Those of you who spend a great deal of time around the water have no doubt spotted some personal watercraft coasting along the surface, kicking up a stream of spray behind them. Personal watercraft or PWC have enjoyed consistent popularity since their wide release in the 1980s. They operate like aquatic motorcycles, giving riders a similar thrill with a reduced risk for injury.
Curious about how PWC were developed and how they proliferated? Loudermilk Tractor & Cycle is your PWC dealership in Ashtabula, OH, so we’ve drawn up this brief history of personal watercraft for you. We imagine you’ll be itching to own one for yourself when you’re through reading!
In The Beginning
The earliest vessel that you could call a personal watercraft was designed in Europe during the mid-20th century and referred to at the time as a “water scooter.” These small marine crafts had handlebars and could propel a user around a lake, but they weren’t very popular and didn’t become mass-marketed.
In the 1960s, Norwegian-American motorcyclist and inventor Clayton Jacobson II crashed his motorcycle into a ditch. Following this accident, he wondered whether he could get the same adrenaline-racing experience from a safer mode of transport, and he contemplated whether a water-based craft could be designed that would operate similarly to a motorcycle – but without the risk of suffering road rash and concussions.
So Jacobson stopped work and decided to focus all his energy on designing just such a craft. He developed a stand-up style prototype made from aluminum which drew from the design of water skis, then he developed several more prototypes in both sit-down and stand-up styles.
Snowmobile manufacturer Bombardier Recreational Products approached Jacobson about his models in 1966 and licensed his patent to develop a sit-down style of watercraft based on their popular Ski-Doo® snowmobiles. The Sea-Doo®, a large, yellow machine that resembled nothing so much as a flying saucer, was released in 1968 and marketed as a “jet-powered Aqua Scooter.” However, the bulkiness and awkwardness of this early design resulted in it being pulled from the market, because initial riders were unimpressed.
Some Popular Brands
The notion of a personal watercraft continued to be developed throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Stand-up PWC were the first designs released, but sit-down styles became much more popular over time, since they allowed for more than one person to ride at a time. The following three companies rose up as the leaders of the industry during the 1980s.
Kawasaki
This Japanese manufacturer released their first Jet Ski® to the United States market in 1973, a stand-up model that was the first PWC to become successful. The sleek and fast design made the Jet Ski® stand out, and it’s only become more popular since its initial development.
Yamaha
Another Japanese-based company released their own PWC in the latter half of the 1980s, christening it the WaveRunner®. These PWC were sit-down styles that permitted more than one person to ride at a time, which made them more popular with families and novice rider.
Bombardier Recreational Products
This company re-entered the personal watercraft market in 1988, with the newly redesigned Sea-Doo® offering a more streamlined design. This sit-down style PWC soon became a leading competitor in the field with an array of models made to suit different riding needs.
Even though personal watercraft haven’t been around for very long, they’ve become immensely popular and it’s easy to see why. Their sleek designs and high speeds make them easy to maneuver and they’re popular with novices and experts alike! Think it’s high time you invested in one of your own? Visit Loudermilk Tractor & Cycle in Ashtabula, OH, to see the models we have in stock. We welcome customers from Painesville, OH, and Erie, PA.
