Hey all.  I'm new to jet boats, this is my first one.  Took it out for the first time this past weekend.  Had an awesome time, blued the pipes nicely cuz I didn't turn on the water (oops).  My question is with reverse.  It seemed like I had no reverse except when standing in calm water with no current.  I went out to the canyon and I couldn't manuever worth a damn which is really important in there.  Same thing coming through the channel, if someone stopped short I was fucked.  Is there something I can do or am not doing or what?  I tried goosing it but that didn't help either.  Going forward was fine but reverse sucked. Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

Do you have a ride plate?  I heard those can make reverse poor.  I'm no expert, but just looking at the set up it would seem that the amount of water flowing in reverse is very limited in a jet.

I have seen some set ups where when you shift into reverse the nozzle is aimed right at the top of the ride plate...  no reverse.  I think I'll just stay with my latest set up and call it good.

Dont know if this will help or not, but that POS boat that we called the Omega had a reverse problem at first........
 
It turns out the guy before us installed a new cable and it wasnt adjusted right, it looked like a water fountain cause the bucket would not close all the way and shot water into the boat

Needless to say we didnt go in reverse to well

2sav

It seems to me that the "RAM" style reverse would be just as bad since it would direct the water into the transom.  Even the way mine is set up, it pushes down and very little forward.  It does catch the very end and lower part of the rudder which helps some.  But then, Hell!!  boats were meant to go forward and the reverse just for slow handling.  Put your boat in reverse and stomp the gas, jest make sure you aren't in the way of the shift handle.      And make sure you aren't really close to and pointing at the shore or dock, you might find your self high and dry.

I think I remember Pop Science or Pop Mechanics testing a jet made by Mercury that they raved about how easy it was to manuever while backing up.  How come no one ever hears of a jet pump from Merc?

check this one out

I see that design on the Seadoo boats, and always thought it was ugly. But i bet it works good. I guess it cant be purdy and work good to
By the way Josh nice set up, i want one just like it, but not set back


2sav

Dang do ya have to hang a red flag on that! LOL

Geez mine looks like crap compared to those.  No wonder I cant back up.

Yours should back up pretty good.

check this one out

Would those cause alot of drag at speed, or a little?

1 thing I noticed is ya dont have a place diverter, before I put mine on reverse was pretty much there but very little, with the diverter on and down, reverse works pretty darn good just my .02   mark

If I had the green for a pd I would buy one tomorrow.  But alas its not in the cards right now.  What are the advantages of the diverter/droop setup?  And that one on Josh's boat is freakin sick looking.

Thanks, it'll look even different here pretty soon, I go through pump set-ups like some ppl go through boats

Can I get on your discarded pump list?