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A Look at the 1999 Personal Watercrafts

© Karen K. Patton

It is that time of the year. The boat shows are making their way through the country, and it is easy to get Jet Ski Fever! There are actually some new and exciting innovations in the 1999 models. In 1999, four of the five PWC manufacturers have answered the outcries from the public regarding alleged emissions and noise problems. To subdue some of these complaints, these four manufacturers have developed and installed emissions technology and noise reduction systems on certain models to offer the consumer a "clean machine". Another change that we see this year is the introduction of a more "family friendly" PWC. Two of the PWC manufacturers have introduced larger, four-passenger PWCs. And of course, there are still more technological advances in the race to make the ultimate high performance machine. There is something for everyone this year.

For the person who thinks bigger is better, for 1999 Yamaha has introduced one of the largest personal watercrafts in the industry, the four-passenger SUV. Stretching 12 ½ feet, this watercraft not only holds more people, but more of their stuff, with over 116 gallons of storage on board. Yamaha has also made some environmental improvements to its XL1200 WaveRunner, last year's Watercraft of the Year. This model has been replaced with the new XL1200 Limited. This new three-passenger watercraft now has 155 horsepower and utilizes Yamaha's Platinum Plus clean air system for less emissions and Yamaha Sound Suppression System to dramatically reduce noise.

Polaris also introduced their new four-passenger PWC to the market for 1999. Genesis comes equipped with the PLANET™ (Polaris Low Acoustic Noise Exhaust Technology) system which reduces sound pressure by more than 60% from the 1998 Polaris SLTX. Polaris also claims to have the only "race-ready" PWC on the market. The Pro 785 is a limited edition watercraft geared for the experienced rider.

This year Sea-Doo introduced its D-Sea-Bel™ technology which helps to reduce noise levels up to 50%. Also, Sea-Doo models equipped with their new Rotax™ Fuel Injection, the PWC industry's first fuel-injected engine, benefit from increased fuel economy while decreasing emissions to meet EPA guidelines into the next century.

For 1999, Tiger Shark introduced Tigershark® TS 1100 Li™ featuring its new FICHTTM™ direct-injection engine that runs cleaner and quieter while using 50% less fuel. Tigershark also offers "family economy" PWC's which are great as entry-level watercrafts or second watercrafts for families.