The Scarab 195 is a 19-foot 4-inch jet boat built by Rec Boat Holdings in Cadillac, Michigan. The Scarab brand traces back to the 1970s and has been part of the Rec Boat portfolio since 2014. The current Scarab jet-boat line uses Rotax 4-TEC engines built by BRP, the same power plant family that drives Sea-Doo personal watercraft. The 195 is the smallest in the open-layout line, sitting below the 215 and 255 models in size.

What is the Scarab 195?

The 195 is a 19-foot 4-inch fiberglass jet boat with a 7-foot 11-inch beam. Dry weight is 2,420 pounds, which keeps the trailer-plus-boat package under 3,800 pounds and within range of a midsize SUV. The hull is a single-step planing design with an integrated jet tunnel at the stern. There's no propeller below the waterline, no skeg, and no drive leg.

Three engine options. Rotax 1503 4-TEC at 200 hp (single jet), Rotax 1503 ACE at 250 hp (single jet), or Rotax 1630 ACE at 300 hp (single jet). The 250 is the most common build and is the right power for the hull. Cruise sits at 28 mph, top near 45. The 300 lifts top to roughly 52 mph and stiffens up the throttle response to PWC territory.

The layout is an open day-boat. A forward bow lounge with a filler cushion that converts to a sun pad, port and starboard side lounges that face inward across the centerline, a captain's helm seat with a flip-up bolster, and a stern bench with under-seat storage. A swim platform with a folding boarding ladder is standard. The Impulse trim package adds a tower with a bimini, a stereo upgrade, integrated speakers in the bow lounge, and a snap-in carpet. Eight people fit on the boat for a Saturday afternoon on the lake without crowding.

I ran a 2021 Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 across Lake Powell one September afternoon, four adults aboard, the tower bimini up. The jet drivetrain at the throttle pickup pulled the bow up faster than a comparable sterndrive bowrider at the same speed. The 28-mph cruise held a 145-degree wake angle. Beach landings on the sandstone coves around the lake were the part of the jet boat that paid off. The boat slid up to the sand, killed the throttle, and stayed put without dropping anchor and without the prop hitting bottom.

Who is it good for?

Families on a small to medium lake who want jet-drive shallow-water capability are the first buyer profile. The jet drivetrain takes the boat into 18-inch water at idle without prop damage. Beach landings, sandbar use, and shallow coves are where the jet boat wins.

Buyers cross-shopping a Yamaha jet boat or a Chaparral H2O Sport are the second profile. The Scarab 195 sits a tier below the Yamaha 195 at the dealer on price, several thousand dollars cleaner. The drivetrain story is the same, the build is comparable, and the resale gap is the part Yamaha wins.

Owners who want a fast tube-pull boat with no exposed propeller around swimmers are the third profile. Pulling a tube with five-year-olds in the water at the swim platform, the no-prop story is the part parents notice first. The 250-hp Rotax pulls a tube cleanly with three adults loaded.

Who is it not good for?

Buyers who want quiet sterndrive cruising should walk past. Rotax jets at cruise are louder than a four-stroke outboard at the same speed. A Chaparral 19 H2O Sport sterndrive or a Four Winns H190 is the quieter day-boat cross-shop.

Buyers shopping a fishing layout should also walk past. The Scarab 195 is a day-boat, not a fishing platform. No livewell, no rod holders, no casting deck. The use case is family and watersports.

The third exclusion is wake-boat shoppers. The 195 is not a wake-shape boat. The hull doesn't have ballast, the wake at 22 mph is mediocre for skiing or surfing. If you want a real wake boat, an Axis A22 or a Malibu 22 LSV is the right segment.

Pricing

New 2026 pricing on the Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 and the standard layout lands roughly $42,000 to $48,000 at a Scarab dealer. Stepping up to the Rotax 300 and adding the Impulse package with the tower, the bimini, the upgraded stereo, and the integrated bow speakers brings the build to $52,000 to $58,000. Scarab dealers run regular seasonal promotions and the new price moves meaningfully through spring and fall.

The used market spans $14,000 at the bottom (older 2014-2017 hulls with deferred Rotax service and impeller wear) to $46,000 at the top (current-year demonstrators with the loaded Impulse package). The sweet spot is the 2020-2022 Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 or 300 and the Impulse package, landing at $28,000 to $42,000 on a clean hull with under 250 hours. Five-year depreciation runs roughly 38 to 42 percent off MSRP, which is a tier behind Yamaha but in line with the broader jet-boat segment.

What works

  • Rotax 250 or 300 jet drivetrain delivers 45 to 52-mph top speed with strong throttle pickup.
  • No exposed propeller, jet boats work in shallows and beach landings.
  • Open day-boat layout fits eight people without crowding.
  • Standard tower and bimini on the Impulse trim handles tube and wakeboard use.
  • Lower entry price than a comparable Yamaha 195 by several thousand dollars.
  • Trailerable behind a midsize SUV, package weight under 3,800 pounds.

What doesn't

  • Rotax jet noise at cruise is louder than a four-stroke outboard.
  • Throttle pickup is sharp, bowrider crowd notices on first sea trial.
  • Jet impeller wear is a recurring service line.
  • Wake shape for skiing or surfing is mediocre.
  • Resale lags Yamaha by a clear tier.
  • Standard helm electronics are basic, most owners upgrade aftermarket.

Year-by-year notes

The current Scarab 195 hull dates from roughly 2017, with the Rotax engine family carrying through the production. The 2020 model refreshed the Impulse trim package and added integrated bow speakers as a near-standard option. The 2022 model added the Rotax 1630 ACE 300-hp option as a top-trim build. The pre-2017 Scarab 195 on the Rotax 1503 NA (naturally aspirated) drivetrain is a different boat with less power and is worth less on the used market.

Cost of ownership

Rotax 4-TEC service intervals follow a 50-hour pattern, more frequent than a Yamaha or Mercury four-stroke. A 50-hour kit costs $250 to $400 in parts and $200 to $350 in dealer labor. The jet pump impeller gets an inspection at 100 hours and a replacement at 300 to 500 hours depending on use. Impeller replacement is $400 to $700 in parts and labor. The wear ring inside the jet tunnel gets replaced at the same interval, $200 to $400 in parts.

Insurance on a $35,000 hull is $500 to $900 a year on an inland lake. A five-year hold on a 2021 Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 Impulse, bought used at $32,000 with 180 hours, used 60 hours a season on a Midwestern lake with trailer storage, lands at $3,800 to $5,500 a year all-in including insurance, fuel, service, and amortized capital cost.

Best year and trim to buy

The 2020-to-2022 Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 or 300 and the Impulse package is the right buy in 2026. Verify five things pre-purchase. First, the Rotax service file shows current 50-hour intervals plus the 100-hour impeller inspection at the right hour mark. Second, the jet pump impeller and the wear ring have been replaced if hours are past 300. Third, the helm wiring chase tests dry and the bimini hardware is intact. Fourth, the upholstery on the bow lounge and the side lounges shows no seam stretch or vinyl chalk. Fifth, the trailer is in service condition with current bearings and tires.

A second moment to share. I watched a 2020 Scarab 195 with the Rotax 250 launch off a ramp at Lake Travis one August evening, three adults aboard, going out for a sundown run with a tube on the swim platform. The throttle pickup off the dock was the first thing the owner noticed on a sea trial earlier that summer. A jet drive accelerates faster off the line than a sterndrive at the same horsepower because there's no prop slip in the first second of throttle. That snap is part of the personality of the boat. Buyers who don't like a sharp throttle pickup go to a sterndrive bowrider instead. Buyers who do, end up here. The Scarab is honest about what it is.

Alternatives

The upper-tier Yamaha jet boat cross-shop at a larger size is the Yamaha AR250. The sterndrive bowrider cross-shop at similar length is the Chaparral 19 H2O Sport, with quieter cruise but no shallow-water capability. The other bowrider cross-shop at similar length is the Four Winns H190, a sterndrive day-boat with a comparable family use case at a similar entry price.