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Sea-Doo is a Personal Watercraft (PWC) manufactured by the American conglomerate Bombardier Recreational Products, which was founded by J. A. Bombardier in 1942. The Sea-Doo name is so widely known that many different brands of watercraft are often simply referred to as “Sea-Doos.”

Bombardier Recreational Products

BRP does business in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and employs over 5,500 people around the globe. BRP has greatly expanded since 1942, and now offers many different products, including:

• A full line of “Ski-Doo” snowmobiles
• Rotax go karts
• Can Am ATVs
• Syder Roadsters
• Outboard motors
• Small engines

What is a Sea-Doo?

The Sea-Doo is essentially a motorcycle on the water. The hull is a solid, but they are almost as light and portable as an inflatable boat. With a powerful engine mounted on the rear, and handlebars mounted on the front, Sea Doos provide thrill and entertainment for millions of people worldwide.

Sea-Doos are nearly always available for rentals at seaside resorts, so you don’t even have to buy one to enjoy the Sea-Doo experience.

Sea-Doos are often used in conjunction with water skis, wakeboards, and water boards by mounting a small attachment on the back of the craft that allows the driver to tow another person.

Even though Sea-Doos are constructed from metal and metal alloys, they are extremely buoyant and cannot sink. Much like the inflatable pontoon boats used by the US Navy, there is a relatively large amount of surface area on the hull of a Sea-Doo.

Technological Advances

Over the years, Bombardier Recreational Products has introduced several new technologies to the Personal Watercraft market. Sea-Doos were the first Personal Watercraft to include GPS systems, and the newest BRP innovation, iControl, allows Sea-Doo owners to set the maximum top speed of the craft, whether to let out the throttle when you’re in open water, or to make sure that the kids don’t go too fast.

BRP has also developed a patented water braking system that immediately slows the craft, a full suspension system that mitigates choppy water, and a stepped hull that allows easy mounting and dismounting.

Non-recreational Use

Many lifeguards use Sea-Doos equipped with rescue gear to save swimmers and boaters who require assistance. After Hurricane Katrina, Sea-Doos could be seen racing through the flooded streets of New Orleans in search of people who needed help.

Due to their speed, handling, and maneuverability, police and wildlife rangers often use Sea-Doos to enforce laws on lakes and rivers.

Sea-Doos are also used by the U.S. Navy as surface targets. Equipped with GPS, electronic compass, radar reflector, and a radio modem, these Sea-Doo can be operated by remote control, and have been used as target practice for everything from torpedos to small arms.

The Sea-Doo is a versatile, fun, exciting watercraft. If you haven’t ridden one yet, you should try it out!

About the Author

Andrew Thomas lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and son. Andrew has travelled extensively, and in the last 12 years has lived in Halifax, Vancouver, and Toronto. His travel has given him an insight into the various recreational watercraft that are available. He has noticed a trend towards inflatable boats and kayaks, particularly in the inland lakes and rivers and on sailboats. The latter are stored onboard the sailboat and are used for transportation to shore. He decided to combine this insight with his profession as an internet publisher and produce best-inflatable-boats.com.