I have received a few emails from people asking about my PWC, so I have included the below report. Please send your PWC Report to [email protected] if you would like to include your PWC report on this page.

Brand: Seadoo
Year & Model: 1999 GSX Limited
Purchase Date: 26 March, 1999
Bought New or Used: New
Owned how long: 18 Months

Likes: Performance, Economy, Ease of Riding, DESS Security System, Information Centre features, and great colours (Black 'n' Red).

Dislikes: Use of Trim, reliability, Unavailability of Seadoo Lubricants from non-Seadoo Dealerships or Marine Shops, The cost of Seadoo Oil.

Before buying my PWC, I test rode a Yamaha GP1200 as well as a Seadoo GSX Limited (GSXL). The GSXL was very impressive from the start as although I was a relatively inexperienced PWC rider, the ski felt like it was made for me. When I test rode the GSXL, I had no problem controlling the awsome power the ski had to offer. It was quick off the mark and handled extremely well. I had hoped to have also test ridden a Seadoo XP Limited (XPL) which has the same engine, so I could compare the two ski's. Unfortunately, although my XPL test ride was promised by the Seadoo dealer, this test ride never eventuated. I feel this dealer did not initially believe me when I expressed my interest in buying a PWC, so I guess he didn't take me serious enough to allow me to test ride the XPL. It was his loss though as I ended up buying my PWC elsewhere because of his poor level of customer service. I also test rode the GP1200 about a week after test riding the GSXL. The Yamaha was also an impressive ski. The quality of the GP1200 was obviously superior to the Seadoo GSXL. I loved the storage in the GP1200 and the Yamaha's manual Trim System is superior than the Seadoo electronic Trim System. However, the GP1200 didn't handle or perform as good as the Seadoo, and I didn't feel as confident riding the Yamaha as I did with the Seadoo. I made the decision on my purchase based on which ski felt the best for me and the GSXL won hands down.

So after buying the Seadoo GSXL, I had gone through the painful experience of breaking in my ski. The pain was not anything physical, but the pain of anxiety knowing that I could not ride the ski to its full capability in the first 10 hours. For those of you who may not realise this, there are breaking in procedures that you are required to take in the first 10 hours of running a new PWC. If you do not follow the correct break-in procedures, you could damage the engine. It only took a week for me to break in my ski, when I returned the ski to my dealer for it's 10 hour service. The day after it's service, I experienced my first tour with a PWC club (See PWC Stories for details).

The handling on the GSXL is fantastic as the ski really cuts in the water, but the ski doesn't stop you from doing 360 degree spins if thats what you want to do. The huge Jet Pump enables me to easily do 80-90 degree vertical riding at slow speed with a passenger leaning on the back and when the trim is set to the highest position. It also has the best excelleration for a stock PWC. I love the Black 'n' Red colours, but the hull is easily scratched by sand and the scratch marks are easily seen. I found the trim button taking a little while to get use to as it is very close to the Start/Stop Button (I liked the Yamaha's Trim System better). As I often take my PWC on long trips, the generous storage is very handy and the large 56 Litre fuel tank is also welcomed which enable's me to do long trips without regular refueling. With an above average fuel economy to top it all off, I believe the Seadoo GSXL is the most ideal 2 seater PWC for long distant cruising. The economy really depends on hard hard you ride though, as it can take anywhere between 1 to 4 hours of riding to empty the fuel tank.

I have now owned my GSXL for 18 months and have done over 120 hours of riding on it. During this time, I've had a few reliability problems including Water Ingestion after flipping my ski for the first time, within a month after buying my ski. Although I followed the correct procedures to avoid water entering the engine after this incident, it was sad to hear the news that my PWC suffered water ingestion. The pistons, engine block and crank shaft had to be replaced which could have cost me around $5000.00 (Australian) according to the Seadoo Dealer. I feel I am lucky that Seadoo had agreed to replace these parts under warranty, but unlucky knowing the same thing can happen if I flip my ski upside down again. After the new engine was put together, I had to go through the painful process for the second time of breaking in my new engine. Since then, I experienced a number of problems until early April 2000 when both my Starter and Stator (or Altenator) blew. Luckily I purchased Seadoo's extended warranty when I bought my ski as the Starter and Stator blew a week after the first year warranty ended. Unfortunately it took a month for my dealer to get a replacement Stator which could have taken longer if it wasn't for Andrew Short Marine (See PWC Dealer of the Year for details). Other problems I've had includes a broken trim rod, fraded hood cable, Information Centre resetting itself (still does it), faulty speed sensor replaced (twice) and a broken fuel switch. Since April 2000, My PWC has been treating me really well and has suddenly become more reliable than ever.

I would like to see Seadoo a bit more generous when it comes to the cost and the availability of their lubricants. They should allow other marine shops to sell their lubricants as the nearest Seadoo Dealer is approx 45 minutes drive away from my home. At well over $60 (Australian) for 4 litres of the Seadoo Synthetic Oil, I can see why PWC buyers would consider other brands of Jetski.

Overall, my Seadoo GSXL is a great PWC, and I recommend it for straight line riding. But it's not the ideal ski to flip upside-down or to do regular spins. I give it a rating of 7.5 out of 10, but would give it a rating of 9 out of 10 if it was more reliable, the lubricants were readily available at all Marine Shops and the cost of the lubricants were more reasonable.

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