By Bob Hood/McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
Thursday, January 17, 2008 5:34 AM CST
FORT WORTH, Texas -- As "jet skis" have become "personal watercraft," the way they are viewed also has changed. No longer are all users considered arrogant, irritating, buzzing jetsters who disturb quiet fishing waters and annoy other boaters while jumping the wakes behind their boats.
Today, 99 percent of personal watercraft sales involve units designed to seat three persons for "family" recreational purposes.
And the latest in personal watercraft and accessories will be on display at the Fort Worth Boat and Sports Show this week at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
The personal watercraft industry has evolved much like the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) industry that began with three-wheelers that marketed going-for-broke off-road excursions but has moved toward four-wheelers used by hunters, farmers, ranchers and others.
Bombardier Recreational Products designed the first personal watercraft in the 1960s. Then, in the early `70s, Kawasaki came out with its Jet Ski, which was used as a generic term to describe personal watercraft for years afterward.
Today, four major manufacturers sell personal watercraft in the United States -- Kawasaki with its Jet Ski, Yamaha with its WaveRunner, Bombardier with its Sea-Doo and Honda with its AquaTrax.
As with four-wheel ATVs, technological advancements in personal watercraft have changed the way people perceive and purchase them.
The original "jet skis" had motors that used the same two-stroke technologies as outboard motors of the 1960s through the mid-to-late 1990s. Engine improvements introduced in 1998 provided more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly functions from improved two-stroke engines and new four-stroke engines.
Industry reports indicate personal watercraft today are up to 70 percent quieter than they were in the late 1990s.
Early sales of personal watercraft peaked in about 1995, when 200,000 units were sold, according to surveys by the North American Marine Manufacturers Association.
Sales declined from 1996 to 2001 but began to climb in 2002, when 79,000 boats were sold, according to the association
Suggested retail prices for personal watercraft vary from about $6,700 to $35,000, and the average buyer spends about $9,225 to $12,000 for a machine, according to most retail reports.
And that does not include millions of dollars spent annually on related costs such as boat registration, launch ramp fees, trailers, fuel, clothing and insurance.
A wide range of accessories are available, including tow hooks, boarding steps, side mirrors, engine cut-off cables, GPS units and more.
Regardless of all the whistles and horns available, purchasing a personal watercraft is no longer a single-person investment for most but a family project that brings people together for fun and relaxation on the water.
PERSONAL WATERCRAFT FACTS
What powers one?
Engines in a personal watercraft drive a jet pump that draws water from beneath the craft into an impeller, which pressurizes the water and forces it out a nozzle at the back of the watercraft. This "jet" of pressurized water propels and steers the vehicle whenever the throttle is engaged.
The average owner
Age: 41
Marital status: 71 percent married
Previous boat ownership: 69 percent
College education: 66 percent
Source: Bow Marketing Research Consultants
Regulations in Texas
Children under age 13 are prohibited from operating a personal watercraft unless they are accompanied on board by a person at least 18 years of age.
All equipment requirements for regular motorboats apply to personal watercraft.
Each occupant must wear a life jacket. Inflatable life jackets are not approved for use on a personal watercraft.
If a personal watercraft is equipped with a cut-off or kill switch, it must be attached to the operator or operator's clothing.
In addition to all other operational rules for regular motorboats, persons may operate a personal watercraft only from sunrise until sunset.
© 2007, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Visit the Star-Telegram on the World Wide Web at
http://www.star-telegram.com.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
http://www.lakeexpo.com/articles/200...borhood/07.txt 
Linear Mode
