Making Waves
They come in a variety of attractive colors, with racing stripes and other appealing designs. They travel at speeds of more than 50 mph. They are sold by Yamaha and Kawasaki.
We’re talking about personal watercraft, not motorcycles, although there are similarities.
Like motorcycles, personal watercraft--more commonly referred to by the Kawasaki-trademarked name Jet Ski--cost a pretty penny. New personal watercraft can go for about $4,000 to $7,000, so it pays to do research before buying. It being summertime and the temperatures climbing, the call of the personal watercraft is getting louder. So we would like to provide shopping suggestions from local experts.
“Buyers come in and they don’t know anything,” said John Lundgren, sales manager at Kawasaki of Simi Valley. “The main thing I tell customers is don’t just come in and look at it, get things from all manufacturers and check consumer magazines. From there, then go into picking a dealer for a price that works.”
To begin with, it helps to know the leading brands--Kawasaki, Yamaha (which manufactures WaveRunners) and Sea-Doo--and to be aware that they come in stand-up and sit-down models. The latter are more abundant and come in multi-seat designs for family recreation.
And let’s not forget that the noise and petroleum products used to run personal watercraft are considered pollutants by many. Nevertheless, there is still a big demand for these items. “I always tell my customers to look at the brands’ records of being reliable and dependable,” said Brett Scott, a sales representative at Kawasaki of Thousand Oaks. “You want low maintenance so you don’t have to be your own mechanic.”
Models vary in size (the number of seats) and horsepower. For beginners, the experts said, the larger personal watercraft are easier to handle, particularly in hard-to-predict ocean waters.
“If you’re really beginning, I’d go with a three-seater model--it gives more stability, it doesn’t have much tendency to tip over,” Scott said. “If you hit some rough wakes or rough water, you’ll have a smoother ride.”
Scott said his personal watercraft (Kawasaki and the Yamaha WaveRunner) are priced around $6,000 to $8,000.
“The lower-priced of the line, you’re looking at a two-seater with a two-cylinder motor,” he said. “At the top of the line, it’s three-seaters with three-cylinder motors and higher horsepower. The three-seaters tend to be the most expensive, particularly the Kawasaki Ultra 150. It’s the fastest, upward of 70 mph.”
It retails for $7,999.
Bill McInerney, manager of Cal Coast Motorsports in Oxnard, recommended that beginners start on models with 40 or 55 horsepower. The lower the speed, the easier the craft is to operate. McInerney, who sells Yamaha, Kawasaki and Sea-Doo, said the lower-speed models begin at $3,995.
Price varies, he said, depending on a number of factors. “How much storage, fuel capacity,” he said. “A lot come with digital speedometers and other meters, whether it has a high-performance power train or entry-level power train, the hull design. They’re always improving the hulls.”
McInerney also sells used personal watercraft beginning at about $1,500. He said shoppers can find used models for as low as $300 on the open market, but the quality is iffy.
“When you’re looking at used, look at the general appearance, if the paint job is faded, is the hold damaged,” he said. “You would want to see a maintenance history. Was it ridden in saltwater or lake water?”
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If the price isn’t quite right, there is an option to rent, though rental businesses are hard to come by in Ventura County.
In Simi Valley, Fun Time Rental has two-seat and three-seat Yamaha WaveRunners available for $135 a day with a $300 damage deposit. The fee includes life vests and oil. Customers can pick up their WaveRunners the night prior and return them by 7 p.m. on rental day.
Leo Smith can be reached at 653-7570 or by fax at 653-7576.
