Sea-Doo GTI 4-TEC PWC

When your backside's skipping across the top of the water on a buckin' jetski at 90km/h it is very difficult not to scream into the howling wind smothering your face. Man it's fun!

When you're doing the same thing at 113km/h, it's a very different story. You wouldn't think a mere 23km/h would make much difference but believe me, it does. You don't shout anything, in fact you daren't even open your mouth... just hang on and hope.

Of course, there is the option of backing off on the throttle, but c'mon, get real! And then a few moments later, as you're flying through the air, having parted company with your buckin' bronco, you wish like hell that you had. Water's rather solid when you try to crash through the top skin at about 80km/h.

Right. Now that I've got the adrenaline rush out of the way, I'll tell you just what I'm on about. I recently ventured to the Gold Coast at Couran Cove Island Resort on South Stradbroke Island to play with the latest in jet skis (or personal water craft as they're called these days) from Sea-Doo, the brand overseen by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).

BRP let the marine media loose on a range of its PWCs as well as two jet-powered sport boats and most of us had our egos dented with a dunking. Then again, if we don't have a go, you'll never know...

Like, the things we do for our readers ... fair dinkum, it's a jungle out there! We had about 10 craft to play with, from entry level to the absolute weapon, the 215hp RXP which G-forced me outta there. The brochure describes it as "the most powerful musclecraft on water" ... "mixing vicious acceleration with agile handling". Couldn't have said it better myself.

 In fact, the Sea-Doo range is extensive, with two to three models in each of four brackets: performance, luxury performance, recreation and sport. Some are single-seaters, some double and others triple. All in all the man (or woman) with a need for speed has a choice of nine craft.

The recreational segment is all new with three craft, the GTI 4-TEC, GTI 4-TEC SE and GTI 4-TEC Pro all having variations on an entry level theme; jolly good family fun with a single seat contoured for up to three riders.

All models are powered by the totally new four-stroke 1494cc Rotax 4-TEC engine which comes in three powers: 130hp, 155hp and the supercharged and intercooled fire-breathing 215hp monster. The base 130, BRP claims, is 20 more horses than any competitor's offering in this class. It meets and exceeds the strictest US emissions standards and achieves extraordinary grunt from a three-cylinder fuel-injected motor. It features the industry's first closed loop cooling system which uses the watercraft's aluminium ride plate as a heat exchanger. There are obvious maintenance advantages here over open-loop systems which draw water, salt or fresh, from the riding environment.

In fact, there is great commonality between models in many respects, not just the powerplant, which makes for easier maintenance and parts accessibility.

The new base-plant powered GTI models are in a bright yellow/blue and yellow/white livery and have a common wider, flatter and more stable hull. They have enough grunt to drag the kids around on water toys. The GTIs feature a new digital information centre with easy-to-read gauges, a 9.8lt glove box, self-contained removable storage bin of almost 38lt, large rear platform (with a boarding ladder on the SE) and Off Power Assisted Steering (OPAS) system which assists manoeuvrability in off-power/off-throttle situations. And there's also a neat little gadget called a learning key which is pre-programmed to limit revs to giving novices more control and confidence.

Each craft also has a digitally-encoded theft deterrent system which features a chip embedded in the ignition system unique to each craft. This eliminates the need for code systems.

Next up the line are the 155hp luxury performance models for those who want their hamburger with the lot. The GTX and GTX Limited feature such niceties as the largest storage capacity in the industry at 199lt, adjustable steering, glovebox with built-in handheld Garmin GPS, underseat flush kit and other goodies such as a cooler and log book. You've got the coolest little baby on the beach.

 Then there's the Wake, built to tow wakeboarders. This model has a retractable high rise towing pylon with spotter hand grips and removable board racks and is powered by the mid-range 155hp powerplant.

The single-seat speed machines such as the RXP and 3D DI are for the 'look at me' crowd, the two-up models for those trying to impress someone special and the three seaters for those who enjoy fun in company.

Make no mistake, these PWCs are powerful water toys but the buyer demographic outlined by BRP is a little surprising. It is not the young 'hoon' who is utilising these craft but the 40-something dad who's got some spare cash and loves his watersports. They range in price from $12,990 through to $23,290.

The hoon image is one the manufacturer is trying very hard to improve.

Irresponsible use of PWCs in the past has led to bans on some significant waterways. Perhaps licensing will help and that's certainly a step in the right direction.

On our test day the general opinion among the media was that the tri-seaters were the most fun, simply because you could do things in company. As the brochure says, they're designed to put a smile on your face that a million Mondays couldn't wipe off.

For further information visit http://www.brp.com/ or http://www.seadoo.com/