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Sea-Doo

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Sea-Doo
Toronto Police rescue unit.
Product typePersonal watercraft
Produced byBombardier Recreational Products
CountryCanada
Introduced1968; 56 years ago (1968)
Related brandsSea-Doo XP, Ski-Doo
MarketsWorldwide
Websitesea-doo.brp.com

Sea-Doo is a Canadian brand of personal watercraft (PWC) and boats manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).[1][2] All Sea-Doo models are driven by an impeller-driven waterjet.[3][4] All Sea-Doo PWC models are produced at BRP's plants in Querétaro and Juárez, Mexico. Its Rotax engines are produced at BRP's plant in Gunskirchen, Austria.[5] In 2016, Sea-Doo had a 45.8% share of the PWC market.[6]

History

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1992 SeaDoo XP generation one, the original high-performance runabout style PWC.

Bombardier introduced its first personal watercraft in 1968, called the Bombardier Sea-Doo. It was designed by Clayton Jacobson II, who would later develop the more successful Kawasaki Jet Ski watercraft.[7] Also heavily involved was Bombardier's Laurent Beaudoin, who was interested in expanding the success of the Ski-Doo snowmobile to the PWC market. Advertised as the "Jet-powered Aqua Scooter",[8] the original yellow Sea-Doo was 5 feet wide and 7.5 feet long, somewhat resembling a flying saucer. In 1968, it was powered by an air-cooled, 320cc engine with a top speed of 25 mph. Following complaints of overheating and inefficiency, it was replaced in 1969 with a water-cooled 372cc engine.[9] There were common complaints about discomfort from its flat seat and minimally-padded Ski-Doo supplied stainless steel handlebars. After only two years on the market, it was discontinued.[10]

The Sea-Doo was re-introduced in 1988 as its own brand under Bombardier. By 1995, annual sales for the Sea-Doo reached over 100,000 units, signaling a turnaround in the company's declining sales.[1] By 1997 the company had $212 million in sales, recapturing over half of the PWC market.[1][11][12] In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sea-Doo personal watercraft converted into explosive unmanned surface vehicles were used to attack Russian naval vessels[broken anchor] at the Sevastopol Naval Base.[13]

Models

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There are five categories of Sea-Doo models: Recreation, Tow Sports, Touring, Sport Fishing, and Performance.[14]

The Sea-Doo jet-powered sport boats included a four-seater Sportster 150 with 155 hp or 215 hp, a four-seater Speedster 150 with 255 hp, and a seven-seater Speedster 200 with 310 hp, and a Speedster 230 with space for up to twelve people. The Wake 200 model was made for wakeboarding and the two Challenger models were less sporty and more luxurious: a smaller Challenger 180 and a larger Challenger 210. In 2012, BRP discontinued sport boat production, citing a decline in global sales in the marine industry. This meant the loss of 350 jobs, including most of those at a plant in Benton, Illinois.[15]

The Sea-Doo Spark which was released in 2014 was aimed to attract new buyers to the decreasing PWC market. This model was in development for eight years and was code-named CAFE (clean, affordable, fun, and easy to use).[16] It used a unique polytec hull and deck structure to cut costs and weight. The Spark quickly became the best-selling Sea-Doo model.[17]

In August 2021 they released a Pontoon boat style boat called the Switch.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Larry MacDonald (26 November 2012). The Bombardier Story: From Snowmobiles to Global Transportation Powerhouse. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 233–. ISBN 978-1-118-48501-9.
  2. ^ Hearst Magazines (April 1990). "Popular Mechanics". Popular Mechanics Magazine. Hearst Magazines: 61–. ISSN 0032-4558.
  3. ^ Hearst Magazines (August 1968). "Popular Mechanics". Popular Mechanics Magazine. Hearst Magazines: 91–. ISSN 0032-4558.
  4. ^ "Personal water craft (PWC) companies market share in the United States from 2012 to 2016*". Statistica.
  5. ^ "Facilities". BRP. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Personal water craft (PWC) companies market share in the United States from 2012 to 2016*". Statistica.
  7. ^ Hemmel, Jeff (8 January 2016). "PWC History: The Evolution of Personal Watercraft". Boating Magazine.
  8. ^ "About BRP: Heritage". Bombardier Recreational Products.
  9. ^ "1969 Sea-Doo 372 Bombardier". www.grautogallery.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  10. ^ Johnson, Joel. "INSIGHT: The birth and rebirth of Sea-Doo". Parker Yamaha.
  11. ^ Yachting. December 1997. pp. 76–. ISSN 0043-9940.
  12. ^ Kevin K. Boeh; Paul W. Beamish (2007). Mergers and Acquisitions: Text and Cases. SAGE. pp. 408–. ISBN 978-1-4129-4104-4.
  13. ^ Sutton, H. I. (31 October 2022). "Moscow Cancels Black Sea Grain Deal After Large-Scale Drone Attack on Russian Warships". USNI News. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  14. ^ "SeaDoo Model Reference History". Jetskiplus.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  15. ^ Plueddeman, Chris (14 September 2012). "BRP to Shut Down Sea-Doo Sport Boat Line". Boats.com.
  16. ^ Macdonald, Sean (18 September 2013). "Sea-Doo Spark Review: Rides Like a Sport Bike". Ride Apart.
  17. ^ Quandt, Adam (1 May 2018). "Personal watercraft sales continue market climb". Boating Industry.
  18. ^ "Sea-Doo 'Switch' Headed to Dealers". 30 March 2022.
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