| | Powerboating Magazine
"Polaris Industries ceases production of Personal Watercraft"
Mr. Trulio thoughts are right on target. We at Tres Rios and all of USPS should see this as a call to redouble our efforts at promoting our Safe Boating Classes. It appears clear to me that boating safety on the water is directly related to the success of the boating industry. Cdr Ken Voight, P POWERBOATING
A few weeks ago, Polaris Industries announced that it was getting out of
the personal watercraft business. The Minneapolis-based manufacturer,
which offered some excellent models and still builds snowmobiles and
all-terrain vehicles, simply had enough. That brings the total of major
builders that have left the market to three, which also happens to be same number of players remaining.
Before you start celebrating the demise of another builder of "water
lice," consider how personal watercraft opened up the realm of boating to
a lot of people who otherwise never would have had the opportunity.
Personal watercraft are, relative to other classes of powerboats,
affordable. That meant more people, many of them completely new to
boating, could enjoy the waterways.
It also meant that a lot of folks with zero boating experience or
education were taking to the water on fast, jet-propelled craft. They
didn’t know, for example, that until recently all personal watercraft,
like all jet-propelled boats, couldn’t turn without power. They’d find
themselves headed toward an obstacle, release the throttle in a panic and run right into it. Sometimes, the result was as benign as a scratch on a rub rail. Other times, it wasn’t.
There were other problems, especially with early models, emissions chief
among them. I can’t deny that, and only a fool would.
But I also can’t deny the pleasure of seeing new people on the water. I
grew up with the Pacific Ocean as my backyard. I drove my first boat, an
outboard-powered Boston Whaler, when I was 13. I’ve driven yachts and
ridden personal watercraft, and I loved both.
So I’m glad we have personal watercraft. And I’m sorry to see Polaris go.
Matt Trulio
Powerboat Editor
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