Yamaha working on wake-surfing jet ski
Jet skis could soon double as miniature wake boats if Yamaha’s vision becomes a commercial realityYamaha is working on a version of its jet ski range that will be optimised for wake surfing, patents filed overseas reveal.
According to Yamaha, wake surfing is increasing in popularity, although the need for a large-displacement boat meant it was “not necessarily an easily-enjoyable marine sport”.
However, while jet skis tend to be lightweight compared with a boat and far more portable, “it is difficult to generate a wake large enough to enable a surfer to enjoy wake surfing in a small-sized vessel”.
Jet skis generate thrust by sucking in water from around the hull and jetting it out of the back of the ski, with traditional thruster designs mixing the jetted water with air to create a turbulent, rather than smooth, wake.
However, Yamaha’s patent shows a modified jet that pushes water down and to one side, creating a surfable wake. The design means the impeller-driven jet sits proud of the ski rather than inside it, while lateral water intakes suck the hull down to increase its displacement.
The wake behind the ski is also shaped using a curved plate that can attach to the hull and add more downforce when the owner plans to use the ski for wakeboarding, and stay in the car if the owner just wants to bomb around.
The hull attachment is used to direct the wake over the top of the waterjet, creating a smooth rather than broken wake that’s not affected by air being sucked into the jet’s wash.
The design also takes on another big-boat feature, as it includes a ballast tank in the nose cone that’s designed to bog down the ski, generating a larger wake behind it as the hull “sinks down” into the water.
“According to the above structural arrangement, it is possible to generate a wake that is large enough to enjoy wakesurfing by causing the first guide to generate a downforce so as to sink the vessel body lower in the water even with the jet propulsion watercraft that has a small displacement when in a stationary state,” Yamaha’s patent reads.
“Therefore, it is possible for the surfer to enjoy wake surfing by riding on this wake.”
There's no word yet on when Yamaha plans to release its wake board-friendly personal watercraft.
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