The Evolution and History of the Modern Jet Ski
The Evolution and History of the Modern Jet Ski
At beautiful, sunny Lake Mead, we want our clients to feel as comfortable and competent as possible when spending the day on any of our speedboats or jet skis, so we believe in arming ourselves with knowledge.
Please enjoy this brief history of the modern jet ski as we know it, and feel free to check out our top-of-the-line Yamaha models today!
Jet skis are also called water scooters, personal watercrafts (PWCs), and spelled as one word like “jetski.” Perhaps our favorite name for these crafts is the pun-tastic boatercycle. In fact, the term “Jet Ski” is technically a registered trademark and brand name held by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (more on them in a bit – stay tuned!) that has since been co-opted to refer to all of these vehicles in general, similar to how “Kleenex” is pretty much a synonym for “soft tissue.” In any case, these recreational motorized watercrafts are distinct from speedboats in that the rider sits or stands on them, instead of inside of them.
The origins of these water scooters are believed to have roots in mid-1950s United Kingdom and Europe, particularly Britain, Italy, and Germany. The first water scooters are thought to have been designed by motorcycle manufacturers who were looking to broaden their audience.
These beginning stages of the modern jet skis featured outboard motors and propellers rather than the internal engines we are so familiar with today, and required their riders to hang on from behind rather than comfortably remain seated. However, these early jet skis were slow to catch on, and it was not until the early 1960’s that their designs began to improve.
The turning point for these jet skis was the brainchild of an Australian motorcross enthusiast named Clayton Jacobsen II. He designed a version of the water scooter where the riders could stand up and grip a fixed, upright handle, and he replaced the old propellors with the newer pump-jet system.
Jacobsen’s first prototype was finished in 1965 and was made completely of aluminum. In 1966, his second model was made of fiberglass, and he sold his idea to the snowmobile company Bombardier.
Unfortunately, Bombardier’s subsequent designs performed quite poorly on the market, and Bombardier gave up on the idea only a few years later. Jacobsen, on the other hand, remained determined to perfect his idea, and he took his designs this time to the Japanese versatile industry and engine manufacturer Kawasaki. In 1973, they mass produced the stand-up model with the trademarked name Jet Ski that gave rise to today’s common watercraft trend.
With Kawasaki’s fierce marketing and already-established audience, the Jet Ski began to truly take off.
The original Jet Ski only allowed for one rider, and remaining standing in the choppy waters proved to be a challenge. Kawasaki heard these concerns and as a result churned out sitting models, two-person models, and more improved designs.
The comfortable seating and fun social vibe resulted in Jet Skis nearly taking over the market. As a result, Bombardier quickly got back on board, producing its Sea Doo model, which remains to this day one of the most popular and best-selling personal watercraft models.
Eventually, all sorts of different brands and motor manufacturers got into the jet ski game, including Honda, Polaris, Arctic Cat, and, of course, Yamaha.
Today, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Bombardier remain the most successful jet ski manufacturers.
Most of the enhancements of the ever-evolving jet ski design have to do with safety and ease of operation.
Yamaha and Kawasaki are proud to keep producing stand-up designs, although the sitting models tend to be more popular.
Most models of jet skis now include an emergency shut-down clip or cord that operators can use to attach themselves to the craft should they risk taking too sharp a turn and slipping into the water.
The jet ski has quickly become a smaller, faster, and safer alternative to the typical motor boat.
The lack of external propellers is believed to be safer for wildlife and swimmers, making jet skis a popular choice not only for recreational jumping and speeding but also fishing, security and law enforcements, and even life guards, since many jet skis can be easily equipped with rescue platforms.
These watercrafts are even used by the US Navy. They’re compact enough to be carried and deployed from small vessels, and can be tricked out with GPS, electric compasses, two-way radio, radar reflectors, and more useful gadgets.
We at Lake Mead are proud to host a series of jet ski models, as well as slightly larger speedboats for those who prefer a little more room to walk around. We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief history of the modern jet ski, and we encourage you to come on down and give them a try yourself!
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source https://www.lasvegasjetskiandboatrentals.com/the-evolution-and-history-of-the-modern-jet-ski/
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