2008 Sea-Doo Wake Edition Preview

Designed specifically for sport, this PWC provides killer wakes for big air

Sea-Doo has been closely associated with the professional wakeboarding circuit for about a decade now. After listening to what the pro wakeboarders had to say, the company decided a big change was necessary for the 2008 Wake Edition.

Most critical to pro wakeboarders is a consistent wake, and to answer the call, Sea-Doo decided to add a ballast tank.

“It’s the first time it has ever been done,” BRP district sales manager Scott MacWilliam told PersonalWatercraft.com. “In the past, and with other watercraft, the wake is a little washy and has a little bit of white water on the top of it. With the ballast tank and the extra weight on the back, it provides a crisp, perfect wake.”

According to Sea-Doo, the removable ballast tank fills up with up to 200 pounds of water, allowing the operator to fine-tune the size and shape of the wake.

“What that does is allow wakeboarders to do all kinds of tricks that they could never dream possible before,” says MacWilliam. “For instance, when we launched this product in Palm Springs we had the professional wakeboarders with us and for the first time they could do back flips on a Sea-Doo.”

Powering the Wake Edition is 1,494cc 4-stroke engine, which comes in two configurations. We looked at the supercharged, 215 horsepower version, which sells for $12,799, but a 155 hp version is available for US$11,499.

Due to a big 15.9-gallon fuel tank, once riders fill up the Wake Edition they will have plenty of gas to tow wakeboarders and skiers around for hours.

Also key for this sport, the Wake Edition is equipped with a retractable ski pylon. This allows for high, secure attachment of a ski rope, but is also a safety feature.

“Basically what that is for is so the spotter or rear rider can sit backwards facing the wakeboarder and hold on,” says MacWilliam.

Another safety option is the convex mirrors, which give the driver a lot more visibility to see the wakeboarders and skiers who are being towed.

Sea-Doo included its variable trim system (VTS) on the Wake Edition, which enables the rider to alter the watercraft’s trim and improve acceleration.

“At the touch of your finger tips you can electronically adjust the trim on the boat and it gives you different characteristics for performance,” says MacWilliam.

A removable wakeboard rack makes it easy to transport the wakeboard and the rider to the ride site, while the reboarding step helps with getting back onto the vehicle in deep water.

Sea-Doo addressed the issue of low-speed steering with its Off-Power Assisted Steering (OPAS). As the name suggests, this assists the driver with steering during off-power and off-throttle situations.

For those new to the world of personal watercrafts, Sea-Doo includes its learning key. This allows the owner of the Wake Edition to limit the RPM and top speed to 35 mph or 50 mph for inexperienced drivers.

The multifunction digital information center reports 20 operating functions including speed, compass, fuel level, overheat, hour meter and check engine.

There should be no problem packing as much gear as you need when you go for a ride, as the Wake Edition comes with 33 gallons of storage, including spots for wet and dry items.