pre 08 vs post 08 superjets

Ottis

lamey powered
Location
Kittanning Pa.
I always had the pre 08s and when they came out in 08 I bought one, it is a great boat for carving buoys, I felt it was handful in the surf, mine was stock handling wise, so mods might help. Also they chine walk on deceleration, with the pump being back 2 inches it seamed like the nose wouldn't pop and I didn't like it for flat water freestyle type riding. I had for a year and sold it and would never want one back, your coming off of a Rickter so I think you won't like it, go pre if can find a good one!
 
I always had the pre 08s and when they came out in 08 I bought one, it is a great boat for carving buoys, I felt it was handful in the surf, mine was stock handling wise, so mods might help. Also they chine walk on deceleration, with the pump being back 2 inches it seamed like the nose wouldn't pop and I didn't like it for flat water freestyle type riding. I had for a year and sold it and would never want one back, your coming off of a Rickter so I think you won't like it, go pre if can find a good one!
I'm leaning towards not buying an 08 up. Most people I talk to do not like them. Thanks for the input, helps me make a decision
 
I had a SXR and it was a great machine - so stable and fast - but first big storm riding the ocean waves and she was swamped and had to be towed in. I got a 05 SJ for the surf and could not believe how much better it was than the SXR. Like WAY WAY better. Light - fast - no swamping. I got a 10 SJ thinking it would be an upgrade and was really let down. The 05 felt so playful and the 10 was so hard to turn in the surf - it felt longer like a big slalom waterski. I rode my buddies Rickter - sold both SJs and got a EVO-2 and it is an amazing ski for surf. I still love a pre 08 SJ for lake or surf. All they need for the ocean is a bilge and limiting rope.
 

N3vrSat1sfied

Military Member
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Running buoys 08+. then add additional front sponsons and slot the fixed bracket for the trim to be adjustable
Freestyle pre 08.

Check my lites build, link in sig
 

Proformance1

Liquid Insanity
Location
New York Crew
Frosty Loved his 08 hull but it was minus 2 and had tubbie destroyers on it to keep the nose up. 08+ has a ton of steering issues stock so you have to filter those responses out, has nothing to do with what you will be doing with the hull. That being said it is a different ride, didnt bother me at all.
 

Mike W

Infidel
Location
North Florida
If I could just figure out how to fix it from “chine walking” it will be an awesome ski. I switched from a Worx to a JD long plate on my 08 now but didn’t seem to help much. I emailed Wamiltons and WCF and both said their rideplates help tremendously with that issue. Plan to pick both up and try them both next season.
 

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
If I could just figure out how to fix it from “chine walking” it will be an awesome ski. I switched from a Worx to a JD long plate on my 08 now but didn’t seem to help much. I emailed Wamiltons and WCF and both said their rideplates help tremendously with that issue. Plan to pick both up and try them both next season.
Not sure if adding front sponsons would help. I think it is the tear drop shape of the hull that causes this. I never liked the really long Worx Dominators when I use to race my old SJ (Pre 08), It planted the nose down to much, made ski feel like it was plowing the water. Did you get the long or short JD?
 
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Not sure if adding front sponsons would help. I think it is the tear job shape of the hull that causes this. I never liked the really long Worx Dominators when I use to race my old SJ (Pre 08), It planted the nose down to much, made ski feel like it was plowing the water. Did you get the long or short JD?

Hmm. I've ran the Dom. Plate for a long time and it still seems like it rides nose high.
 

Mike W

Infidel
Location
North Florida
Not sure if adding front sponsons would help. I think it is the tear drop shape of the hull that causes this. I never liked the really long Worx Dominators when I use to race my old SJ (Pre 08), It planted the nose down to much, made ski feel like it was plowing the water. Did you get the long or short JD?

Never thought of that but makes sense. I have the long plate for “heavier” riders.
 
Regarding the chine walk, under acceleration I find this ski is not bad at all. It's just really nimble on the roll axis. However bone stock mine did a really crazy bad chine walk when off the gas, decelerating. It was unpredictable and could be violent. Once I switched to a D cut stock plate, it has not happened since. And this is on two completely different skis! I have two 09s. I feel it's the extra surface area on the hull when you're "braking" and the weight transfer shifts forward. Perhaps pressure on one tubbie vs the other. Depending on your weight, this probably happens at different points. For my weight, 155#, with a d cut plate, neither skis have ever done it.

The D cut plate also allows much more nose pop, which can be good or bad. For general rec riding I find it great because I can get the nose up better when jumping wakes, without any reduction in high speed turning ability. I can also turn sharper with the stock steering set up because you can stand the ski up more when turning slow. However when on the buoy course, this lighter front end means the nose pops up really easily on tighter turns. You really have to fight to keep it down. If we did buoy racing more I'd put on a stock ride plate or an aftermarket one that plants the nose better for sure.

Around a buoy course there's no contest between pre and post 08. The 08+ hull was designed to lean and carve and it means you can turn so aggressively. Jumping from my ski to pre 08s I was shocked how different the handling was. I wasn't able to get around the course nearly as fast. I think it takes a really well modified hull to stay hooked up well, where the 08+ just rails naturally. For me in comparing the two skis, this is a deficit that the pre 08 just never overcomes. Coming from a long line of Kawasaki skis which carve, the 08+ hull is just such a natural, sweet handling hull. It's the Lotus Elise of the jet ski world. I also believe it's better and more fun than a sxr. A sxr needs some hull mods and tweaks before it can handle as well.

This is all about personal preference. My riding is 100% inland lakes, general rec riding, and occasional buoys and wakes. Ride both and see what you like, as always.
 
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