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1968-2018: 50 Years of Sea-Doo Watercraft

30 Friday Mar 2018

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This year, we celebrate our 50th anniversary and we’re taking a look back at the innovation, design and evolution of our watercraft.

From the first Sea-Doo watercraft launched in 1968 to the 2018 debut of our award-winning GTX 300 Limited – with a revolutionary hull platform design that allows watercraft riders to go further and experience more, we’ve always been driven by a passion for design, a commitment to technological innovation and our desire to provide more people, more fun on the water.

Over that 50-year period, Sea-Doo has launched a fleet of benchmark setting watercraft models and established a multitude of innovation milestones.

50 Years of Sea-Doo History

1968

In 1968, the first mass-produced, water jet-powered, sit-down personal watercraft was introduced as a Sea-Doo and with its launch – it launched an industry that has produced nearly two million personal watercrafts.

1968 Sea-Doo. First jet-powered aqua scooter.

Late ’60s advertisement for “Sea-Doo the Jet-Powered Aqua Scooter.”

The first Sea-Doo watercraft was introduced as a two-seat model powered by an air-cooled, 320cc Rotax engine. To prove its capabilities, Bombardier CEO and President at the time, Laurent Beaudoin and his management team rode new Sea-Doo watercraft from Montreal to New York City, a trip with over 430-miles through Lake Champlain and down the Hudson River.


Archive footage from 1968 depicting Sea-Doo watercraft on the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

At the time of its introduction, the first Sea-Doo was truly an innovative and futuristic concept which made a big splash with water enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, the 1968/1969 model was a pop culture hit and was featured in a commercial from Fanta that aired in 1970.


1970 Fanta soda commercial featuring a 1969 Sea-Doo.

1988

The Sea-Doo watercraft was re-launched. Powered by a 580cc Rotax rotary valve engine, the Sea-Doo 5801 model featured an innovative V-Hull design.

1988 Sea-Doo

1988 Sea-Doo.

1988Prod

Production team for the 1988 Sea-Doo.

1990

The first three-seater watercraft was introduced as the Sea-Doo GT (Grand Touring) The GT offered greater storage and mechanical reverse system and was capable of legally pulling a skier with seating for a driver, spotter, and skier.

1990 Sea-Doo GT 3-seater watercraft

1990 Sea-Doo GT 3-seater watercraft.

1991

The first high-performance Sea-Doo was introduced in the XP model featuring twin carburetors and tuned exhaust pipe and commanded attention with aggressive graphics.

1991 Sea-Doo XP

1991 Sea-Doo XP.

1995

The Sea-Doo HX featured the first suspension seat that lowered the rider’s center of gravity during aggressive, lean-in cornering. The XP 785 was also introduced in 1995 utilizing the tuneable X4 hull and powered by the 785 cc R.A.V.E. engine. The XP 785 model (later XP800) has the most watercraft racing wins of all time.

1995 Sea-Doo HX

1995 Sea-Doo HX with suspension seat.

1997

The most redefining watercraft design of the first 40 years was that of the 1997 Sea-Doo XP that included a suspension seat and hyperbolic hull design and was later named ‘Watercraft of the Century’ by Watercraft World Magazine.

1997 Sea-Doo XP

1997 Sea-Doo XP.

1998

Sea-Doo lead the industry with clean and quiet technology in the GTX RFI model (Rotax semi-direct fuel injection) reducing emissions by 15% and lowering noise output with the D-Sea-Bel sound reduction technology.

1998 Sea-Doo GTX RFI

1998 Sea-Doo GTX RFI.

2000

The Millennium edition models came equipped with DI (Direct Injection) technology to further reduce emissions and the Sea-Doo Learning Key that electronically controlled acceleration and top speed for new riders.

2000 Sea-Doo GTX DI

2000 Sea-Doo GTX DI

2002

Four-Stroke technology was introduced in the GTX 4-TEC models and also included O.P.A.S. (Off Powered Assisted Steering) for an added level of control.

2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC

2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC.

2004

The supercharged Sea-Doo RXP 215 was the first watercraft to top 200HP and its ominous design defined the category of modern “musclecraft.”

2004 Sea-Doo RXP 215

2004 Sea-Doo RXP 215.

2009

Innovation reached new heights with the launch of iControl that included the first and only braking system (iBR), electronically adjustable throttle system (iTC) and full-rider, self-adjusting suspension system (iS).

2009 Sea-Doo watercraft.

2009 Sea-Doo watercraft.

2012

Watercraft performance was truly redefined with the RXP-X 260 featuring the T3 (Tight-Turning, T-Shape) hull that cuts through chop and leans into corners tighter than any hull before it and the complimenting rider Ergolock system with narrowing seat and knee flairs allowing the rider to maximize the available power by feeling one with the machine. The RXP-X has been undefeated at the IJSBA World Finals in the Pro Open and Pro GP classes since its introduction.

2012 Sea-Doo RXP-X - Racer James Bushell

2012 Sea-Doo RXP-X and PWC Racer James Bushell.

2014

The Sea-Doo SPARK was a design and engineering case study, built to be accessible and fun for the next generation of Sea-Doo owners, redefining how a watercraft (or any product) could be built,. The SPARK was based on the mandate of being Clean, Affordable, Easy and Fun at a price almost anyone could afford. The SPARK has contributed to the watercraft industry’s 60% growth since its introduction, by bringing new people into the sport.

2014 Sea-Doo SPARK

2014 Sea-Doo SPARK in Orange Crush and Bubble Gum.

2016

The Rotax 1630 ACE engine producing 300HP set new benchmarks in Sea-Doo performance, with 0-60mph acceleration being achieved in under five-seconds.

2016 Sea-Doo RXP-X 300

2016 Sea-Doo RXP-X 300.

2018

50 years later innovation continues, with the introduction of the 2018 Sea-Doo GTX, RXT, and WAKE PRO with more usable space, plug and play accessories, superior stability in any conditions, ingenious storage and a Bluetooth audio sound system. Life onboard has completely changed. This new platform has a lower center of gravity along with the new ultra stable ST3 hull. Sea-Doo riders can take their adventures further than ever before with the new 2018 watercraft models.

2018 Sea-Doo GTX Limited

2018 Sea-Doo GTX Limited.

 

25 YEARS OF THE MODERN SEA-DOO > 2003 > THE FIRST 185HP SUPERCHARGED FOUR STROKE WATERCRAFT ENGINE AND VANS TRIPLE CROWN EDITION IN 2003

15 Saturday Sep 2012

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Lift the engine cover on the 2003 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC Limited Supercharged or GTX SC watercraft and you would see red. Because red was the color of the watercraft industry’s first supercharger. A supercharger boosts the power of an engine by substantially increasing the air-fuel mixture injected into the combustion chambers. By force-feeding more air into the combustion chambers, the 4-TEC Supercharged engine produced an astounding 185 horsepower. Unlike turbochargers, which only kick in after exhaust gases reach a pre-set level, the 4-TEC supercharger was always on.  So throttle response is immediate, without any of the dreaded “turbo lag.”

2003 sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC Limited

The 2003 Sea·Doo GTX 4-TEC Limited Supercharged and GTX Supercharged gave the phrase “Pumped Up” an all-new meaning.  The supercharged 4-TEC marine engine offered consumers the most horsepower ever available in a watercraft. The Sea-Doo brand team leveraged their relationships with Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte and Bombardier’s sponsorship of the Indianapolis Speedway by launching these 2003 Sea-Doo watercraft with unheard of horsepower in conjunction with the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race. Media were invited to the race then the following morning Stewart and Labonte rode the watercraft to a dock on an Indianapolis lake to greet the media.

 

 

2003 Sea-Doo GTX Vans Triple Crown Edition watercraft

The Sea-Doo brand was heavily involved in launching the sport of wakeboarding in the early ‘90s and was doing it again in the early 2000s with the sport of wakeskating. Wakeskating was more technical than wakeboarding and didn’t require big wakes and focused on rail riding but also meant riders fell more. That change in tow vehicle needs led the way to the first tow specific watercraft in the industry, the 2003 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC, Vans Triple Crown Edition. Van’s was leading the promotion of action sports in 2003 and a partnership was formed in addition to the Cassette wakeskate team riding exclusively behind Sea-Doo watercraft.

Wakeskate legends and Cassette team riders Thomas Horrell, Aaron Reed, and Danny Hampson all rode behind Sea-Doo watercraft exclusively and led the charge in watercraft becoming the preferred tow vehicles for their fledgling sport.  The fact that Sea-Doo watercraft could turn around quickly and the new 4-TEC engines minimized exhaust made Sea-Doo watercraft the ideal tow vehicle for these athletes to hone their sport. The Vans Triple Crown edition featured a retractable tow pylon with observer grab handles and the 4-TEC engine allowed the driver to hold a constant speed compared to competitive models that struggled at the 18-25 mph ideal tow speeds.

With one year in the field, 2003 Sea-Doo 4-TEC powered watercraft were leading the charge to overturn legislative restrictions put in place based on previous watercraft technology. The new cleaner, quieter 4-TEC engines and Sea-Doo O.P.A.S. (off powered assisted steering) changed how legislators and the public viewed personal watercraft and led the way in shifting perception of watercraft from socially acceptable to socially desirable.

 

25 YEARS OF THE MODERN SEA-DOO – THE NEW ERA IN WATERCRAFT: THE 2002 SEA-DOO GTX 4-TEC

14 Friday Sep 2012

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Bombardier Recreational Products took the most popular watercraft platform of all time and made it better. The 2002 GTX 4-TEC was be the first four-stroke engine powered Sea-Doo watercraft and featured the new innovative and responsible Sea-Doo O.P.A.S. (Off Power Assisted Steering) system.  These and other technological and design advances set the stage for the new era in watercraft.

The bar was set again with the 2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC watercraft. Powered by the 155 horsepower, 1494cc three-cylinder Rotax 4-TEC engine, the 2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC changed everything the world knew about watercraft. Power, more environmentally-friendly, and innovation reached new levels with the engine.  The 4-TEC was the most powerful mass-produced engine ever in a Sea-Doo watercraft and exceeded all 2006 EPA environmental standards.

The 2002 GTX 4-TEC offered watercraft enthusiasts a new feeling with an engine that literally purred and provided better acceleration than any luxury performance three‑passenger Sea-Doo watercraft before it.  The low-end torque of the new 1500 4-TEC 155 hp engine powered through an all new 10-vane water jet pump, and straight-line tracking of the redesigned hull made the 2002 GTX 4-TEC a great watercraft for towing wakeboarders, skiers and tubes.  Totally unique to watercraft, the Rotax four-stroke engine emitted a rich, low‑frequency purr at speed and offered ultra smooth operation.  Also integrated into the GTX 4-TEC hull was a revolutionary cooling system.  This engineering feat included a closed‑loop cooling system that used the rideplate as a heat exchanger for the engine coolant in the same fashion as an automobile radiator.  The 2002 GTX design was also offered with the exclusive OrbitalDirect Injection technology watercraft engine.

Committed to responsible boating, Bombardier led with its GTX 4-TEC and GTX DI watercraft and its newest innovation for 2002: the Sea-Doo O.P.A.S system.  This system provided added maneuverability by assisting the steering of the watercraft in off‑throttle and off-power situations.  The system could easily be seen on each side of the hull on equipped models in the form of spring-loaded rudders.

The deck was another work of art from the award-winning Sea-Doo design team.  It featured precisely tailored lines and overall elegant proportions that flowed gracefully from bow to stern while the flared shear line effectively reducing spray.  The hull design offered operators a drier ride with musclecraft-type precision handling.  On the bow, the distinct ridged “gills” were engineered to redirect spray away from the operator, thus offering a clear line of vision and increased comfort.

The 2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC was one of the most impactful models in the history of Sea-Doo watercraft truly carrying the brand into a new era of technology and potential. The shift from two-stroke power to four-stroke power in personal watercraft had begun.