I have always liked jetski’s, but more for my own amusement. For me, it’s a continuous toss-up between my own entertainment and sharing it with friends – and that not-so-fine gap has finally been closed, thanks to the Sealver Wave boat. Boating or jetskiing? Now you can enjoy them both! Dean Castle reviews this never-seen-before Droomers Yamaha exclusive.
It’s been my impression for a while that to really get the most and truly enjoy a jet-powered craft to its maximum, you need to have two of them. Or a really good boating buddy that loves the water as much as you will do. But sometimes, neither of those are an option, plus you’ll have to explain to the kids why they won’t be going boating on the weekend! That is, however, until now.
The Sealver corporation, based near Bordeaux in France, has created a unique concept for the jet lover. Conceived in association with the Yamaha Motor Europe, the Wave Boat is a hull of boat which can be used with any Yamaha FX WaveRunner and various other PWC’s. However, our review used a WaveRunner, so we’ll talk about this Sealver from that angle.
The Sealver Wave allows you to enjoy the full use of a PWC or a boat. Once anchored or beached/moored, simply reverse the Yamaha FX PWC from the boat and enjoy a great time on your jetski while the family and friends sunbathe, fish or chill out.
Deck layout
The Sealver Wave Boat can be certified up to category C, procied you as a skipper have the correct license as well as the right equipment.
She is 5.25 m in length and 2.4 m wide, and is able to take up to six passengers on comfy cushioning that’s positioned around the craft.
There’s an anchor locker, three main storage compartments, a swim ladder at the stern on the port-side, and enough on-board space for a small party.
A generous size lounging area is located at the bow of the craft, and allows four passengers to either bathe in the sun, or chill out around the easy-to-install table. A bimini canopy is the perfect addition to the craft, which you certainly won’t regret on hot summer days. A further two recliner-type sun loungers are found on either side of the Yamaha WaveRunner. These face backwards, which I found to be comfortable and great for watching the action behind the boat. A super-cool benefit of the Sealver is that it has a small safety area for kids to splash around in, once the WaveRunner has been removed. The holding area for the ski in this case also allows for adult swimmers to easily step out the water and into the boat. Cushioning is also properly push-studded down to the craft – so you needn’t fret about losing your cushioning along the river, or the highway on route to the harbour.
Performance The Wave Boat was designed to offer an unforgettable experience of navigation and pleasure. Its sharp hull and low weight (around 350 kg) preserves the liveliness and manageability of the craft, as well as the performance and durability of your WaveRunner.
The Sealver Wave Boat is built specifically for the Yamaha FX PWC and was designed and created to work in conjunction with that of an FX WaveRunner – complementing each other to provide a stable, safe and predictable ride. However, the Sealver is available for other PWC’s too. Among other things, the FX part of the Yamaha WaveRunner shows that this craft is from their luxury line-up. Staff journalist Anton Pretorius recently attended the launch of the new FX Waverunner and came back to the office stating that the craft is simply phenomenal. It must be quite something having that to power your own Sealver! The manufacturer’s claim that a Yamaha 220 HP PWC, you can look forward to a top speed of 38.5 knots (71 km/h) with the craft at full load and the ski whirring away at 7 200 rpm. At a leisurely cruise of 17.2 knots (31.9 km/h), they reckon the ski will be pumping at a gentle 5 400 rpm. The ride was comfortable and surprisingly dry. I did get some spray when I was at the controls, but this was definitely due to the strong north-wester blowing across the ocean at the V&A Waterfront.
Once on the water, we cracked open a few cold drinks as David from Droomers Yamaha played with the ski, showing us just how easy it is to use the Yamaha FX with or without the Sealver. I will admit it’s probably not so simple on your first attempt, but getting the hang of it will follow soon enough. Since the craft relies on the PWC for the power, it handles much the same as a normal FX would – nimble, quick, and easy to drive. After all is said and done, I really liked the craft. She looks great, performs well, and best of all, opens up the options!
Conclusion The Sealver Wave Boat has a standard options price of R160 000, which actually isn’t too bad for the amount of value it offers. If you don’t have a Yamaha FX WaveRunner, sell your current PWC to the highest bidder as new FX’s go for around R180 000. Still, the combined package comes in cheaper than a comparative jetboats, yet offers the brilliant option of boat or ski.
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