2019 Sea-Doo RXT-X300 review

Key changes to the 2019 Sea-Doo RXT-X300 include a new colour and trim combination, and the addition of a digital widescreen dash display.

Buyers have the choice of two colours: a red and black combination (as tested, which replaces silver and red from last year), while the bright yellow deck and hull carries over.

There’s no more power from the 300 horsepower 1630cc supercharged and intercooled Rotax engine, and for now the RXT-X300 retains a 60-litre fuel tank even though the Fish Pro with the same hull comes with a 70-litre tank.

Prices are up slightly from last year’s model – the yellow one is priced from $24,099 plus trailer and rego, which typically adds between $1500 and $2000 depending on the type of trailer and state rego fees. The RXT-X300 with the red and black “premium” paint costs from $24,399.

As with last year’s model, a range of optional Sea-Doo accessories that attach securely to the rear of the deck are available, including a 15-litre fuel can, a 16-litre or 51-litre cooler box, a tackle box and more.

Warranty coverage for the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 is currently two years (versus three years for Yamaha and Kawasaki, and certain other Sea-Doo models during promotional periods). Service intervals are 12 months or 50 hours, whichever comes first, the same as its rivals.

Sea-Doo revolutionised the design of the front hood opening when it released this generation ST3 platform in late 2017, but it’s so clever it’s worth revisiting for those who aren’t familiar with it.

Before the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 and its new-generation ST3 siblings arrived, riders had to balance precariously over the handlebars to access the front storage area under the nose.

Sea-Doo flipped the idea on its head by redesigning the front of the craft so that when you want to access the 100-litre storage area under the nose (by releasing two tabs) the handlebars, dashboard and glovebox lift up as one unit – watch the video for a demonstration of how well it works.

This means you can easily access the front storage area while sitting or standing on the craft without the risk of losing your balance.

The other point worth noting is that the fuel filler cap is mounted near the front of the seat, which means it’s protected when the hood is closed. However, be careful with the fuel nozzle otherwise you’ll end up with a storage area full of fuel.

This location makes it easy to access if you need to refuel when on the water. By comparison, the new-generation 2019 Yamaha WaveRunner FX has relocated the fuel filler cap to the outside of the craft on the nose, making it next to impossible to refuel on the water.

The seats are sculptured to help you hang on when on full throttle. You can fit three people but, as with all three-seat PWCs, you’d be more comfortable with two people as a maximum.

You can also remove the rear seat to transform the rear deck into a swimming platform.

Even with all seats in place, the large flat rear deck has been designed to accommodate Sea-Doo’s vast range of optional accessories.

The rear step bar is wider and thicker so you don’t bruise a kneecap or shin on the way back up.

There’s no more grunt from the 300 horsepower 1630cc supercharged and intercooled Rotax engine but it doesn’t exactly need it.

It’s already the fastest accelerating personal watercraft, especially when you use launch control.

Independent testing in the US by respected experts at Watercraft Journal found the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 and the 2019 Yamaha WaveRunner FX SVHO are about half a second apart in a 5mph to 60mph run (8km/h to 96.6km/h), with the advantage going to the Sea-Doo.

The time starts from 5mph or 8km/h because GPS timing equipment is triggered by movement. While you can launch a car from rest for a 0-100km/h time it’s next to impossible to not prematurely trigger the timer on a jet ski due to even the slightest movement of the craft when trying to hold steady.

The Yamaha hit 96km/h in 4.73 seconds and the Sea-Doo did it in 4.36 seconds. But with launch control on, the Sea-Doo was almost a full second quicker, stopping the clock in 3.78 seconds.

Top speed recorded by GPS for each craft was 70mph or 112km/h for the Yamaha and 71.3mph or 114.7 km/h for the Sea-Doo RXT-X300. Australian Sea-Doo RXT-X300 models come with an ‘RS’ designation and can hit more than 120km/h because they are not speed-restricted as they are in the US.

As we noted with the Sea-Doo Fish Pro that shares the ST3 hull, the RXT-X300 tends to carry its weight in the rear.

Even with the trim in neutral or the nose pointed down, it really wants to launch the nose in the air. No wonder there are so many videos of Sea-Doos going vertical on Facebook.

While it’s great for wave jumping it means the hull can feel slippery when riding across waves and in heavy chop.

As with the Sea-Doo Fish Pro, we found the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 tends to list (lean to one side) in certain conditions. You learn to adjust your riding style.

Because the engine is mounted low and towards the rear (versus Yamaha and Kawasaki) the rear of the hull and the sponsons have a lot of grip at low to medium speeds – but it can feel a little less precise and more nose happy at higher speeds in rough water.

The other advantage of Sea-Doo’s design is that the pump grips really well. Based on my five years’ experience of riding supercharged Yamaha WaveRunner FX models, the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 launches harder than the Yamaha from rest and also has better contact with the water in chop, so the acceleration is less interrupted.

The riding modes are easy to operate via buttons on the handlebars matched with messages appearing on the widescreen digital display -- one of which warns the rider to tell passengers to hang on.

I also prefer the narrower seat on the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 and wider footwells that make it less likely to catch your foot or snap an ankle. The Yamaha seats are so wide they tend to rub the inside of your legs after a long day of riding.

One minor downside about the wide footwells is that if they fill up with water the craft can become unstable and potentially tip over when idle if you lean too far either side. The easy fix: hit the throttle and eject the water.

I also love the sound of the Rotax engine; while it’s slightly quieter and more refined than its rivals and be small in capacity, it sounds gutsy.

As the quickest PWC on the water, the Sea-Doo RXT-X300 will be a favourite among performance fiends who don’t want to venture too far into the ocean or heavy chop.

Specifications
Model: 2019 Sea-Doo RXT-X300
Length: 3.451m
Width: 1.25m
Weight: 376kg (dry, est)
Power: 300hp 1630cc 3-cyl Rotax, supercharged
Top speed: 120km/h (est)
Fuel tank: 60L
Seating capacity: 3

Priced from: $24,099 (not including trailer and rego) with 7.6-inch wide digital display, launch control, 100-litre storage area, waterproof compartment for mobile phone.

Price as tested: $25,398 (not including trailer and rego). Options fitted: BRP Audio Bluetooth audio speakers ($800), 15-litre fuel can ($199).

Warranty: Two years
Service intervals: 12 months or 50 hours, whichever comes first

Supplied by: Beaches Sea-Doo and CanAm, Sydney