Scarab 235 ID

Whether buying a new boat or upgrading to something different, buyers generally choose a make, model or type of boat based on how well it fits their lifestyle or supports a favorite activity.

This is especially true when it comes to specific needs like fishing, waterskiing or wakeboarding. Boaters are currently enjoying the results of explosive growth and technological advancements in almost every facet of the marine industry. From simple anchors to entire outboards, marine companies seem to be constantly discovering or developing everything from less expensive parts to new materials or better processes.

Hard to overlook

With the creation of the brand in 2014, Scarab Boats embraced jet drive technology from Rotax as its power plant. Although Yamaha Boats was Scarab’s biggest challenger, there was plenty of room for competition, and the Scarab crew got to work looking for better ways to serve the jet drive market.

Jet propulsion technology for watercraft is not new. From 1966 to 1975, the U.S. Navy used shallow-draft riverboats (known as PBRs) equipped with jet drives to cruise inland waterways during times of conflict. Jet drive technology effectively extended the U.S. Navy’s reach inward from the coast.

The jet-driven riverboats were nimble and quick, and their ability to operate in much less water than military craft with more traditional propulsion made them very valuable assets.

Like so many other marine technologies, advancements in jet drive systems have made them hard to overlook, and not just by wakeboarders and waterskiers.

Today, there are still just two major players in the jet boat market but they each present very different sides of the same coin.

Although most manufacturers offer options to customize your new boat build with some colors and options, Scarab provides boaters with enough color choices to make any boat into a perfect representation of the owner’s unique tastes.

Scarab also provides a good-quality, color-matched trailer, which is included in the price of every boat. Not separate, but with the boat. Drive home with your new Scarab and you’ve got a properly configured, high-performance, low-maintenance package that can be taken to the water and put to the test in just a moment.

That’s brilliant!

Every time I visit the Scarab test facility in Cadillac, Michigan, I am pleasantly surprised at what I find. No matter what the reason for my visit, I can always expect to discover the Scarab crew has created or is doing something unique.

This visit was no different from any of the other trips I’d made.

On-site at the Scarab facility, I was there for a test ride in the new 2024 Scarab 235 ID. Three different Scarab 235 models were tied to the dock, each with a different option package and unique color scheme.

All three boats had Rotax jet drive packages, including the test boat with its twin 230-hp engine package, which was expected to hustle the bat across Lake Cadillac.

As I stared at each of the three new models, it took a few minutes before I understood what I saw. I walked over to the first boat and pretended to be unimpressed until I knew for sure that I was — impressed.

I strolled over to the second one and checked it out. Somewhere between the second and third hull, I knew this was not some special gimmick done for the guest writer’s amusement and I said out loud, “That’s freaking brilliant.”

The Scarab crew got the idea to use MarineMat decking as a protective barrier between the hull and whatever it bumps into. Or rubs on. Or is bumped by.

Sections of color-matched MarineMat are put in place on the port and starboard sides like a graphic so if — or when — the hull is bumped or scraped and the surface of the mat is damaged, it can be removed and a new section can be reattached.

It looked so good that I didn’t even notice it was there at first. Once I saw it, I kept looking for a spot where the added layer might stand out or negatively affect the boat’s appearance, but it really looked good! The cushioned hull looked every bit as sharp as it did without.

So, why would you go without?

The perfect size

The weather was almost perfect for a test ride as I climbed onboard the 235 ID. Just by boarding the boat, all of Scarab’s little innovative solutions become evident one by one. Stepping into the cockpit from the swim platform, the backrest and headrest cushions flip up to create a ”shoe-friendly” path.

The 235 ID is loaded with all of the popular options, including USB ports everywhere, audio controls inside and out, and storage in unexpected places. One of my favorite Scarab hidden gems is the “leg holes” cut into the corners of seats throughout the boat, allowing you to turn 180 degrees without moving the seat.

With nothing left to do but go for a test ride, I took the wheel and sauntered out of the marina to open up the boat. Planing times are minimal, speeds maximum, and the ride is impressive at any speed and conditions. The boat screams — which is made even more fun when you bury the throttle and feel the acceleration throughout your body as you are compressed back in your seat. At WOT with two people onboard, it topped out around 55 mph, and the boat cruised nicely between 30-35 mph.

The new 2024 Scarab 235 ID is just fun. It’s the perfect size to trailer but still big enough to hit Lake Michigan. It’s fast enough to beat most boats in a head-to-head but rides beautifully so no one has to hold on for dear life.

I’ve grown very fond of Scarabs in general, but the Scarab 235 ID might just be my new favorite one.