• 2 years ago
Scarab’s boats are well known to the editors of Boating. In 2022, Boating’s team tested more than 100 boats - PWCs, runabouts, cruisers, dayboats, and center-consoles – and chose the Scarab Jet 285 ID, a wide-beam, luxury runabout with all the advantages of jet propulsion, as a finalist for Boat of the Year. There was plenty for the editors to praise: the huge sun pad and transom platform, enclosed head, 12-inch intuitive touchscreen interface, the 600 hp jet propulsion that’s quieter than other boats in the category. Now Scarab splashes a new contender: the Scarab Jet 235 ID. The 235 ID follows the strategy that Scarab introduced with the 285: stylish, plush, and great for the family.
Transcript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - I'm Jeff Helmel from Boating Magazine.
00:13 Today I'm in Cadillac, Michigan.
00:14 We're testing out the brand new Scarab 235 ID.
00:18 Now this boat follows the design language
00:21 that Scarab introduced on the 285.
00:23 As you'll see, it's stylish, it's plush,
00:26 it's great for the family,
00:27 but it doesn't forget to be a jet boat.
00:29 It's fun, it carves aggressively,
00:31 it's got great acceleration,
00:33 and this boat is set up with some impressive wakeboarding
00:36 and wake surf features.
00:37 Hey, we're here with Ryan Beselmich.
00:43 Now, Ryan, I know you've spent a ton of time
00:46 surfing Scarabs.
00:48 You're a surf instructor, avid surfer.
00:50 Tell me about the wake that you can get
00:52 behind this jet boat.
00:53 - Yeah, the wake on this boat is pretty nice.
00:56 One thing I like about it is it's pretty long
00:59 for the jet boats that definitely struggled in the past
01:01 trying to get a good longer wake that still cleans up.
01:05 So this wake is really nice in that aspect.
01:07 It has a good deep pocket.
01:09 You can get back and still be able to charge forward.
01:11 It's not a huge wake, but it definitely has good push
01:15 for the size boat that it is.
01:17 - Now, obviously wake surfing is fun,
01:18 but the reality is this boat is not a one-trick pony.
01:21 This is a versatile, family-friendly bow rider.
01:24 Let me show you some of the features starting at the bow.
01:28 Now, designers squared off this cockpit
01:30 and it gives you a lot of space.
01:32 One of the nice things is passengers can kick back
01:34 and kick their legs up, but if you're sitting
01:36 in one of the forward corners,
01:38 you've still got nice padding.
01:39 That's a great spot if you're watching the action
01:41 that's taking place behind.
01:43 There's hinge storage underneath all of these seats.
01:46 It's a nice articulating hinge
01:48 that lets the cushion come up and keep it out of the way
01:51 and open while you're loading gear in and out.
01:53 It's got a raised lip to funnel water away
01:55 so you don't get wet inside your storage.
01:57 And you'll notice in the in-well, we've also got speakers,
02:01 but what Scarab does is literally next to every speaker
02:05 is a USB charging port.
02:07 Now, in today's day and age, that's a given.
02:08 Everybody's gonna have their phone.
02:10 That's a smart addition.
02:11 Now, look at the bow and you'll also notice
02:13 the nice marine mat traction material
02:15 to let you board and get on and off without marring the boat.
02:18 There's also a pedestal table mount.
02:20 Now, that's the first of three on this boat.
02:22 It lets you set up a table when you wanna have your snacks
02:24 and hors d'oeuvres with your friends.
02:25 You can also remove the center cushion
02:27 to reveal additional traction material
02:29 to get on and off the boat without messing up your vinyl.
02:32 There's some really nice attention to detail
02:34 found up here in the bow.
02:35 Obviously, the gorgeous vinyl,
02:37 you've got different textures.
02:38 I also like how Scarab has done this windblock door.
02:41 Now, normally, these are kind of a rattly approach.
02:45 They block the wind, but they're noisy in rough water.
02:47 The stiff hinge makes them nice and solid.
02:50 There's storage access underneath both the starboard
02:53 and the port console.
02:55 The port console also includes a pull-out cooler.
02:57 To port, there's another wireless charging station
03:00 for the passenger,
03:02 and I also like the depth of this glove box.
03:04 It lets me get a lot of stuff in here,
03:05 and it's also lockable,
03:06 so when you leave the boat, your stuff is secure.
03:09 Highlights in the main cockpit
03:11 include this wraparound seating.
03:13 This is really a spacious boat.
03:14 There's room for plenty of passengers.
03:16 I've got storage below.
03:18 Another mount for a pedestal table.
03:21 Now, another real highlight is this marine mat flooring.
03:24 It's soft underfoot.
03:25 It's comfortable.
03:26 It's cool in the sun.
03:28 I really like the fact that it's snap-in.
03:30 That lets me take this out if I wanna wash it,
03:32 or if I just want an easy-to-maintain boat
03:34 when I'm in salt water,
03:35 I can take all this matting out and leave it at the dock.
03:38 One thing to point out is when you do have the wake package
03:41 and you have the ballast bags,
03:42 when they're deflated, they don't take up storage room,
03:45 so you can still use the same amount of space.
03:48 The ski locker in the cockpit floor
03:49 has a couple nice features.
03:51 It raises on a pneumatic strut.
03:53 It's got padding at the bottom to protect your gear.
03:55 And one thing that really stands out for me
03:57 as a wakeboarder and wakesurfer myself,
04:00 the hatch is nice and wide.
04:01 It lets me get those kind of toys in there
04:04 without struggling.
04:05 Now, I can't leave the seating without mentioning
04:08 this versatile rear lounge.
04:09 Now, I'm gonna show you some of the configurations
04:11 it goes in.
04:12 It's got four different positions.
04:14 The first of which is the forward-facing cockpit setup.
04:18 The second of which I can tilt both
04:19 or either of these seatbacks individually
04:22 to have aft-facing lounges.
04:24 I can fold these seatbacks flat
04:25 to create two individual sun pads,
04:28 or finally, add the filler cushions in this walkthrough,
04:30 and you've got one huge sunbed.
04:33 Popular options include the wake package.
04:35 Now, that gives you the ballast tanks,
04:37 the tower with the board racks,
04:39 and integrates the controls into the display.
04:41 The comfort package also includes the walkthrough doors
04:44 and the bow and stern filler cushions.
04:47 The premium sound package includes the JL audio system.
04:50 In addition to the JL audio system,
04:52 the premium sound package also adds RGB lighting.
04:55 You can get it in the cockpit and underwater.
04:58 Now, I might've saved the best for last.
05:00 As to horsepower, this boat packs
05:03 two Rotex 300 horsepower engines.
05:06 Add it up and you've got 600 horsepower in a 23-foot boat.
05:11 That really brings this Scarab 235 to life.
05:14 For Boating Magazine, I'm Jeff Hemel.
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