Hey guys, I'm new to SCJB but I have been in and around I/O boats literally since I was born. I'm thinking about getting a low budget jet boat now.. In my price range, I'm finding boats that don't have diverters and they look like they'll need a new gel coat. What kind of money am I looking to spend on a decent diverter (if I install myself) and what's the going rate for a gel coat job (plus/minus) hull repairs like cracks and stuff? Thanks guys, y'all seem very knowledgable so far don't let me down.

Yah unfortunately gell coat is  bank!  i just did some repairs to mine, and a pint of plain white with hardener was 40 bucks. just so you get the idea you can do repairs to gel coat.

gelcoat is expensive.  its a LOT of prep, spray, sanding, polishing, etc. 

a good quality paint like awl-grip, etc can be very durable and give you great results.

My next question was how durable is a paint job, so thanks for answering it in advance. I can get it painted for a third the price of a gel coat job. Also, what about a wrap? I do vinyl decals and graphics, and I was thinking about just wrapping it, after glass repairs were made.

please note "a good quality paintjob"  not a maaco. 

wrap probably looks cool but one scratch or rock chip and id imagine it would start to peel.  plus you're paying thousands for a temporary tattoo.  ive never wrapped a boat, but i have wrapped some interior pieces on my navigator and one trip to 120* havasu killed it.

Good points... Looks like I'm gonna have to save some more cash to get a nicer boat!!

if its already yours, as long as its wet its a nice boat.   

Yeah go see Mario. Justin's (just electric) boat came out bitchin. Whatever you do don't go to Roberto's boat repair. He did my gel=gotta redo it myself.

I haven't purchased a boat yet, I wanted to get an idea of what I'll be spending before I jump into the jet game.. I'm thinking now that as soon as I hit the loud pedal and pull the diverter, I won't give a shit what she looks like.. haha Don't gotta be pretty to have some fun!!

if you havent found a boat yet and the one you're looking at has some beat up paint/gel id keep looking.  theres a LOT of good deals out there with boats in good shape.

I haven't purchased a boat yet, I wanted to get an idea of what I'll be spending before I jump into the jet game.. I'm thinking now that as soon as I hit the loud pedal and pull the diverter, I won't give a shit what she looks like.. haha Don't gotta be pretty to have some fun!!

That's whats cool about the guys here, just lookin to have a good time on the water no matter what the boat looks like.
Sam (Dana19) ran his boat all primer for a while.

BUT, it is nice to have a clean,shiny boat. If you can find a stress crack-free boat with good gel you'll be way ahead of the game.
Gel is thicker and more durable than paint. Easier to repair and wetsand if needed.