What can Sea-Doo’s iControl do for me? Well, I really love the Cruise Control feature. I didn’t use it much at first, mainly because I thought it would be too limiting. I tried it a couple of times, but I hadn’t read my manual at the time. I throttled up to the speed I wanted to set, and then depressed and held the cruise button. A beep sounded and the green “Cruise” appeared on the upper left gauge. So far, so good, but when I wanted to change the set cruising speed I didn’t know how. Or how to shut it off. Then I read the manual…

Changing the set speed is as simple as pressing the up or down arrow on the far right handlebar switch. This works just like most automobiles with cruise control. But there’s a difference with Sea-Doo Cruise Control. In my vehicle, I take my foot off the gas pedal after cruise is set.  With Sea-Doo Cruise Control, what really happens is that I pick and set a maximum speed. To maintain this constant, selected speed, I squeeze the throttle lever to the bar. If I let off the throttle, my speed will decrease like it normally would without Cruise on. Squeeze it again and the maximum speed will be what I selected with Cruise.

So how is this useful? First, it’s very relaxing for a long distance run. I don’t have to be working the throttle or checking the speedo all the time. And I can keep my throttle hand relaxed in a comfortable position. Second, by eliminating any speed variations with Cruise, I can optimize my fuel economy, which is essential on a Sea-Doo tour.

There’s a second way Cruise is useful. When the water gets choppy, I find the best speed for that particular set of wave conditions, and then set Cruise so I’m skimming the crests as much as possible. Without Cruise on, maintaining such a constant speed is difficult because my throttle hand and fingers have a natural tendency to move and shift with the waves and the motion of the Sea-Doo. But with Cruise set, all my throttle hand has to do is grip the throttle lever tight to the handlebar to keep speed constant. That same grip also helps me maintain better control of the watercraft and hang on for dear life if the waves get really hairy!

A summary of how to operate Sea-Doo Cruise can also be found on the handy info card that comes with all 2011 and later iControl models. Talk to you next time!

For more information about the Intrepid Cottager, visit: http://www.intrepidcottager.com/