Yeah, we know. It’s a little early for April Fool’s Day, right? Well, by all appearances, this proposal for a waterborne “Jet Vespa” looks to be legit. Designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini told DesignBoom.com, “Think about the future and never forget the past” was the motto he had in mind when penning this “fusion between a modern jet ski and a Vespa 50 Special” from the 1960s.
At first blush, the concept looks rudimentary enough: a vintage Vespa scooter slapped atop a miniaturized hull. There’s really nothing groundbreaking about it, really. Lazzarini conceived the water scooter to be “for recreational purpose,” and should be made of fiberglass permitting speed of up to 32 knots via a choice of an electric 39hp engine, and a 330cc 39hp two-stroke engine.
Lazzarini also postulated that the Jet Vespa will do all the balancing for a rider, using “a gimbal self-balancing system keeps it aligned with the water surface” while not running making the accommodation/access of the passengers all the more easy. Self-balancing motorcycles have become the latest innovations from the future, yet we struggle to see how a stationary top-heavy water scooter could operate in the same fashion.
Of course, the images and video shown here are strictly computer-generated illustrations. There is no “proof of concept” prototype built yet. Lastly, Lazzarini proposes that the electric configuration (which would cost $25.000, far exceeding the two-stroke variant at $19.000) would wield an operating time of 3 hours of use.
Earlier this month, Team Faith’s own Brian O’Rourke published on Facebook, “Many of you know and have heard about the serious auto accident that Jimmy Wilson’s wife, Julianne Wilson was in. I’ve been at the hospital in Charlotte NC for the last few days with him and his family and friends…”
“I’m comforted by the level of support they have during this trying time from both the local community of friends and coworkers to people all over the country that they both know and especially from the watercraft racing community. Thank you all for being there, being concerned, for reaching out and for praying for them. They still have a long road ahead of them for sure.
“As for Julianne’s condition, out of respect for their privacy I just want to say please continue to pray for her as she is by no means ‘out of the woods yet.’ She has a lot that she has to overcome and it may take quite a while. The facility that she is at is second to none and I feel confident that she’s in the right place getting the best care possible. […] If you want the latest info on Julianne Wilson and Jimmy Wilson, please join the page “Our PWC Family” or click on the link.”
In addition to the “Our PWC Family” page, a GoFundMe account has been created to help offset the surmounting medical care costs. Help support one of our own. They are in for a very long road ahead. It was our wish to respect the Wilson’s privacy, while helping alert the PWC racing community about this effort to alleviate some of their costs. All of us at The Watercraft Journal wish the Wilson’s the very best during this difficult time.
“I recently took a trip to Indonesia and prior to my departure the area I stayed in was hit hard by a huge earthquake. In an effort to help out with relief efforts I designed a t-shirt that is being sold through various PADI dive shops through the region. I started a GoFundMe to help get the funds together and while I’ve made some progress I still have pulled a significant amount of money out of my own pockets to get it rolling.
“I spent 30 days in Indonesia and was overwhelmed by the dominance that Yamaha has in the area, especially as it pertains to outboard motors. I would estimate that 90% of the boats I saw were powered by Yamaha outboards and the Yamaha scooters were everywhere. Indonesia is quite literally powered by Yamaha!
“I laid the groundwork for the project, found an amazing group to funnel the donations to, and paid out of pocket to produce the shirts.”
If you’d like to help Garret in his efforts to help raise funds for the people of Indonesia, please take a peek at the GoFundMe and the Facebook pages to get a feel for what he’s doing and how you can help!
It’s a common joke around The Watercraft Journal office that we’ve donated more pairs of sunglasses to ol’ King Neptune than anyone else. Our local test lake here in Middle Tennessee has swallowed no less than five pairs in recent years. In our misfortune, we’ve also come to find certain design aesthetics that make for good glasses for personal watercraft riding and what makes for better glasses. And no, it’s not so much about how cool they look (which of course, is always a plus), but how well they adhere to your face while at speed – and more importantly, while moving your head side-to-side – in addition to blocking glare, fit your noggin, or in many cases, float.
Beginning with the latter attribute, we at The Watercraft Journal have found that most (not all) floating sunglasses are bulky, foam-padded affairs that are typically uncomfortable if not completely cumbersome. For this cause, we’ve had such bad luck losing sunglasses to the drink. Erring on the side of comfort has been costly. And when sunglasses claiming to float yet are made from bamboo or other materials arrive, we’ve found that they either float below the surface of the water, making them difficult to spot, or break apart easily (we literally shattered a pair of bamboo glasses earlier this year).
Lastly, is shape. Too often we’ve ventured out with more traditional, flat-framed glasses with unfortunate-yet-predictable results. Even at general cruising speeds, a gust of air at the right angle can quickly whip in between your face and the glasses and send them sailing into the water. Conversely, thicker-framed, “wrap around” glasses shield from this airfoil effect, and stay on as if they were glued down. It was this factor alone that drew us to WindRider’s newest venture into polarized floating sunglasses. A lot of forethought went into these – particularly in regard to this issue – as WindRider incorporated a breathable vent at the outermost edge of the lens. While operable to stave fogging, these slits also serve as a diffuser, letting fast-moving wind equalize as it passes over and under the frame.
Made with a lightweight, flexible rubber-infused plastic frame and composite polarized lenses, the floating WindRider sunglasses are molded into a good-looking, angular design that hugs your eye line naturally and rest high lightly on the bridge of your nose. Lens polarization too, dramatically improves the riding experience as underwater obstacles like grass, branches, or other debris can be easily spotted and avoided. We also want to add that previously, even with more expensive glasses, reading LCD digital dashboards could prove difficult at the wrong angle – not so with these. The polarized lenses work masterfully, and are treated with a hydrophobic coating to repel salt water residue, oil and other contaminants.
Of course, the big question was seeing how well the WindRider glasses would actually float. Unwilling to purposefully fling a pair of sunglasses that we liked off while riding at speed, we started small by dropping them in a 5-gallon bucket. True to their word, the WindRiders bobbed up, their lighter-than-water frames poking up above the surface. Of course, being matte black and smoked-out lenses looks cool, but does make spotting them out on the river a tad more difficult. Nevertheless, we were satisfied that these did in fact float. Add to it, a pair of small eyelits molded into the ends of the arms for a pair of straps was yet another thoughtful feature. Most impressive though was the price.
Retailing for $44.95, the WindRider Polarized Floating Sunglasses are priced just above a pair of cheapo gas station shades, but out perform some glasses we’ve tested that fetch literally three times the cost. Listed on WindRider’s website, but you can also find them on eBay and Amazon within 30 seconds of searching. That being said, make sure to stop in to WindRider’s home page, as they offer a massive array of other outdoor and marine living accessories, equipment and other choice items (we particularly liked all of the foul weather and waterproof clothing offerings).
It’s no mystery that internal combustion engines are big air pumps; air (mixed with fuel) goes in and air (mixed with spent gases) goes out. The byproduct is the energy we use to spin our prop shafts, but the engine doesn’t care what you do with it just as long as you keep feeding it a healthy supply of fresh, cool air.
From the factory, OE’s develop complicated air boxes to ward off any unwanted moisture getting into the intake charge, but many understand that these are heavily baffled and restrict flow – that’s why RIVA Racing’s Power Filter kits are the way to go. Not only do they feed your engine a diet of cool, dense air (resulting in greatly improved acceleration and rpm), they also save weight.
How? Each Power Filter kit replaces the cumbersome stock air box with a “high-volume, precision-formed” intake duct that mounts directly to your engine’s air inlet. According to RIVA, “Cool air enters the system via an over-sized K&N filter element,” ensuring clean, fresh air (free of debris or contaminants) will be delivered to your engine.
Obviously, many applications vary in the complexity and installation of the Power Filter kit, but that’s why RIVA Racing has poured so much into populating its online store with all of the information you’ll need to make an informed decision. So again, don’t take our word for it, but check ’em out HERE.
Dang! This makes like, perfect sense. In fact, it makes so much sense that it kinda makes us hate our own PWC trailer. All Aboard Trimming, an automotive, aircraft and boat furniture repair and upholstery service center out of Melbourne, Australia, developed this custom-made set of stone guard covers for a customer’s 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300.
The heavy-duty vinyl is lined with brass eye-lits wherein thick black zip-ties hold fast to a stainless steel frame, a arching slit in the material permitting air to pass through at high-speed (so as not to catch like a sail). The stainless frame was contoured and welded to fit the perimeter of the Sea-Doo’s nose so no, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all application.
Smartly TIG welded to an aluminum PWC trailer with roller-style bunks, the additions made by All Aboard Trimming are deceptively simple-looking but brilliantly executed. (We’re certain to see a bunch of cheap knock-offs made from PVC tubing soon.)
Nevertheless, the design provides great protection for your ski from road debris, graves, mud, dirt, oil, or other damaging contaminants. We love seeing simple ingenuity solving real world problems and have got to hand it to All Aboard Trimming for this smart solution. Now if only we can get a universal kit for a two-place PWC trailer, we’d be in good shape…
There’s no shortage of aftermarket personal watercraft storage covers out there. Some are even made directly from the factory patterns, while others are stitched together from backpack material and duffle bag canvas (not recommended!).
That’s right, the world leader in outdoor pavilions, sunshades, covers, protectors and umbrellas is the very same performance fabric that Blacktip Jetsports uses for it sprecision-cut PWC covers.
According to BlackTip Jetsports’ own website: “We made many prototype covers and tested them in a laboratory environment as well as outside in the harsh Florida sun. What we found was Sunbrella, a fabric known around the globe for being the best outdoor fabric money can buy, held up better than any other product.
“Sunbrella has been used for high end boat covers, patio furniture and awnings for years. Until now the only way to get a Sunbrella cover for you PWC was to go to a local upholstery shop, bring them your watercraft and wait for them to custom sew one. This was a very expensive and time consuming process.”
Admittedly, I have a favorite personal flotation device (ie. life vest) that is my go-to for a fun day on the water, a Slippery Switch Molded vest. In fact, my current one is the third Switch Molded vest I’ve owned, and as long as Slippery Wetsuits keeps making them (they do), I’ll likely always have one. There’s a few major comfort features that makes the Switch my personal favorite, but if I was to be perfectly honest, it’s because it looks cool. When you zip up the Switch with its molded chest and back panels, blacked-out body, it looks like, well, I mean I feel like…well, Batman. And that brings me to Slippery Wetsuits’ Surge Neo Vest.
Never before has a life vest actually made me feel better about the way I look, and that’s exactly what the Switch Molded vest does – and precisely what the Slippery Surge Neo vestdoesn’t. Now, that is not to say that the Surge Neo isn’t a super-quality life vest, it truly is – as well as uniquely comfortable. In fact, its one-of-a-kind segmented foam design makes it incredibly flexible, as it features an array of hinge points for the vest to give and fold – a particularly welcomed feature while sitting or moving about the PWC. Paired with a soft, stretch knit fabric interior, and again, it’s one of the most comfortable vests we’ve tried.
The Surge Neo vest is a conventional front-entry US Coast Guard-approved Type 3 PFD featuring a heavy-duty front zipper and two 1.5-inch adjustable belts, which thread through the back panel, hiding the belts from sight. The range of motion both at the waist, neck and at the shoulders is significant, with wide openings that won’t chafe or rub the skin either. Slippery also includes a “D” ring for clip-style lanyards, which our Sea-Doo uses. The silk-screened fade pattern and Slippery “S” logo is smartly placed over the vest too.
But dang, there’s something amiss with the unique molded patterns that frankly, makes me feel self-conscious whenever I wear it. The PVC foam bunches heavily below the chest and under the arms, as well as high around the waist, giving the sensation of being in a “Meet The Klumps” fat suit. Moreover, the tighter you cinch the belts, the more the vest flares at the top and bottom, producing an artificial “fat roll” look. I wouldn’t harp on this aesthetic issue were it not for people commenting on the unusual look of the vest so many times while wearing it.
Again, it’s immensely comfortable and performs flawlessly as far as life vests go, but this has got to be the first time I’ve given less than a glowing review of anything from Slippery Wetsuits. Priced at $74.95, the Surge Neo vest is also available in Black/Teal, Blue/Lime, Red/Silver and Steel/Black, as well as our Black/Charcoal color pairing. So yeah, it’s USCG-approved, super comfortable both standing and sitting, and not-whatsoever cumbersome, but I just can’t get over how it looks while I wear it. That might be a reflection of my own self-esteem, but hey, you wanted an real review, right?
There are few powersport dealerships in this country with a more pristine reputation than Clearwater, Florida’s Cycle Springs Powersports. The world’s largest Yamaha jet boat and Wave Runner dealer, Cycle Springs are also an authorized dealer for all Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, and Sea-Doo. So, in addition to jet boats and personal watercraft, Cycle Springs is rife with a vast selection of motorcycles, ATV’s, SxS’s, and Slingshots. Add to that the guaranteed “extra mile” services that Cycle Springs tacks on to every vehicle sale – namely the nation’s only Lifetime Engine Warranty and Money Guarantee on extended warranties – and you’ve got the makings of a national leader.
The family owned and operated powersport dealer recently attended the annual BRP Dealers Meeting held this year in Boulder, Colorado, where they got to place their hands on the latest bumper crop of 2019 Sea-Doos, Can-Ams and more from BRP. Of course, the big interest was focused on the latest watercraft. In addition to the new LCD dashboards, the big news was the 2019 Fish Pro 155, which Cycle Springs is already gearing up for. Already prepared with their patented External and Internal Engine Protection systems.
Cycle Springs writes, “Protect the outside of your watercraft engine with our industry exclusive engine protection system! Mid-pressure rail system with customized spray heads is used to coat, rinse lubricate and protect all engine bay components from condensation, humidity and saltwater exposure,” and for the Internal Engine Protection kit, “Professionally installed fogging port for protection of the engine’s cylinder wall, valves, and pistons against internal corrosion. Fogging for storage and saltwater usage is recommended by all manufacturer bulletins. The installed port provides easy access to ensure continued warranty engine coverage.”
You can get these two systems only at Cycle Springs Powersports, as well as other key features. Check ’em all out HERE.
One of the best parts of The Watercraft Journal is the chance to hang on to a handful of the latest machines from the industry’s leading manufacturers for some year-round, long term testing. Not only does this provide the manufacturers a bunch of feature length articles starring their latest watercraft, but it also permits The Watercraft Journal with a great new vehicle to explore many of the gorgeous waterways, lakes and shoreline across the country.
Earlier this year, we had to give back the 230-horsepower 2017 GTR-X loaned to us by Sea-Doo. Although sad to see it go, we greedily exchanged it for Sea-Doo’s newest performance flagship, the all-new 2018 RXT-X 300. Equipped with the industry-leading BRP Premium Sound package, we not only had Sea-Doo’s mightiest entry, but also one with the ability to blast our favorite music from our personal smart phone.
Earlier this spring, we met up with Sea-Doo at the annual In-Water Boat Show hosted by Russell Marine at The Ridge Marina on Lake Martin, Alabama. The event is the Southeast’s largest boat show held on the water, and welcomes thousands of would-be buyers and tire-kickers, all coming to see the newest offerings. Although we happily toured the hundreds of pontoons, ski boats and even looked over a few fishing craft, it was the supercharged Sea-Doo we came for.
Once fully fueled and outside of the no wake zone, we raced south, towards the Martin Dam and hydroelectric powerhouse on the Tallapoosa River. Lake Martin is a man-made reservoir after all, powering neighboring Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties. Turning back from the dam we were surprised to spot a small herd of wild goats grazing nearby on – appropriately enough – Billy Goat Island. Although not easily spooked by our presence, they did prefer to keep their distance.
From Martin Dam, we headed back north, passing between local landmarks Chimney and Alcapulco Islands, the first of which marked by its sheer cliff walls and iconic rock formation – a massive stone protruding from the top of the island that resembles a old timey chimney.
Lake Martin is dotted with many small islands – each with its own name and compelling backstory. One such is Graveyard Island, earned its name thanks to a small county graveyard that dates back from before the construction of Martin Dam. Prior to the flooding of the valley it was just a graveyard located on top of a hill – now a tiny island in the middle of the lake. While we didn’t venture that far northeast on the water this day, we did explore the seemingly endless miles of shoreline – with the lake almost entirely deserted. We were riding on a Monday after all, and most folks are just beginning their workweek.
The night before, we stayed at the waterfront villas at the Willow Point Golf & Country Club. This allowed us to launch our new Sea-Doo freely that morning as the resort features its own launch ramp and even a beach made from imported white sand. Even at the end of our day, the beach and resort were still almost completely deserted, making it in our mind, an ideal location for future trips. We simply pulled up on the sugary shore like we were in Southern Florida. Admittedly, it was a little surreal.
“I recently took a trip to Indonesia and prior to my departure the area I stayed in was hit hard by a huge earthquake. In an effort to help out with relief efforts I designed a t-shirt that is being sold through various PADI dive shops through the region. I started a 
