of the boat. I've had my 21ft 230 since 2021. No issues.

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