The Sea-Doo Switch – a Jet Ski-powered pontoon party boat – is one step closer to going on sale in Australia.
And the revolutionary watercraft could be legal to operate on Sydney Harbour even though Jet Skis have been banned on the iconic waterway since October 2001.
Watercraft Zone understands the Australian distributor of Sea-Doo plans to bring in a number of display models ahead of the upcoming boat show season – and dealer outlets are in the process of being appointed.
The Sea-Doo Switch is expected to initially be sold in selected Sea-Doo showrooms in Australia rather than across the entire network.
Watercraft Zone has been told there will initially be only one model: a top-of-the-line 21-foot, 230 horsepower supercharged edition.
In the US, the Sea-Doo Switch is available with a range of non-supercharged engines – 100-horsepower, 130-horsepower and 160-horsepower versions of the 1630cc three-cylinder also used across Sea-Doo’s personal watercraft line-up.
If early price estimates shared with Sea-Doo dealers are a guide, the Switch will not be cheap in Australia.
Although pricing is yet to be confirmed, Sea-Doo dealers have been told to expect an RRP close to $95,000.
This would make the Sea-Doo Switch about triple the price of a top-of-the-line Sea-Doo personal watercraft – and position it alongside the cost of a decent boat with a big outboard motor.
It is expected the first customer deliveries of the Sea-Doo Switch in Australia are due to commence later this year.
When Watercraft Zone asked about the legality of the Sea-Doo Switch on Sydney Harbour – given it has Jet Ski propulsion and uses Jet Ski handlebar-style steering with forward and reverse triggers – a statement from Transport for NSW said:
“Transport for NSW supports the safe uptake of new vessel types and technologies.
“Transport for NSW has a process in place to determine whether new vessel types are safe for use on NSW waterways.
“Transport for NSW will consider this emerging technology before its expected release in Australia.”
As previously reported, the Sea-Doo Switch has a Lego-style modular platform design and a range of accessories so customers can configure the craft to suit their individual needs.
While pontoon boats are not popular in Australia, they are most commonly used as party boats in calm waters such as rivers and lakes in North America.
Overseas tests have shown the Sea-Doo Switch isn’t as comfortable or as competent in choppy water, and the low-powered versions are deemed massively underpowered for the size and weight of the craft.
There are three Sea-Doo Switch platforms available in the US – 13-foot, 18-foot, and 21-foot designs – and all measure 2.4-metres wide, which makes them legal to tow on Australian roads (where the towing width limit is 2.5 metres).
The tri-hull Sea-Doo Switch has a 109-litre fuel bladder, rather than the 60- or 70-litre fuel tanks on the Sea-Doo personal watercraft range.
The Sea-Doo Switch line-up was unveiled for the North American market in August 2021, however production ramp-up and deliveries stalled amid the global pandemic.
More information on the local roll-out of the Sea-Doo Switch is expected closer to the upcoming boat show season in Australia.
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