It depends, I guess. A lot of the information regarding jet boats that is available online is outdated or uses unfair comparisons.
Other boat manufacturers have a vested interest in suppressing jet boats since they are rivals.
We should make some fair comparisons as jet boats have advanced significantly.
The few comparisons you do find compare the boats based on length rather than horsepower.
It is obvious that a boat with 150 horsepower will consume less petrol than one with 250 horsepower.
No matter the boat, more horsepower will always take more petrol.
However, when compared to other boats, a jet boat with a similar HP engine uses about the same amount of gasoline.
At full power, a Scarab 195 250HP Jet Boat will use 18 GPH.
At wide open throttle, a MerCruiser 5.0 MPI – 305 cid at 260 HP will use 18.5 GPH.
At full throttle, a Volvo Penta 5.0 Gi – 305 cid 225HP engine will use 18.2 GPH.
Table of Contents
Let’s Compare Boats Side by Side Now
At wide-open throttle, a Scarab 195 200HP Jet Boat will use 16 GPH.
At wide-open throttle, a SEA RAY SPX 190 powered by a 200-HP MerCruiser 4.5L engine will use 16.3 GPH.
A jet boat is comparable to other boats when comparing not just boat size but also engine size.
The Real Story of Fuel Use.
A jet boat is comparable to other boats when you compare them apples to apples, as you can see from the section above.
What we really discover is that all boats waste a lot of gasoline.
In order to move something through the water, a lot of energy is needed.
When you move your hand underwater, you may verify this for yourself.
Running your hand through water is more difficult than running it through air.
You shouldn’t focus all of your attention on fuel usage. Even if a jet boat did consume significantly more gas, it would compensate in other ways.
How Much More Fuel-Efficient Are Boats With Propellers Compared to Those With Jet Engines?
The first was a 210-horsepower Sea-Doo Challenger S jet boat, and the second was a 19-foot sport boat with a 220-horsepower Mercury sterndrive.
These are the outcomes:
| Fuel Usage | Jet Boat | Propeller Boat |
| At cruising speed | 8.2 gph | 4.7 gph |
| At high speeds | 19.6 gph | 11.1 gph |
Therefore, while jet boats accelerate more quickly and travel a little faster, your wallet will suffer when it comes time to refuel.
Trade-Offs Using Jet Boats
A jet boat has trade-offs, but those trade-offs are worthwhile.
Other boats are less complicated than jet boats. Less for things to go wrong with or break.
This implies that maintenance is simpler, if not less expensive, for these vessels.
Additionally, jet boats offer a level of safety that other watercraft glaringly lack.
A jet boat, for instance, doesn’t have any exposed props that may slash or harm someone.
The impeller of a jet boat is hidden inside the vessel.
It is difficult to place a value on anything like this because there is no danger of the youngsters being injured by the propeller’s exposed blade.
No matter the boat, you should turn off the engine when you have passengers in the back for safety and fume reasons, but even with the engine off, propellers may still be dangerously sharp.
Compared to other boats, jet boats are also simpler to maneuver. Other boats make up the deficiency using trim.
Because the bow rise of a jet boat is so low, it doesn’t require trimming.
You might use more gas if your boat is not in the proper trim. You can be using more gas than a jet boat if you’re not trimming it properly.
A boat with trim is similar to a car with a manual transmission. If you’re not in the “correct gear,” the machine won’t function properly.
Driving a jet boat is more like operating an automated automobile since it lacks trim.
With a jet boat, you may spend more time having fun on the water because there is less work to be done.
Further Reading: