Buy a Nautique with heater already or add one aftermarket?

[1sicknautique]

Hey guys, we are looking for another Nautique. We live in Georgia and have a pretty mild winter time and we would like to putt around on the lake and just enjoy gods country without getting in the water. All that to say I’m wanting our next boat to have a heater, so we can enjoy the outdoors on the lake as long as possible during the cooler months. Am I better off to find a boat with a heater from the factory or buy a boat and add it on? Thanks for any insight/thoughts.

[NautiqueJeff]

Need a little more information before an accurate answer can be given.

Are you looking for a new boat or used? If used, what year range?

Heaters can always be added, but depending on the year/model, the difficulty can be different.

On newer Nautiques, I really like the heated seats for what you are talking about. The heater is nice to have too, but the heated seats are easier to use, and work very nicely. Also, try to look for a boat with an air dam of some sort int he walk-through.

[1sicknautique]

Ideally looking for a 08-11 210 or 230

[Wayward]

I would add one after. The factory heater that Nautique uses (Even in the G series), is nothing to write home about. I’d install a heatercraft 300 series w/circulator pump. It’s not difficult, and that setup will put out 4x the heat that the OEM setup will. OEM is heatercraft as well, but they use a heater core that is half the size, and no circulation pump.

i bought my 2016 G with a heater in it. I actually ended up pulling it out, and replacing with a 300 series, and added a circ pump. What a difference!!

[1sicknautique]

I would add one after. The factory heater that Nautique uses (Even in the G series), is nothing to write home about. I’d install a heatercraft 300 series w/circulator pump. It’s not difficult, and that setup will put out 4x the heat that the OEM setup will. OEM is heatercraft as well, but they use a heater core that is half the size, and no circulation pump.

i bought my 2016 G with a heater in it. I actually ended up pulling it out, and replacing with a 300 series, and added a circ pump. What a difference!!

Thanks for the info. This opens a whole lot more boats that I haven’t really been looking at because the lack of a heater.

[1sicknautique]

I would add one after. The factory heater that Nautique uses (Even in the G series), is nothing to write home about. I’d install a heatercraft 300 series w/circulator pump. It’s not difficult, and that setup will put out 4x the heat that the OEM setup will. OEM is heatercraft as well, but they use a heater core that is half the size, and no circulation pump.

i bought my 2016 G with a heater in it. I actually ended up pulling it out, and replacing with a 300 series, and added a circ pump. What a difference!!

How difficult is the install?

[bturner]

I agree with Jeff on the heated seats. I've had 3 boats with heaters and can only think of a hand full of times that I've ever used it but can tell you I've had to winterize it every year. The only other option that I've used less is the shower I had on the last boat. The only downside of doing the seats is that the skins have to come off. The down side of doing the heater is you have to fish the coolant lines from the rear of the boat to the front.

[functionoverfashion]

How difficult is the install?

The install is pretty involved, I wouldn't really want to pay the labor on it if that's what you're asking. There's electrical, plumbing, and vents to run. The water lines (as mentioned) need to be pulled all the way from the engine up to the helm area.

I installed a heater in my old Supra (direct drive) with the heater core being right under the passenger/spotter seat, running wires and one vent over to the driver's seat, and the other vents / one hot tube being right at the passenger seat. It took me 8 hours start to finish, all in.