Jet boats are NOT loud.
A lot of this misinformation of jet boats being loud stems from older 2-strokes or the more retro jet boats.
Modern Day Jet Boats Are Quiet
You don’t have to take my word for it, here is a video of a jet boat running…
Another great video showing how quiet jet boats are…
When Are Jet Boats Loud?
I do have to be honest and tell you about the times when a jet boat will be loud or louder than usual.
The most significant way a jet boat can be loud is when it’s out of the water.
You can run a jet boat out of the water for a few seconds, as we talked about here. When the jet boat is out of the water, the pump rattles and the exhaust of the engine is not being muffled by the water.
When out of the water, you can still maintain a conversation, but it is noticeably louder. But when in the water the boat is just as quiet as any car running.
Another way a jet boat can get loud is if you open the engine compartment. This is the same with any boat really, if not worse, on other boats. Other boats usually have a chevy big block in it, and that has belts and fans moving all over the place while a jet boat engine is self-contained, which helps to cut down on the noises.
Not only that, the modern-day jet boats will have a lot of padding to block the noises from the engine. See the image at the top of the post for an example of this padding.
Jet Boats Are Quiet Rides
When riding in a jet boat at speed, the only thing that you’ll hear is the wind in your face.
You’ll hear the engine rev up, but it won’t be any louder than what you hear from your car.
Interesting tidbit – Starting around 2015, jet boat manufacturers started putting extra padding around the engine. I find it overkill, but it really-really-really makes the boat quiet. So if you’re sensitive to sound stick to boats that are 2015 and newer.
2-Stroke Vs. 4-Stroke Jet Boats Noises
It’s by the very nature of 2-Strokes that make them loud. They work twice as much and guzzled gas like crazy. This is why I say stay away from 2-Stroke anything when it comes to boats.
The good news is that 2-Stroke Jet Boats are not a thing anymore and haven’t been since the early 2000s. You can only buy 4-Stroke Jet Boats from Yamaha or Scarab.
Even if you buy a used jet boat, you’ll have a hard time finding a 2-Stroke. But if you do avoid it, all cost, especially if it’s a Sea-Doo Jet Boat as they don’t make them anymore. If it’s a 4-Stroke Sea-Doo Jet Boat, you can still find many dealers willing to work on them as it uses many of the same parts as their jet skis.