If you want a Sea-Doo Fish Pro in time for the 2021-2022 Australian summer, it might be best to place an order now so you can secure a spot in the queue.
Large shipments of 2021 Sea-Doo Fish Pro 170 models have been delayed in Australia even though customers and dealers were promised delivery in the coming weeks after already being forced to wait several months.
Rather than taking delivery in May or June 2021 as promised by Sea-Doo, Australian dealers have been advised the next batch of the super-popular Fish Pro watercraft won’t arrive until August 2021 at the earliest.
Dealers and customers have contacted the Watercraft Zone claiming they believe their orders have been diverted to the US market, which is also experiencing severe shortages as it heads into summer.
Given that it takes approximately 60 days for Sea-Doo watercraft to reach Australia from the assembly line in Mexico, local Sea-Doo dealers say they were not given sufficient notice of the new delays and are now faced with a long list of upset customers.
“Everyone understands the world is in a state of flux right now and there are production delays and interruptions,” said one Sea-Doo dealer source. “However, the least Sea-Doo could have done is tell us sooner rather than later that there was going to be a further three-month delay.”
Some 2021 Sea-Doo Fish Pro 170 buyers had been waiting since January 2021 and were told they would be able to take delivery in May. But their five-month wait will now turn into an eight-month wait at a minimum.
“There’s no guarantee these (2021 Sea-Doo Fish Pro models) will turn up in August either, a lot of customers are asking for their money back. There needs to be a better way,” said the dealer source, speaking on condition of anonymity because showroom staff are not allowed to speak on behalf of Sea-Doo.
Meantime, although Sea-Doo has made running changes to its industry-first “Intelligent Debris Free” (IDF) debris-removal system, some early examples of Sea-Doo watercraft equipped with the technology are still experiencing gremlins.
The IDF is designed to temporarily engage a form of “reverse thrust” to clear debris from the intake grate and jet pump. However the IDF system on some models could get stuck between forward and reverse, which disables the craft and requires it to be towed as it cannot move under its own power at that point.
All watercraft fitted with Sea-Doo’s IDF technology had received a special pre-delivery inspection, however some faulty units appear to have slipped through.
Sea-Doo dealers say they are confident the manufacturer will come up with a permanent fix for the IDF system to make it more reliable.
In the meantime, dealers advise owners of 2021 Sea-Doo models who’ve experienced any dramas with the IDF technology to contact their nearest service centre so the craft can undergo a routine check up.
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