The Sea-Doo Switch is not like any other pontoon boat on the market, it’s not even like most boats either!
Since the Sea-Doo Switch is so unique, a common question people have is top speed. Is the Sea-Doo Switch fast? Does it have enough power to pull tubes or skiers?
Let’s answer these questions and more!
Sea-Doo Switch Top Speed Chart
The Sea-Doo Switch comes in a couple engine options from 100HP to 260HP, here are the top speeds of each option.
- 100HP ~ 26MPH
- 170HP ~ 34 to 37MPH
- 230HP ~ 44MPH
Since weight, riding conditions and many other factors can affect top speed, these numbers can vary a little.
To new boat owners these numbers can be a little underwhelming, but the average pontoon boats range from 15MPH up to 50MPH, so the Switch is within the competition. Also, doing 20MPH in your car doesn’t feel fast because you have a roll cage around you, but doing 20MPH, especially being pulled on a tube, feels a lot faster and way different!
This often brings up the next question that people have about the Switch, can it pull a tube?
Sea-Doo Switch Can Pull Tubes
Tubing behind a boat is a fun family activity that many pontoon boat owners love to do.
While the Sea-Doo Switch is different from other boats in that it uses a jet drive system, the Sea-Doo Switch has no problem pulling a tube!
As talked about in our post on what horsepower is needed for a pontoon to pull a tube, we found that it’s more about what speed the pontoon could reach. For pulling tubes, you need to be able to go at least 15MPH, which even the 100HP Sea-Doo Switch can do just fine.
You do need more horsepower for other pull sports like waterskiing and wakeboarding.
Pulling Skiers
Tow sports is not a fast event, most never go over 30MPH and often stay below 25MPH.
So long as your boat can go above 25MPH, you can pull a skier.
The 100HP Sea-Doo Switch can go 26MPH, but I would at least go with the 170HP option, as it will have more bottom-end that a skier needs to get up plane.
What’s great about the Sea-Doo Switch is that it has SKI-MODE which allows you to set a take-off power and top speed which gives you repeatable pulls every time.
The Sea-Doo Switch is not a replacement for a ski-boat or even a wakeboard boat, but as a general good family boat that can also pull tubes, skiers, and wakeboards.
Sea-Doo Switch Reliability
The Sea-Doo Switch engine is the same Rotax engine they use in their PWCs.
BRP owns Sea-Doo, and they also own Rotax, who make the engines.
A boat company that also owns the engine is a unique thing, not many can even say this. Better yet, some of the inboard boats on the market just use a repurposed SUV engine.
Sea-Doo also making the boat and engine gives them better control and the ability to make an actual marine-first engine. This engine has features that bigger and more expensive boats lack, like closed-loop cooling.
The engine is based on Sea-Doo 4-tec engines that came out in 2002. The 4-tec was upgraded in 2016 to the new ACE platform that we see in the Switch. A lot of the quirks have been worked out and the ACE engine block has been the best one they’ve made yet. With 10,000’s of Sea-Doo watercraft already using this engine, it has gives Sea-Doo an advantage on testing the engine with many.
Sea-Doo Switch Supercharged – Yes On One Engine
A supercharged engine is a more powerful engine, and only the 230HP Sea-Doo Switch has a supercharger.
While a supercharger gives you more power, they do use more gas and need more care.
Honestly, I’m a fan of the 170HP Switch, but the 230HP is needed if you want to go as fast as possible on the Switch.
The Sea-Doo Switch Has Reverse
As covered in this post, the Sea-Doo Switch not only has reverse, neutral and forward controls… but it also has brakes!
The Sea-Doo Switch is the only boat on the market that has brakes, and they work quite well.
Is The Sea-Doo Switch Considered A Boat?
The Sea-Doo Switch is a unique boat, but it’s still a boat.
It floats and has an engine, so it qualifies as a boat.
The Sea-Doo Switch uses a handlebar and a jet drive, so it’s more like a jet ski, but then again, a jet ski is still a boat.
I know the Sea-Doo Switch is different from what most people think should be a boat, but when you drive one, you get it. The Sea-Doo Switch is probably the best boat for anyone who wants to get in boating and never drove a boat before. If you drove a boat before, it will feel different, but still feel the same.
The controls, ease of use, and features really make this a great beginners boat or just a plain and simple family boat!