Is one drivetrain better than the next? Are there certain pros and cons associated with the different types of drive trains?
Leisure Boating went in search of the answers, the strengths, and weaknesses of each particular drivetrain to set the record straight.
After you’ve absorbed the facts we present, your choice of drivetrain is simply the option you prefer, and is the right choice for you. There are no right and wrong choices when it comes to selecting your drivetrain of choice.
Determining factors
There are several factors that need consideration when selecting a drivetrain and these can be broken up into the size of the boat, the type of water bodies (inland or at sea) and the type of application the boat will be used for. This could either be fishing, cruising, skiing or wakeboarding.
Jet drive
Jet propulsion is the motion produced by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft.
Water is drawn in from under the boat into a pump which then expels this water through a nozzle at the stern.
The jet pump has no gears and thus slowing down or speeding up is done by dropping a gate over the nozzle to restrict the amount of water propelling the boat, and thus slowing it down.
PWC (Jetskis) also use the jet propulsion system to navigate the waterways.