With a grain of salt, any suggestions on 25hp jet drive outboards? Am I better to buy new or take an existing outboard and do a conversion?


Sorry if this has been hit upon before, I couldn't find anything in the search.

Buy an outboard, and convert to jet drive. Remember, you lose 30% of the hp rating of your motor. a 25hp will give you about 17hp. I run a 40/28 on a 16 foot sea ark. Also, the flatter the boat, the better. Another thing is that jets use more fuel, and Jets do not like grass. In my jet I can run in about 4 inches of water, and take of in about 6 inches.

You'll need to be aware of just a few details...

The jet will need to be raised 5" above the normal setting on the transom.

Jets do fine in grass, if you remove the stupid grate thingy, I can run through matted foamed up grass with mine, chews it up and spits it out.


Put the biggest powerhead you can on it, you'll be glad you did...

I love mine, wouldn't trade it for any prop rig, but it's a personal thing.

I love them too. But be aware that a jet has a direct purpose and that is to run shallow, shallow, shallow.
But to answer your question. If you feel that a used engine is in good condition and you have the confidence in it to do what you want it to do. Then by all means convert it to a jet. But if you have any reservations on that used engine....go new.

Mike understates shallow...I can run in stuff that you simply can't believe, and more important, get up and gone with the boat sitting on the bottom. NO prop can come close.

However, jet's will have some negatives...they hate rough water, get out in the middle of the bay when it's rock and rolling, you won't have any fun. One good fist sized oyster shell will stop you dead.

But..the shallow ability, especially going slow, to me makes it unequaled. When you can idle up to a tailing red and not spook one, that makes it unmatched. Airboat can't do it, and for sure no prop can either.

But, you can't expect it with a 23' tuna schooner, five of your best friends and 300 lbs of groceries and beasts...

Thanks for the advice. I am actually looking at the 16' Gheenoe Low Tide 25 for fishing on rivers and like the idea of being able to get shallow through some of the riffles. Some of the water I have in mind is in the 4-5" range.

Well...let me give you some hard learned advice, so you don't walk the same land mine field some of us have walked.

First, it will need to be at least a 40 hp powerhead to equal a 25 prop. A 25 Jet will be sorely underpowered. There's NO law in TX about what motor you put on what hull..

A small 2" tunnel to feed water to the jet is huge for performance, what you absolutely do NOT want is any sort of ridge, runner, chine or otherwise running down the middle that disrupts water to your intake. Make DANG sure you can get the motor height right, without adding any setback. Setback will kill a jet hammer dead. Power trim will add a lot to how it runs, being able to adjust makes a big difference.

Ask the boat guys if they've run jets on them, don't be the lab rat...

4"-5" is nothing if you're setup right at all. I can run all day in 2" and make about 80 yards of less than 1" before I finally suck all the water out of the mud. Sorry this picture isn't better, I'll see if I can take another. But..the jet is tucked up into a 2" tunnel, which allows the entire intake to be above the bottom of the hull.