The History of Personal Watercraft
Personal watercraft have been so perennially popular for the last forty years that it’s hard to imagine a beachfront or busy lake without a few PWC cruising across it. PWCs were actually only developed pretty recently, and the history of their invention is quite interesting. Read on to learn more about how PWCs came to be.
The First Model
Clayton Jacobson II, a Norwegian-American motorcycle enthusiast, is behind the development of the first personal watercraft prototype. Jacobson had recently crashed his motorcycle and wondered if he could get the same thrills in a safer environment; he realized that falling into the water would be preferable to crashing into a dirt ditch. He set about developing an “aquatic motorcycle” in the 1960s, and powersports titan Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) took notice.
As manufacturers of the popular Ski-Doo® snowmobile, BRP took Jacobson’s design and created a big, yellow watercraft modeled after their snowmobile and christened it the Sea-Doo®. However, this model was too rudimentary to be popular, and it was pulled from the market.
1980s Innovation
Personal watercraft truly came into their own in the 1980s, when several manufacturers jumped on board the PWC train, including a re-entry by Sea-Doo®. Sleek and fast sit-down PWCs were the most popular choice with many new riders who sought to enjoy time on the water with friends and family. Personal watercraft also began to be used in competitions, for performing tricks, and for Coast Guard rescue crews who needed a quick way to provide assistance to stranded swimmers or boaters.
Today’s PWC
In the 21st century, we have hundreds of different PWC models to choose from, by a number of fantastic marine manufacturers. Modern personal watercraft often come with excellent safety features, spacious storage compartments, modular seating, Bluetooth™ connectivity capabilities, and more. You can opt for a sit-down or stand-up model with a low-powered or high-powered engine, depending on your needs and your experience level.
Seeking personal watercraft for sale in Ohio? Come see us at our dealership in Akron or our sales location in Lake Milton to take a look at our wide stock of new and used PWCs for sale. Let us know if you’d like to use our financing options to fund your purchase. Boat Masters Marine is proud to serve our customers in the cities of Cleveland and Youngstown, OH.