Depth Question

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Jet ski lifts are usually free standing and not "attached to the dock". As someone else said, when the water level changes you may need to move the lift or adjust the legs to maintain the right height.

My lifts have usually been placed next to the dock to make it easier to climb on and off.

The last few jet skis I have had have been Yamahas. They seem pretty bullet proof to me. Other than annual oil changes they never need anything.

I have noticed in Florida most of the rental companies have Yamaha jet skis. There must be a reason, I assume dependability.

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

There are a few different types of lifts to consider.

Standard crank up lifts can be purchased from many vendors and just sit on the bottom. The legs are adjusted with a few bolts and holes to the desired height, based on water depth, wave action, etc. Really no install. A few people can pick them up and maneuver them.

Hydraulic lifts (Sunstream Sunlift) are somewhat similar to the crank ups in that they sit on the bottom on adjustable legs. They have a wider lift range and don't need adjustment as the lake level changes. These are powered by batteries, either plugged in or solar charging. A bit heavier to move, but still 2-3 people can handle them. I consider these the best.

Floating ports- shore port, wave port or others, attach to the dock and float with the lake level. You simply drive up onto them and push them off to launch. They work very well as long as you are in calm water. They work great with Sea Doo hulls, but I would suggest not putting a Yamaha on them. I split the hull on mine last year. The wheels on the ports don't line up well with the bottom design and cracked it along the chines.

Crank up shore ramps, such and the slide-n-go or roll-n-go work great for areas with beaches and gradual shorelines. Easy to install and remove.

At our last place we had 2 slide-n-go's on the beach and 2 Wave Armor ports on the dock. We didn't have good depth to use the hydraulic sunlifts and I am not a fan of crank ups as I lost 2 machines once when the lake level came up sharply in a short timeframe and the machines floated off and away.

HK in Laconia sells both Yamaha and Sea Doo and can service and store them. Don't use North Water for that.

As far as brands are concerned, both are good. I own 2 Sea Doo's and 1 Yamaha currently.

[Winilyme]

We have a standard manual crank up abutting our dock. As mentioned above, you'll need to monitor the water level and (usually) move it further out as the summer and lower water levels run their course. That's an easy one-person job which does however get increasingly uncomfortable as fall and colder water approaches.

I do urge you to carefully assess your planned lift location. In our case, out of necessity, the lift is on a side (left) of our dock which, in October, requires us to move it out and around the far end of the dock and back to an over-the-water deck on which we store it for the winter. That's a two-person job and a pain to drag it over a rocky bottom that in places is five/six feet of cold water at the end of the dock. My wife and I do it now but I'm sure we'll be hiring someone in the not-too-distant future. A steep and rocky bank prevents us from dragging it up onto land from the left side of the dock (it's also a pain getting it back in position in the spring though we somehow manage to do that mostly from the dock itself).

Someday soon, we'll need to have the dock/deck rebuilt and hope to work with a contactor that can figure out a better solution to our situation. There are inflatable airbags made to float a lift if you need to move it a significant distance for set-up or removal (as in our case). This, supposedly, would make the process much easier by simply floating the lift around the dock to where we need to lift it up onto the deck. They're costly however.

Does anyone have any simpler home grown solutions to our type of dilemma?

Nothing is easy.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Who should I go to about trying to get a lift installed? Do I even need someone?
Also, I store my boat at North Water, I'm assuming they would store my jet skies too, right?
Are there any key differences between the Yamaha and the Sea-Doo? In terms of features and the overall machine. I would definitely just prefer one that is going to be reliable, safe, and last the summer without me having to worry about it too much.

A big part of the choice of jet ski brands is personal preference. I have had Sea Doos in past years but they have changed a lot since I had them.

My last three have been Yamahas and they have been trouble free. HK Powersports in Laconia sells both so it might be worth a trip to look at them. They also winter store and pick up and deliver jet skis for customers. They have been great to deal with for the last 30 plus years.

The type of lift you buy will depend upon the property you purchase and the shorefront it has. In some cases crank ups are best, especially if it gets real rough where you are. You can look at lifts at HK too, but I wouldn't buy until I secured a property. That has to be first and will impact the rest of your decisions.

[jayhawk_nation]

Thank you all for all this help.

Which of the jet ski storage options- lift, electric lift, or dock situation is the easiest? The spot we are looking at is in a super calm cove, and I'm pretty sure getting waked out would not be a problem. Also, does one brand of jet ski work best with that situation?

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Thank you all for all this help.

Which of the jet ski storage options- lift, electric lift, or dock situation is the easiest? The spot we are looking at is in a super calm cove, and I'm pretty sure getting waked out would not be a problem. Also, does one brand of jet ski work best with that situation?

If you go with floating ports avoid a Yamaha. The slide-n-go ramps are quite easy if you have the gradual shorefront for it, plus it doesn't occupy your dock space.

[Descant]

I'd leave it in the water. There are many creative ways to tie it off so it doesn't bang against the dock or take up dock space.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Descant

I'd leave it in the water. There are many creative ways to tie it off so it doesn't bang against the dock or take up dock space.

Esp if you're in a calm cove. I'm in a calm cove and I left mine tied up all season.

[jayhawk_nation]

What does everyone prefer, boat lifts or just tying it up to the dock with the little thing that goes over the top? I have seen them all around, not sure what they are called or what they do. I'm assuming it keeps it from banging onto the dock?

[Winilyme]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

What does everyone prefer, boat lifts or just tying it up to the dock with the little thing that goes over the top? I have seen them all around, not sure what they are called or what they do. I'm assuming it keeps it from banging onto the dock?

For us, in a busy and wavy part of the lake, we’re all-in with the lift. Keeps the hull clean, is stable given the large wakes, and makes it easy to access the ski. I would not feel secure with mooring whips in OUR situation. Yours may be different.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

What does everyone prefer, boat lifts or just tying it up to the dock with the little thing that goes over the top? I have seen them all around, not sure what they are called or what they do. I'm assuming it keeps it from banging onto the dock?

For jet ski's, I definitely prefer a lift over leaving it on a dock or mooring. Besides the convenience for just about every aspect, it makes it much easier to cover which is a must if you want to protect it from the sun when not in use...

Dan