Another summer and another round of Sea-Doo watercraft and Can-Am patrol buggies have hit the beaches around Australia.
Both brands – sold under the Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) umbrella – this week celebrated a 15-year partnership worth more than $10 million.
While the company is coy about how many Jet Skis and beach buggies have been delivered, estimates by Watercraft Zone put the tally at close to 1000 Sea-Doo watercraft and 1000 Cam-Am beach patrol vehicles.
That equates to approximately 60 new Sea-Doos and 60 new Can-Ams nationally each year, based on conservative estimates, which are then used on average for about three years before being replaced.
A statement from Surf Life Saving Australia said the equipment is used by surf clubs and state and territory authorities.
Some Sea-Doo watercraft and Can-Am beach patrol vehicles are part of an annual sponsorship deal, but the majority are purchased by Surf Life Saving Australia.
According to Surf Life Saving Australia, over the past 15 years Sea-Doo watercraft have been involved in more than 23,000 rescues – and last summer they accounted for one in five rescues performed by surf lifesavers.
A statement issued by Surf Life Saving Australia this week said:
“Last season, 1777 rescues were made using rescue watercraft such as the Sea-Doo (and were) responsible for more coastal rescues than any other watercraft.
“We now also have more than 1700 volunteer surf lifesavers who are qualified (Jet Ski rescue) operators”.
The Sea-Doo GTI series watercraft are used for on-water patrols and rescues.
The Can-Am beach buggies are used to monitor long stretches of coastline – and to get to a location quicker and closer to where someone needs to be rescued from the water.
BRP says it is also providing Surf Life Saving Australia with 5000 lifejackets – valued at more $1 million (or $200 per life jacket) – to be distributed around the country.
It is unclear whether the lifejackets will be used solely by volunteer lifesavers – or shared among rock fishermen, who account for the highest proportion of coastal drowning deaths in most jurisdictions around Australia.
There is a renewed focus on ocean safety after a tragic surge in the number of drownings in Australia over the past three years.
Last summer – from the start of December 2022 to the end of February 2023 – more than 54 people drowned on the Australian coastline, including 28 in NSW alone, the highest ocean death toll on record for the nation’s most populous state.
The victims were a mix of experienced and inexperienced swimmers, and almost half of them (43 per cent) were caught in a rip current, according to Surf Life Saving Australia.
Rock fishermen not wearing life jackets – who were knocked off their feet and swept into the water by a large wave – were also among those who died in the ocean.
Surf Life Saving Australia said last summer “100 per cent of coastal drowning deaths occurred either at an unpatrolled area, outside patrol hours, or outside the red and yellow flags.
“The majority of summer coastal drowning deaths were recorded on Australia’s east coast, with a staggering 28 deaths in New South Wales, the highest number ever recorded,” the organisation reported last year.
MORE: All our Sea-Doo coverage in one click
MORE: All our Yamaha WaveRunner coverage in one click
MORE: All our Kawasaki Jet Ski coverage in one click
MORE: All our news coverage in one click
MORE: Follow us on Facebook
MORE: Follow us on YouTube
