Collection Gift Guide: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!
December 2, 2003
Sea-Doo Speedster 200
Over the last few decades, personal watercraft have
become an increasingly important element of vacation time spent at the ocean,
the lake, or the river. During summer holidays, for example, the roads around
Lake Tahoe and Lake Havasu become clogged with family-laden SUVs towing Jet
Skis. And if you have never experienced the sensation of flying across the top
of the water at high speed, you might not appreciate why these families seem to
go to all this trouble. But take just one ride on a high-performance Jet Ski,
and you will understand exactly why.
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A 310 hp motor powers the Sea-Doo Speedster 200, giving it a higher horsepower
rating than the Mercedes-Benz SL500. (Click image to enlarge)In their original form, Jet Skis were
somewhat unwieldy and not user-friendly unless you knew what you were doing. As
with windsurfing, balance was key, and most new learners spent more time falling
over than slicing through the surf. Intervening decades brought vast
improvements, and Jet Skis became larger, more powerful, and easier to handle.
Most now feature a seated riding position with room for two or
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Manufacturers like Bombardier (the maker of Sea-Doo) have for the last
decade featured watercraft called sport-boats that can be seen either as the
ultimate development of the Jet Ski or as a small, hot-rodding version of a
speedboat. They provide the agile, responsive performance of a Jet Ski with
dimensions that allow for the seating of four or more. (Click image to enlarge)
One of the newest
Sea-Doo offerings in this category is the Speedster 200, which features a twin
Rotax 4-TEC, four-stroke engine producing 310 hp. (For comparison’s sake, this
is a higher horsepower rating than the Mercedes-Benz SL500.) It is the most
powerful engine on the market and gives the Speedster 200 the best acceleration
in its class.
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