In almost every case, jet boats are more difficult to steer, especially in close quarters. If you look at the side profile of a jet driven boat and a stern drive powered boat, you will should notice very quickly the difference.
One of the reasons that jet boats are so popular is because of their safety factor. A jet boat has nothing in the back that you or your family can get hurt on such as a lower unit or a prop. But just like everything else in life, there is a trade off, the loss of handling at low speeds.
Close your eyes and think about the difference between the running gear of the two boats. A jet boat uses the jets and the stream of water to steer. If you turn the wheel, the stream of water will turn and face a different direction, thus pushing the boat in a different direction. If you are in neutral, there is very little to no water coming out of the jet pumps, therefore there is no water pushing the boat.
Now think about a boat powered by an outboard or a stern drive. When you shift into neutral any forward momentum you still have is still usable. If you turn the wheel, the boat will turn slightly, the lower unit is acting as a rudder directing the water.
It is in these kinds of situations that new jet boaters can find themselves in trouble. They don't realize til its too late that you cant turn if you aren't in gear. Sometimes this can end with a small scratch or big scrape, it all depends on the speed you are moving.
So next time you are driving a jet boat, be sure you experiment with the steering out in open water and see how the boat will act with little or no power applied.
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