# How low can she go?



## trpastor (Aug 21, 2011)

Hey guys - new to jets. I finally got one. A 40hp Suzuki Jet, on a 16.5' Semi V. 

How much water do you think I can go over? I've run it on some pretty shallow spots already but I'm a bit nervous when I do it. How hard is it to dislodge rocks if it does suck them up? I know there's 6 bolts on mine and then you have access right to the impeller.

I guess you learn by trying, huh?


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## optaylor823 (Aug 22, 2011)

Not sure of how much water you will need to run, but as far as dislodging rocks. I would recommend carrying a large screw driver to pry them out and you should be able to get most if not all of the lodged rocks out. Just make sure when you learn that it is on a shoal with just gravel and not big boulders. Also it is normal to be nervous, but you will get over that with time and be able to smile when you carry a buddy and they start grabbing on to things, because they think you are about to hit.


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## fender66 (Aug 22, 2011)

ostpics:


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## trpastor (Aug 22, 2011)

I'm assuming you are saying to AVOID the shoal with big bolders, right? If you see a spot like that, do you ever get out and look it over to see if there's a spot you can get through? And then go for it

Usually, those area's are rapid but if they are that shallow you don't think you can pass you can walk right up to it (I'm a long time wade fisherman, so being in the water doesn't scare me at all. I've been in water I probably shouldn't have been, but figured I could always drop my stuff and just drift down worst case scenario)


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## Canoeman (Aug 22, 2011)

Alot of what your asking depends on weight displacement and weight carried. With equal weight distribution Your going to gain an inch or 2 of clearance. If you have it @$$ heavy youll be drawing more water in the back while on plane or drifting.. 

I had a Alumacraft 1648 with a 30 johnson jet stripped down, no flooring, 6 gallon tank and one battery and i could easily hit 4" head on. With either of my rig's i know i can "Slide" through less, Get it kicked sideways and skipping flat you'll be amazed what you can go through.


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## trpastor (Aug 22, 2011)

Ah! I see. I didn't think about all that

The boat has some decking, a couple seats. I guess when were' going through skinny water I'll have my buddy sit at the front while I steer. 

I have 2 6 gallon tanks but really only fill one usually. a big battery and trolling motor. That's about it. My fishing buddy weights about 240 though. Maybe I need to find a new fishing buddy, :lol:


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## optaylor823 (Aug 22, 2011)

If you are unsure of the shoal do your self a favor and get out to see where you think you should run. I put a hole in a boat a few years ago because I did not get out and look. I have looked at the shoal many times since and believe I could run it now, but still have not got the nerve up to try it again.


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## trpastor (Aug 22, 2011)

Ok, so that's my next question... if you do put a hole in, what do you do? Did you make it back to the ramp ok? Never done it so I don't know
thanks!
Tim


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## bulldog (Aug 22, 2011)

trpastor said:


> Ok, so that's my next question... if you do put a hole in, what do you do? Did you make it back to the ramp ok? Never done it so I don't know
> thanks!
> Tim



It is not an "if" it is a "when", When it happens you can use plastic worms or tubes to plug the hole enough to get back to the ramp. Turn your bildge on and hope for the best. If you have a bunch of water in the boat and you can still get it up on plane, get going as fast as possible then pull the plug and let it drain out. Sounds weird to pull the plug while on the water but it works. Just remember to put the plug back in before you stop. You are going to put a hole in your boat so just don't panic, get back to the ramp as fast and safe as possible and get the hole welded and fixed correctly. If you think you put a hole in the boat, visually inspect it and resist the urge to feel around with your hands. A lot of the times the hole is sharp and jagged torn or ripped aluminum and it will cut the crap out of you. Good luck out there.


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## optaylor823 (Aug 22, 2011)

I was able to get home the day I put a hole in the boat. There were some people camping up river, so we walked about 45 minutes to their camp and the helped us get enough water out to get the boat to their camp. They then took me back to my truck and let us load the boat on the property. We stuffed what we could in the hole and ran the bilge while bailing water out. Bulldog is right the hole will have sharp edges so be careful when trying to find the hole.


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## Canoeman (Aug 22, 2011)

3 holes last summer.. one was 6" long X 2.. from the seam of the bottom up to the side in the middle. one was in the back and the 3rd was the other side. Get a good/great portable bilge and a good battery (tmotor battery). If/when you rip it open run hard and fast to the laucnh with the bilge going. I plugged mine with my feet and a shirt all 3 times.. not always my feet 

If you dont have a floor it's obvious where the hole is by the water coming in..


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## trpastor (Aug 23, 2011)

Yikes! I'm glad I asked!!!! Better to ask now than to come on and post the question, how to I get a boat off the bottom of the river! 

I do have a floor. I guess have the bilge ready to go at all times, and know how to use it and run hard and fast back. I just have a little $20 one from walmart. https://www.walmart.com/ip/SeaSense-Bilge-Pump-with-Float-Switch/16617790?sourceid=1500000000000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=16617790 perhaps I should look at getting a higher quality one

I guess you keep it in the back, where the boat tends to sit back the most.

Thanks guys!
Tim


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 23, 2011)

Dang internet... Had a nice reply and lost connection... Basicly:

Have a plan for any event on the water, from hitting a rock to beaching the boat. I've learned I'd much rather bump a rock at displacement speed vs. whack a rock at planing speed. The 2" of depth difference isn't worth the increase in impact damage.

My rock event, thank God for plastic worms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7pr20KSEfM

Prior planning prevents piss poor performance, or something like that.
Jamie


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## PATRIOT2 (Sep 2, 2011)

TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
[-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X


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## RPjet (Sep 2, 2011)

Come on dude....there are several members on this site with boats that will run in water that shallow. Mine is one of them. Just by spending a little bit of time playing around on youtube will prove that it can be done.

If you ever get to the Harrisburg, Pa area I will prove it to you myself!

Dave


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## S&amp;MFISH (Sep 2, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
> [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X




Apparently you have NO idea what you are talking about. And you've never ridden in a JetBoat before. I've scraped bottom and kept on motoring,That translates into 0-2 inches. [-X [-X [-X


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Sep 3, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
> [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X


What do we say, Let's show some people a outboard jet since this guys never seen or heard of one before. Watch this video and call BS I dare you. It even does you one better it's 2" of water. :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9iXL-omjkA


P.S. Telling a bunch of outboard jet owners that they're full of it because they say they can run in less then 4" of water is like whackin a bee hive with a stick and just standing there. #-o :lol: :lol:


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 3, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
> [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X



It's basic hydrodynamics... Water doesn't compress so if there's a flat bottom under you the water will lift the hull above the bottom. Lil'rude's video is the perfect example. The trick is you need to cover undisturbed water faster than it can squish out under the hull. Run you hand across a wet countertop, it's the same principle.

In our water we get the jet boat roller coaster. You can feel the limestone ridges and rock walls lift the hull as you go over. It's also pucker inspiring. My water doesn't have shoals but pumpkin boulders and larger so we don't get much lifting effect before you whack...

Jamie


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## lowe1648 (Sep 5, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
> [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X



I didn't take a tape and measure it but i'm sure it's less then 4". When the motor hits the rev limiter it was less then the sole of my sandels. https://www.youtube.com/user/lowe1648?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/3OPrsE4Ddjw


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## willfishforfood (Sep 7, 2011)

I can do 6" as long as there isn't any turns but I did tick a few rocks Monday going back up the Kalama River at low tide. If water is shallow and you are committed don't slow down unless your life or limb as I had a buddy sick his 20' sled on a rock bed that I scooted right over because he slowed down at the wrong time


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## lovedr79 (Sep 22, 2011)

Main reason I want a jet, run skinny water.as I proved a prop will bend and bend propshaft.


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## Darkside (Sep 22, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> TIMEOUT . . . I'm calling BS on anyone who claims to run any boat in 4" of water. Must be coming from a real fisherman! I'll even call BS on twice that! LOL
> [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X



4" is well within a jet's limits. Most any jet with a respectable power to wieght ratio can run in 4" of water. One eliment missing is our desire to place all jet crafts in the same catagory. There are plenty of guys out there with smaller boats and smaller engines that do not have the hp to wieght ration required to create the lift or pressure to achieve this. Most of these guys know their limits and have light enough crafts to manage shallow waterin their own way. 

I'd also say it is very nice to have a hard consitant pea-gravel bottom where the proper lift (pressure) can help without issue., Each of my last 3 jets could do that and so does my current craft. My first two jets were not set up to confidently run much under 6" without risking impact. 

I too would gladly take you on a test drive in 3-4" of water. 

2" for more than a a few hundred feet... that's one I'm most interested in seeing. Most of my water is too suspect it goes from 18" to 3" due to large ledge or chunk rock and it is hard to maintain the surface area to do this. It might be 3" in one spot but but just inches away it's far less because of a larger rock. These are areas I'd like to see run myself in lighter MO crafts. 

Distance of a shallow obsticle is also a factor. Most Inboard and Tunnel Hull Outboard Jets can push enough water over a short shoat to manage essencially wet rocks. There are places in our river that close off to little more than wet gravel shoals and we cross them by slowing down and jumping back on plane to ride the bow push or water we created. I am sure lots of seasoned jetters do this too. 

-Chris


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## bulldog (Sep 22, 2011)

I have an 1848 flat bottom jet and I can cruise in 6" of water all day. Did a few shallow water tests last time I was out. I did 3" and barely hit. My boat is heavy also. 4-6" in a heavy boat is very possible. 

Either Patriot is just stirring things up or he has never been in a jet. I remember when I had my first beer too. :LOL2:


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## fish2keel (Sep 22, 2011)

bulldog said:


> I remember when I had my first beer too. :LOL2:



This post has made my day in relation to patriots post. Jets are pretty amazing even the big jets. Take a ride in one and have that first beer


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