Yamaha long ago cemented the jet drive as a reliable, performance-minded alternative to prop-driven power. Models like the 255 XD now prove jet drives as safe, versatile choices for wakesurfing. Combining the layout of a family-friendly bowrider with the latest wake tech and award-winning sound system, the 255 offers room for a crowd, a versatile hull design, and a wave ready to please beginner and midrange surfers alike.

The XD hull is designed to naturally produce a surfable wake, but it’s the combo of ballast and trim tabs that does the heavy lifting. Yamaha spreads 1,600 pounds of weight between a trio of plumbed-in water-­ballast bags to build the wake. WakeBooster trim tabs then shape the wake on a ­surfer’s preferred side. Electrically actuated, each tab deploys to produce a respectable curl. Which tab deploys, as well as towing speed, ballast load and even acceleration profiles, can be dialed in via the 12-inch Connext touchscreen at the helm. 

As noted, the layout serves both surfer and leisure passengers. A roomy bow invites stretching out while socializing with fellow crewmates. The port companion seat swivels to serve as a spotter perch or to let its occupant chat it up with those seated on the wraparound bench that rings the remainder of the main cockpit. When not underway, slide movable backrests forward to fashion twin rear-facing recliners flanking the transom walk-through. Or enjoy waterfront seating on the two-level, EVA-padded swim platform. Padded backrests provide comfort for those seated at water level. A telescoping ladder, cup holders and audio remote are at hand. 

Newly repositioned jet nozzles tweak that surf wake but also push already-nimble handling to the extreme at speed. Top speed is a heady 57 mph. During low-speed maneuvering, Yamaha’s Drive X system adds paddle shifters for forward and neutral, and buttons on the wheel hub that mimic a joystick’s response. Crab the boat sideways into an open slot at the dock, spin the boat within its own length, or hold the boat against the dock while passengers load or unload. 

High Points

• Throttle includes push-button start/stop, rpm engine sync, and single-lever throttle pairing.
• Folding aluminum wake tower has swivel board racks and integrated Bimini. 
• Hertz sound system with seven cockpit speakers, two tower speakers, subwoofer.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin 1812cc Yamaha SVHO
• Drive/Impeller: Water jet/160 mm high-pressure pump with stainless-steel impeller
• Gear Ratio: 1.00:1 Fuel Load: 55 gal.

Pricing and Specs

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As the only surfable jet boat in our watersports guide, Yamaha’s 222XD offers a wave that we found long and forgiving—perfect for beginners, but still offering a pronounced lip as you ride up the top of the wave. This shape makes it fun for riders of all skill levels. Combine that with its jet power, which offers easy handling around the dock or ramp, a shallow draft and an open cockpit, and you have a recipe for success.

Equip the 222XD with the available wake-package features from Yamaha, including an all-new tower with integrated speakers and board racks. Also new for 2023, a wireless phone charger resides at the helm, so feel free to leave that charging cable at home. The Simrad touchscreen multifunction display is right-justified, giving the driver better visibility and providing easy access to the intuitive Connext system. Connext displays and allows control over all the boat’s features, including the surf system. Setting up the system proved push-button easy.

For 2023, compared to its predecessor, Yamaha put an extra 12 inches of space toward comfort and convenience. For a 22-foot boat, its layout offers an impressive amount of room and comfort, whether forward in the bow or aft in the rear lounge seats. To add to the level of convenience, it is easy to walk from the bow all the way to the back of the transom in a boat made for any wake sport. The low-profile jet installation allows for the ton of space, completely unencumbered layout and water access that you won’t find aboard most other boats. 

Standout features include the signature rumble seats in the bow, especially perfect for younger crew who enjoy riding in front. Throughout the boat, we found storage compartments under the majority of the seats, in addition to the newest wet-storage compartments in the seatbacks of the rear loungers. These self-draining compartments are perfect for life jackets and other wet items.

Overall, Yamaha’s 222XD handles and performs with incredible agility, providing a comfortable ride, a surfable wave, and a great layout made possible by the lack of intrusion created by a motor box in the cockpit or an outboard on the transom.

High Points

• Great price for entry into the world of wakesurfing.
• Shallow draft and easy dockside handling.
• Wide-open layout.
• Long wave with a well-defined lip.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin 1.8L Yamaha HO marine engines
• Drive/Prop: 160 mm Jet Pump Propulsion System
• Gear Ratio: 1.00:1 Fuel Load: 60 gal. Crew Weight: 300 lb.

Pricing and Specs

Yamaha Boats – Kennesaw, Georgia; 866-894-1626; yamahaboats.com

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Yamaha is stepping up to the big-boat aficionados and building jet-powered craft to 27 feet. The 255XD Wake Series is the pinnacle of its new 25-footers, and it’s feature-rich with Drive technology, a Connext touchscreen, speed control and wakesurfing capabilities.

Let’s start with the head-snapping power from dual 1.8L SVHO supercharged powerplants. Together, they crank 500 hp, nestled in a wide-open bilge area that makes maintenance such as oil changes easy. A flushing port on the transom means it only takes a minute to protect your engine from salt water. Jet boats are growing in popularity due to the internalized drive system that allows swimming off the platform without risk of injuries from sharp props.

Yamaha countered the tracking deficiencies in most jets by adding what it calls an articulated keel to each jet nozzle. It serves as a small rudder that locks the boat on track in turns and prevents the boat from skidding out from the force of a wakeboard rider. The result is a true towed-sports vessel but with a twist: You can wakesurf behind it.

Ballast—1,600 pounds of it—has been added in three tanks, and engine nozzles are toed inward to improve the wake. An automated surf gate further tunes the riding surface.

Engine controls are digital, and many are accessed through the Connext screen. From here, you can activate the surf gate, fill the ballast tanks, set acceleration and select top-speed rider profiles, which are among the many options easily managed in this intuitive screen. Activate the Drive system, which gives the skipper dual paddles on the wheel for easy control of throttle and shift. In docking maneuvers, it gives up to 3,000 rpm engine speed for safe docking and lets the skipper adjust course, direction and speed without taking his hand off the wheel.

The technology of the 255XD is impressive, and it’s wrapped in comfort. Bow seating is deep, and two forward-facing jump seats give an exhilarating view of the water. The cockpit is spacious, with generous storage to keep it organized even with a big crew of surfers.

High Points

• Yamaha’s exclusive topside jet-pump cleanout access means ingested grass can be cleared without the rider getting in the water.
• Yamaha’s ownership of every boat component ensures simpler warranty response, with no finger pointing to component-makers.

Specs

LOA: 24′6″

Beam: 8′6″

Draft (max): 1′7″

Dry Weight: 4,740 lb.

Seat/Weight Capacity: 12/2,350 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 70 gal.

Price: $93,899

How We Tested

Engines: Twin 1.8L supercharged SVHO

Drive/Props: Jet-pump impeller

Gear Ratio: 1.00:1

Fuel Load: 60 gal.

Crew Weight: 400 lb.

More Information

Yamaha – Kennesaw, Georgia; 800-962-7926; yamahaboats.com

Visit Yamaha Homepage

Find A Dealer

Yamaha Boats Facebook

Yamaha Boats Instagram

The post 2021 Yamaha 255XD appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Want to surf but don’t have $150,000 around to get in a fancy inboard wake bruiser? Yamaha’s gotcha covered with the 212XD Wake Series.

With ballast tanks for 1,100 pounds, plus the ability to set and select rider profiles to give the perfect hole shot and top speed, everything is in place for a great ride on a wake- or surfboard.

The Connext screen has mapping for navigation, and engine, audio and rider controls are ready for command with a tap of the screen or a jog of the joystick on the helm. Ballast tanks can be filled individually for the ideal balance. Seating inside for 10 means each rider has a big audience.

Drive technology makes docking easy with its paddle controls on the wheel. Touch the Connext screen to activate it, and the paddles control throttle and shift while hands remain in control of direction with the wheel. Go ahead, dock like a pro—back in to turn the amplified stereo toward the dock and rock the day.

The wakeboard tower and Bimini are standard, and so is the surf-mat sole cover that snaps out for cleaning. Comfort seating abounds with surrounding lounges in the cockpit, and dual buckets for skipper and mate, and a transom walkway gives access to Yamaha’s famous tiered waterfront transom lounge.

The cockpit is deep and so is the bow seating area, relaxing parents with its kid-keeping depth. Even the bow seats are secure with grab rails and dual jump seats for a most exciting front-facing ride.

The 212XD is the top tier of the 21-foot jets, but the value-entry models, like the SX210, start as low as $43,399, including a color-matched trailer. For salt water, a galvanized option is offered.

Yamaha makes its boats easy to operate and maintain, giving ample room in the bilge for easy oil changes. Battery access is also generous, with on/off switches conveniently located. At the end of the day, connect a hose to each engine flushing port, and flush the salt away in minutes.

Yamaha engineers design everything from keel to bow eye, making your dealer the only guy you need to visit for routine service and warranty repairs.

High Points

• Large anchor locker also hides a bow boarding ladder for convenience during beach-landing adventures.
• Surf mat’s teak and holly sole covers look and feel great underfoot, thwart stains, and are removable for easy maintenance.

Specs

LOA: 21′3″

Beam: 8′6″

Draft (max): 1′7″

Dry Weight: 3,761 lb.

Seat/Weight Capacity: 10/2,100 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 50 gal.

Price: $68,999

How We Tested

Engines: Twin Yamaha 1.8L High Output engines

Drive/Props: Jet pumps

Gear Ratio: 1.00:1

Fuel Load: 40 gal.

Crew Weight: 400 lb.

More Information

Yamaha – Kennesaw, Georgia; 800-962-7926; yamahaboats.com

Visit Yamaha Homepage

Find A Dealer

Yamaha Boats Facebook

Yamaha Boats Instagram

The post 2021 Yamaha 212XD appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

If you didn’t think you could wakeboard or wakesurf behind a jet boat, you haven’t seen the 212X or 242X models from Yamaha. To get an idea of what these boats are capable of, check out our “Into the Blue” feature from last summer where we drove Danny Hampson’s 212X from Florida to Bimini.

For 2019, Yamaha has upped the wake and wave performance of their boats in a big way, thanks to the creation of the WakeBooster. The WakeBooster is a plate of sorts that has been designed to easily attach to the tie-down hook under the stern of the boat (and it can be attached to either side depending on riders’ preferences). The WakeBooster “scoops” water toward the center, helping create much larger and cleaner wave. And as we all know, bigger waves are better.

The WakeBooster will be part of Yamaha’s 2019 Surf Package, which includes a custom, co-branded 5’3″ Slingshot wakesurf board and wakesurf rope. What’s really cool is that the WakeBooster can attach to some older model Yamaha boats, as well – it will fit on all 2017 and newer 21-foot boats and 2015 and newer 24-foot Yamaha boats. That includes “non-wake” boats like the center-console FSH. Look for the WakeBooster to be available early spring 2019.

The post Check Out Yamaha’s New WakeBooster appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In the fourth episode of “Into the Blue” the weather had finally caught up to us. We woke up to a strong wind that made it near impossible to find any good water for riding. Fortunately for us, right next to our hotel was a protected quarry with decent conditions. Although the turns were tight and the wind was blowing, we made it work and the guys had a really fun couple of sets.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 4 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In the third episode of “Into the Blue” we had a full day of activities and adventures in beautiful Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. We spent the day wakeboarding, wakeskating, snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, spearfishing, and exploring the S.S. Sapona, a well-known shipwreck. And when the day was done, we headed to a local spot to grill up the fish we had caught earlier that evening.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 3 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In the second episode of “Into the Blue” our crew made the crossing from Key Biscayne to Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. The weather held up for us, and the Yamaha 212X performed amazingly as we jetted across the Gulf Stream. As soon as we arrived and saw the crystal clear water, we couldn’t get in it quickly enough.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into the Blue – Ep. 2 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The first episode of “Into the Blue” was shot the day before we made the crossing and features a really unique and not widely known riding spot in West Palm Beach. Despite 30mph winds, the protected canals provided us with really great riding conditions, and exploring this area was a great way to start our trip.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 1 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Check out the other Coastal Cruising episodes!

Episode 1 >>
Episode 2 >>
Episode 3 >>

The post Yamaha’s Coastal Cruising – Ep 4! appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.