Try PWC Touring [Video]

Get out and go exploring on the water

Too often, personal watercraft get a bad rap. Usually, this arises from some past notion that is no longer applicable. Like PWC are noisy, smelly, fuel-gulping, tippy toys. Or that they’re only good for doing donuts at the cottage or riding around that same old lake over and over again. But none of this is true and here’s why…

Today’s PWC are not toys, but they are still incredible fun. My Sea-Doo watercraft provides a sophisticated, high tech experience. It’s as different from old PWC as a new Ford is from the original Model T. So stop thinking primitive and start appreciating ultra-modern. The only brake system on the water is on my PWC. Likewise for the only suspension system on the water. Did I mention starting in neutral?

If a low emission ride that’s smooth, stable, fuel efficient and powerful appeals to you, look no further than today’s PWC. Want an affordable way to carry passengers, tow for watersports, go for a cruise or explore new places? A current personal watercraft is your ticket to unrivalled fun and adventure on the water.

Modern PWC offer plenty of comfort for all-day riding for you and a passenger (or two).

So why am I going on about this? Well, touring on my Sea-Doo PWC is the most fun I have each summer and I want to share it with you. I’ve introduced many friends to PWC touring. Without exception, they’re as excited about it as I am.  Yet, most PWC owners, to say nothing of the general public, have never thought about, much less tried PWC touring. It’s time for that to change. And if you own an older PWC, maybe it’s also time to upgrade to something with touring capabilities!

Touring on a PWC lets you see and experience things you’d never be able to in a car or on a motorcycle.

Today’s 3-seater PWC, like my 2011 Sea-Doo RXT iS 260 and GTX iS 215 models, are awesome touring watercraft. They are the designed for long-distance riding. Most have powerful, reliable, quiet, fuel efficient, odourless, 4-stroke engines. Look at that list of adjectives again. These PWC offer the most advanced, clean-engine technology available and that makes riding them effortless, comfortable, and crazy pleasurable.

Moreover, current PWC are so stable that even standing on one gunwale, I’d be hard pressed to fall off or tip over my Sea-Doo. Same goes when a passenger is on board. Simply put, these babies are made to stay upright and keep riders secure and dry.

What about comfort? These modern PWC cruisers position the operator on plush seats with ergonomic legroom and footwells. Handlebars and gauges adjust to accommodate varying operator heights. Sturdy straps and grab handles keep passengers secure. Best of all, their suspension cushions my body and makes long-distance touring a breeze.

Contemporary PWC steer, handle and corner like nothing else on the water. They’re responsive, easy and simple to master. The ones with a brake take stopping, manoeuvring, docking and riding to a whole new level of exceptional. So operating a new PWC is as effortless as driving a motorcycle or a snowmobile. That means almost anyone can do it with equal pleasure and satisfaction, be they old or young, male or female, experienced or not.

Friends I take for their first ride are amazed by how smooth and comfortable a modern PWC is. They’re definitely a quantam leap ahead of any old PWC you own or remember. Everything about the new ones contributes to a sense of confidence, wellbeing and accomplishment that grows with each ride. The more you do, the better you get and the more you want to do. Which brings us back to touring…

No matter your age or level of experience, PWC touring is easy and fun.

Most regular folks who are powersports enthusiasts on land are programmed to go places and see things. They want to discover, explore, experience and adventurize. Why should a powersports enthusiast on the water be any different? A PWC delivers this experience to the max. A PWC is more affordable, more versatile, more trailerable, and accesses more places than most boats.

To my mind, a PWC provides that perfect blend of freedom, practicality and excitement. It will get you wherever you’re going quicker, more directly and with much less fuss than anything else on the water. What’s more, with all their high tech features and benefits, modern PWC make touring an absolute delight. Best of all, I can ride all day without fatigue, soreness, being tired or getting wet. I arrive back home feeling exhilarated and excited — and ready and eager to ride again the next day!

My take is that most PWC owners haven’t tried touring yet. I think this is for three basic reasons: having no one to ride with, not knowing where to go, and being apprehensive about risking unfamiliar waterways.

Ontario offers PWC tourers a huge collection of interconnected waterways, along with plenty of marinas and all the other amenities you’ll ever need.

That’s why Ontario, Canada is a great place to start your PWC touring. Ontario has a multitude of charted, navigable and interconnected waterways that offer many long distance touring opportunities. There’s some big water, but also lots of places that are relatively protected. Now add in plenty of public launches, shoreline marinas and hospitality services, plus outstanding scenery and sparkling clean water. Yes, Ontario is perfect for PWC touring.

So if you are one of those PWC owners who has not yet taken it off your own lake, or if you are someone who loves summer fun on the water but has never tried PWC touring, there’s no better time or place to get started than right now, right here in Ontario!

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