Review: The Scarab 195 Impulse

When the title Scarab conjures up pictures of Crockett and Tubbs cruising across Biscayne Bay in a Wellcraft go-fast, we have some bad news for you: you're officially old. But if, on the other hand, Scarab makes you think about sexy small jet boats with sizzling graphics and a 1503 Rotax 4-TEC jet-drive, you're young and hip. Or, at the very least you are keeping up with the times, since beginning with the 2014 model year, Scarab comes in a jet boat incarnation.

Rec Boat Holdings, the same company that possesses such name-plates as Winns, Larson, and Wellcraft, has obtained the Scarab manufacturer and applied it to its line of jet boats. (Current Wellcraft Scarabs are to be labeled "Scarab Offshore.") BRP exited the sport boat business and ceased building Sea Doo jet boats this past year, leaving exactly what Rec Boat Holdings viewed as a chance. Obviously, since BRP does still make the powerplants, everyone's happy.

That is one hot little number rigged using all the 200-hp Rotax, and with the upgraded HO 250-hp version, posts rates in excess of 40 mph. And in either case, the low-profile Rotax powerplants permit Scarab to take full benefit of the stern, turning the customary sunpad into extra chairs. Individual center and rear sections could be adjusted independently to shape aft-facing chairs or can be folded flat to optimize tanning space. Another unique feature are located at the running underside. Many jet boats have a tendency to wander easily, since they don't have a lower unit or rudder under the hull. Early reports are that they work well, and the ship runs in a straighter line than you would anticipate from comparable jet-powered models.

Other stand-out features comprise a huge swim platform, a transom ski tow-eye, along with an elevated towing stage on a (comparatively small) tow-tower. Pictures are off-the-charts trendy, with eye-popping colors and radical designs. Even the base-boat includes a colored hull, though not with the further stripes and checkers. The interior comes decked-out with textured, multi-colored panels and fabrics. Driver's and passenger's seats are comfortable buckets, and also the bow cockpit is large enough for two people to stretch out in the forward-facing position or to get four to sit upright. More about that bow: it is squared-off in Sea Doo style, which is no surprise, since the tooling for your Impulse was originally crafted by this corporation. Will the Scarab 195 Impulse make it in the tough marketplace? Attempting to forecast could be foolhardy, however, the fact that MarineMax has taken on the line is a very good sign. And we believe this ship looks so very cool, we are even ready to ignore the simple fact that it doesn't possess a prop. 

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