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Boats Vs. PWC: Which One Is Right For You?

Aug. 7 2020 Comparison By Escondido Cycle Center

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Trying to figure out a way to get out and enjoy the water this summer? Your options fall into two main categories: boats and personal watercraft (PWC). Each one has its merits, but they do serve different purposes and one may work better for your budget, abilities and family size.

So what are some of those differences? Escondido Cycle Center is your southern California boat and PWC dealer. Below, we’ve broken down the distinction between boats and personal watercraft to help you decide which option is the best one for your marine-based recreational pursuits.

Budgetary Concerns

First, you’ll want to start with your budget. When thinking about how much you can afford to spend on a craft, you’ll want to consider not only the sticker price, but also storage needs, a trailer, maintenance and upkeep. Boats will generally be more expensive, although it does depend on a couple of different factors, which we’ll outline for you.

1. Sticker Price

  • Boats start at about $15,000.

  • PWC start at around $5,000.

2. Maintenance Costs

  • Boats have higher maintenance costs overall.

  • A high-end PWC may end up having more costs than a small, simple boat, however.

3. Resale Value

  • Boats are designed to last a long time and they are operated at very consistent speeds while taking wide turns, which results in less wear and tear, helping them retain their resale value.

  • PWC are operated at high speeds with sharp turns and quick acceleration, so they can wear out faster and thus depreciate more in value over time.

Upkeep Commitment Level

Your next order of business is to think about what type of upkeep you can commit to performing. Boats inherently require more commitment due to the difficulty of storing them completely indoors, as well as how long they take to clean thoroughly. Personal watercraft are much smaller and store easily in a garage  and they’re easy to clean, too.

Loading Concerns

Transporting any type of marine craft will be challenging, but a boat is going to be more difficult than a watercraft. Boats are heavy and bulky, so you need a big trailer and a powerful towing vehicle in order to get them from place to place. PWC are lightweight and can be towed on a small trailer by almost any vehicle.

Personal watercraft will be simpler to launch at the dock because of their smaller size and their design. A boat will be more challenging to get into and take out of the water, which may be a dealbreaker for some people.

User Experience

Finally, you should give some thought to the type of user experience you wish to have. Boats are great for bigger groups of people and are better to ride in for hours at a time because they’re more comfortable and have more storage space and amenities. Personal watercraft can handle no more than three passengers, if that, and they are best for short, fast rides, not hours-long expeditions. A boat is also much more versatile in that you can use it for towing watersports participants, going swimming, entertaining family and friends or exploring. A PWC will limit you to fewer activities.

We hope this guide has proven useful to you in your quest to find the perfect boat or personal watercraft for your needs! Browse our website to see the vast array of new and used boats and personal watercraft for sale at our Escondido, CA, location. Escondido Cycle Center proudly serves the greater San Diego metropolitan area as well as nearby Oceanside, CA.