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Sea-Doo Invites You To Watch The 2018 Product Reveal Live

By
Kevin Shaw
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We teased you last week with the video, we spoiled you a few months ago with our predictions, and now Sea-Doo itself is inviting you to help celebrate its 50th anniversary as it reveals the 2018 Sea-Doo models live on Facebook. When? According to the countdown clock, the video will go live at 7:30pm CST (Central Standard Time) from Dallas, Texas where BRP is holding its annual dealer meeting.

The video will likely not provide you all of the many details going into the new lineup, many of which are completely redesigned from the ground-up, while others are existing models employing new technologies, so if the video just isn’t enough, make sure to keep a window open in your browser and bounce between Sea-Doo’s Facebook page and The Watercraft Journal.

So until this Thursday, make sure to check out the direct link to the video HERE and we’ll see what Sea-Doo is bringing to the table for 2018 together!

Case of The Mondays: Sea-Doo Mounted Piper Serenades Onlookers

By
Kevin Shaw
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Wait, what? You’ve never heard of Skerryvore before? Why, they’re the most popular Scottish folk music bands around! Heck, even Mick MacNeil of Simple Minds (the guys who sang “Don’t You Forget About Me” on The Breakfast Club) said, “Skerryvore are the most promising young band in Scotland today!” And that’s pretty dang cool.

Hailing from the remote Scottish island of Tiree, a trad quartet formed Skerryvore and since that day in 2005, have become a multi-award winning act performing in over 25 countries worldwide. Heck, they’re official ambassadors for the nation’s international advertising campaign for “Visit Scotland.”

Now if a unique fusion of traditional Scottish songs with rock, pop and funk isn’t really your thing we don’t blame you. It’s an acquired taste, but that hasn’t stopped them from garnering a respectable audience for their distinctive, high energy sound across the globe – nor has it stopped them from having quite a bit of fun. In a brief teaser, Skerryvore’s piper rides shotgun on a Sea-Doo as they idel around the marine baring his bagpipes. It’s all in good fun so don’t come down on his lack of safety vest.

Gallery: Installing Vinyl Graphics on Your PWC

By
Ashley Haude
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Your ski is looking tired from many fun days in the sun or you need new sponsor graphics for the season, but don’t know how to install them. Check out this quick guide to get you back on the water looking fresh!

There are two types of graphics available for personal watercraft – die cut and printed. Die cut is usually less expensive, but can be a little bit more difficult to install because each color is a separate piece cut out from a large sheet of vinyl material.

Above: This is a sheet of our digitally-printed graphics from IPD Graphics.

Printed graphics use ink from a printer that is then laminated; multiple colors, fades, and wraps are done with this process. These graphics are usually easier to install with less pieces and no application tape to remove.

All you will need is some liquid soap and water mixture of Rapid Tac, adhesive remover, microfiber cloths, spray bottle, squeegee, razor or pin. A heat gun/hair dryer also helps, but is not mandatory. OK, got it? Here we go:

Above: Wash your ski in soap and water and wipe down with a microfiber to remove any surface contaminants that might scratch the paint/gel coat. Remove the old graphics. Some types of vinyl adhesive will leave a nasty residue and will need more than just elbow grease to remove.

Above: Automotive adhesive removers such as the citrus-based Goo Gone and bug and tar remover are generally paint safe. Once the old graphics and adhesive are removed, wipe the ski in soap and water or alcohol to remove any remaining adhesive remover, oil or other contaminants that will harm your new graphics.

Above: The key to a bubble free install is a spraying a mixture of soap and water (three drops of soap per one pint of water) or premixed Rapid Tac onto the surface of the ski and the adhesive back of the graphics before placing them on the ski. Thoroughly spray application fluid on the area you want to apply the graphic, then remove the backing paper from the vinyl decal and spray the adhesive side.

Above: Place graphic on the ski. The application fluid allows you to move the graphic where you need it for a short amount of time.

Above: Once the graphic is where you want, take your squeegee and press from the center of the graphic outwards to remove the liquid between the adhesive and the surface of your ski. Make sure to thoroughly press out any bubbles and application fluid for the best adhesion.

Above: Wrap the squeegee in a microfiber towel to ensure the plastic does not scratch anything. You can use gentle fingertip and palm pressure to help conform to curved areas.

Above: If you end up with bubbles you can take a pin or tip of a razor and poke a very small relief hole to push out trapped air and fluid.

Above: Wipe down the excess fluid with a microfiber once you squeegee on your graphic. This allows you to freely see if there are any lingering bubbles or areas that are peeling up.

Helpful Tips

  • It is best to apply graphics in shade and above 70 degrees for the best working time and adhesion.
  • If you have trouble with getting the graphics to conform to curved areas you can use a heat gun/hair dryer to warm the vinyl to make it more flexible. Be careful not to stretch or melt the graphics as you work them onto the curves.
  • Sometimes a large portion of the graphic has to go over a few difficult areas on the ski – curves, corners, hull fittings, etc. If you need more time, gently pick up and spray application fluid behind any non-adhered part of the graphic to ensure it does not stick down before you are ready. The fluid will evaporate faster in warmer, dryer conditions.
  • Speaking of hull fittings – in most cases, if you are not removing water outlets, rivets, screws, etc…it is best to conform the graphic over these and gently cut them out using a fresh razor afterwards. This allows you more control over the cuts without stretching and warping.

Above: Once you are finished you’ll have with a sweet looking ski and a new skill in your repertoire!

Yamaha Makes New Underwater Sea Scooter

By
Brice Leckrone
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This season is turning out to be a pretty exciting one for Yamaha in terms of announcements and product releases. We just got wind that Yamaha Motor Corporation is scheduled to release an underwater Sea Scooter line called Dive Propulsion Vehicles (DPV). This line of products will consist of a professional series as well as a recreational series of DPV’s.

Yamaha Parts and Accessories collaborated with Sport Dimension Inc, a leading consumer products manufacturer and distributor to bring these new fun Sea Scooters to life. The new dive vehicles are incredibly fun recreational water products used by families, resort guests, and professional divers alike.

The Yamaha Sea Scooter is a high performance, portable, and easy-handling dive propulsion vehicle. It features proprietary battery technology for prolonged use, is lightweight, easy to carry, and is able to be used in fresh or salt water.

We imagine that some readers will even stow one of these cool little gadgets in their watercraft storage compartment which would allow them to explore some remote dive locations. Interestingly, these Sea Scooters are color matched to Yamaha’s industry leading Waverunners.

The professional dive series consists of four separate models, each with different depth, speed, run time, and other capabilities. The recreational dive series lets you choose from three different models. In addition, there is a recreational explorer series starting at $249.99. All models come with mounts to attach your GoPro or other action camera with similar mounting systems.

All models will become available for purchase September 20, 2017. You can check out these Sea Scooters here to get more information on each product or to make your order.

Gallery: Sea-Doo Teases “Another Revolution” With Upcoming 2018 Lineup

By
Kevin Shaw
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In one week the world will be introduced to the 2018 Sea-Doo lineup. That might not sound like much to some, but note that 2018 will mark an incredible 50 years of Sea-Doo personal watercraft (with, y’know, a quarter century missing from the middle of that – Sea-Doo returned to PWC in 1988 – but who’s counting?). And 50 years of building some of the world’s most popular PWC is no small feat. The video doesn’t give away much of anything at all, but that’s OK because we already did.

Oh wait. You didn’t know? Yeah well, we did. First, we revealed that Sea-Doo’s ACE 900-powered 2017 GTS/GTI/GTI SE – y’know, the ones with the Polytec hulls – were the best beds for future Recreational segment runabouts, meaning the whole segment is ditching fiberglass for Polytec. The decks will be different too; borrowing the unique CM-Tech deck from the new GTR-X 230, all future GTIs will be a pairing of CM-Tech on top and Polytec on the bottom. Again, read here for the full details.

The other big news that we’re hanging our hat on is the complete retirement of the current RXT/GTX hull, known officially as “S3”. Informed insiders have noted that although the S3-based units (RXT 230, RXT-X 300, GTX S 155, GTX 230, GTX Limited 300) are strong sellers, the hull’s design isn’t as successful in choppier, offshore conditions as say, Kawasaki’s Ultra or Yamaha’s FX platforms. The replacement is expected to lose the strong keel and adopt a deeper-V design all in hopes to make the larger Sea-Doo more rough water-friendly.

There’s one more prediction we have in regards to a new model, but we will make you click here to read about it. But then again, we just might be filling you with false hopes. Who knows? So until September 20th, at 9pm CST (Central Standard Time), we’ll just have to sit and wait.

Gallery: P1 AquaX Round 6; Chicago, Illinois

By
Kevin Shaw
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Lake Michigan was not going to let anybody off easy at the sixth round of the P1 AquaX National Series in Chicago, Illinois, and many came home with the scars to prove it. Timing of the event couldn’t have been more ill-timed as so many participants hailing from Florida had left home as Hurricane Irma pounded on their doorsteps. While the skies remained clear, the charging surf often crested at 5-to-6 foot heights, causing some riders to disappear from view, only to immediately reappear spectacularly airborne, high above the chop.

Contention for the leader position in the National Series came to a head this past weekend as Eric Francis pushed to shrink the gap between he and leader Chris MacClugage. The two traded places all weekend long, and had many on their feet as the two neared Sunday’s conclusion. Beginning with Saturday’s two heats, Francis snagged the holeshot both times, giving the RIVA Racing Team rider a much needed edge. Francis, normally aboard a Yamaha GP1800, traded for his wife Sophie’s FX SVHO, only moments before practice.

The move to the larger runabout fared Francis well, as he fended off MacClugage in the first heat. The reigning champ fatefully pulled his lanyard, stalling his engine, and allowing Francis to pull ahead. Undaunted, MacClugage gave chase, but his continued to sour, breaking down on the final lap of the first race. As he and Francis had already lapped most of the field, the breakdown cost MacClugage only four spots. Erminio Iantosca heard opportunity knock, and charged forward to take second place.

The second heat again had Francis in the lead and MacClugage close behind, until a second engine failure abruptly halted his ski, sending MacClugage into the handlebars, dramatically slicing open his chin. The injury put MacClugage out of the race, putting Brian Baldwin into second and Mike Klippenstein into third. Yet, while Francis passed the checkered flag, Tommy Olswang swooped past Klippenstein, grabbing third (and third overall at the halfway stage) from under Klipper.

Saturday concluded with Klippenstein taking second place (behind Francis) and Baldwin just two points behind earning him fourth, as Chris Saxon and Antony Radetic were tied for fifth. As noted by AquaX, Jay Edworthy, Iantosca, Victor Nolan and Eric Lagopolous concluded the Top Ten. As part of the shared venue with the North East Series, Edworthy continued his unbroken winning streak in the Pro Am 300 class. His win was no cake walk, as Christian Daly nearly took the lead from him, until needing to back off, giving Jason Lester second place.

Looking to reverse his course from the day before, MacClugage, who’s 4th place and DNF during the last two races, came back swinging on Sunday. The champ grabbed back-to-back wins, pushing back Francis’ assault on the his championship lead. Nevertheless, Francis didn’t waiver, putting in two solid second place finishes, despite unable to parallel Macc’s blistering speeds (who proceeded to lap the field yet again).

Baldwin wisely raced his own race, and put in a super-consistent pair of third place finishes, although as noted by AquaX, puts him out of contention for the championship. Klippenstein was bested twice more by Olswang in the final moments of both of Sunday’s races, clinching 4th place overall. Concluding the rest of the field was a showdown between Chris Saxon, Erminio Iantosca and Antony Radetic, resulting in Saxon besting the two Sea-Doo riders for 5th overall.

Mother Nature was going to let Jay Edworthy off so easily, who beat the Pro Series and the North East Pro/AM series champ to a pulp, resulting in a 9th place overall finish. The final spots went to Victor Nolan, who capitalized on Eric Lagopolous’ absence in the final heat. As many journeyed home – some to find that Irma had spared much of their property – others look to lick their wounds, repair their craft and prepare for the final round of the championship in Ft. Lauderdale in November, concluding the series and crowning 2017 Pro Series champion.

You Can Own Craig Warner’s Modified National Tour Kawasaki SX-R 1500

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

In the last decade, there as been few names more synonymous with Kawasaki JetSkis than Craig Warner. The lone wolf has loyally represented Team Green in nearly every facet of racing; be it multiple offshore National championships at the Long Beach-to-Catalina Enduro, closed course prowess in regional, AquaX and Pro Watercross racing, or at the starting band of the IJSBA World Finals. Warner has done Kawasaki proud.

For 2017, Warner’s racing efforts were primarily his own, even down to mastering his ski’s performance. Left to his own devices, the veteran champion honed, tuned and massaged his ’17 Kawasaki SX-R 1500 JetSki into a truly competitive boat, rivaling the likes of Jimmy Wilson’s wickedly fast triple-powered Pro class ski. Warner challenged Wilson holeshot for holeshot towards the end of the season, as Warner’s ski was truly something to be feared.

Now with the IJSBA World Finals nearing, Warner is looking to offload his race-ready SX-R to a willing volunteer, that is if they’re man enough to handle it. With a total of six rounds of racing under its belt, it’s dialed in and ready to rock. He writes, “[I] won many Motos on this ski this year. [It’s the ] best ski I have ever owned. [I] never had one single problem. Runs strong and reliable.” The list of aftermarket mods and parts is a virtual who’s who of performance as well:

A ProWatercraft Racing handle pole, steering system and chin pad, and a ProWatercraft Racing ride plate; a modded Skat-Trak intake grate and Skat-Trak impeller; R&D sponsons and a trued hull all equates for superior handling. Under the hood, Warner installed high compression pistons, a ECU reflash from Dyno Spec and even gutted the waterbox. Lastly, the ski was treated to some new Hydro-Turf mats. In all, Warner is looking to fetch $16,000 for the machine. If interested, send Warner a private message HERE, as the SX-R is ready to ship.

Watercraft Superstore & SBT, Inc. Survive Irma, Closed Until Power Returns

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

The good news is that things could’ve gone a lot worse. Hurricane Irma tore through the Caribbean with a power never seen (or recorded before). The Category 5 hurricane (the first major hurricane in 12 years) bulldozed much of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Florida Keys, but its constant redirection and course changes helped scrub a lot of its ferocity. As it journey north along the western coast of Florida, many feared the worst for Naples, St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay. Amazingly, the storm lost steam and turned northwest, almost journeying along Interstate 4 before turning direction again and heading north into Georgia and Alabama – this time as a “tropical depression.”

That is to say that there wasn’t any substantial damage. The toll is still being tallied, and many are without power, water and other municipal services. Of those affected was The Watercraft Superstore and SBT, Inc. who both sent out alerts updating customers and friends:

“Good morning fans. We are currently closed due to a power outage at our location. Please know we are working hard to reopen. While our buildings remained safe during the storm, many employees are without power and have damage to their homes. We will update everyone as soon as we return. Should you have any issues or questions, please feel free to contact us via Facebook messenger or leave a comment here. Thanks for your understanding. We hope everyone made it out safe from the storm.”

For those of you affected by Irma and were caught in the torrent, all of us at The Watercraft Journal express our prayers and support for the safety and security of you, your families and livelihood. Humans are a resilient bunch, and have fared far worse. May Irma (and Harvey) be merely “remember when” stories told among friends. God bless!

Yamaha Introduces New Mobile Apps and Technology For 2018

By
Brice Leckrone
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Late last month, Yamaha Watercraft had introduced their 2018 Waverunner lineup. More exciting news is still arriving from Yamaha as they have recently announced new mobile apps available for IOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The apps are free and can be found in each of the app stores by searching for “Yamaha Waverunners” or “Yamaha Boats”.

The new apps allow you to view images, specs, and features of all the new 2018 WaveRunners and Boats. In addition, you will be able to easily compare models side by side. A new “Feed” section provides the latest news, events, and promos while a new “Lifestyle” section provides social integrations and new content shared via the hashtag #YamahaMoments.

The app will also give access to the dealer locator which operates from the user’s GPS, notifying you of your nearest Yamaha dealer. A new “Design” section highlights the features, innovation, and technology that set Yamaha apart from the competition. Additionally, each app includes a link to the corresponding product page on ShopYamaha.com, further tying together the discovery and ownership experiences.

These Yamaha Watercraft mobile apps are further additions to the apps that have been twice named the “Best Mobile Apps In the Marine Industry” by the Marine Marketers Association. For more information on Yamaha Watercraft or the new Mobile Apps, head over to yamahawaverunners.com.

Video: Righting a Capsized PWC Runabout in Seconds

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

With the new Rec Lite segment of personal watercraft increasingly building popularity among enthusiasts of every stripe and degree of riding experience, some of the basics regarding PWC safety may require a bit of a refresher. Of those tips is how to right a runabout in the case of a rollover.

Now, rollovers are not common, especially with today’s larger and more buoyant machines. In fact, it takes quite a bit of effort to put one on its lid. Yet, as we mentioned, the smaller Rec Lite machines (ie. Sea-Doo Spark and Yamaha EX Series) grow in number, their lighter, more nimble platforms are more susceptible to such body roll thereby requiring a quick tutorial.

As demonstrated by the guys at JetRide.com, rolling a Yamaha EX Deluxe can happen with some accidental (or in this case, intentional) provocation; but righting the machine can be just as easy. Using the bond rail, sponson and intake grate as steps and handles, your own body weight can quickly flip a runabout right-side-up in a matter of seconds. Check it out:

 

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