Which is the best personal watercraft? You can't imagine how many times I have been asked that question. Asked without context, this question has absolutely no correct answer. The answer depends on your likes and dislikes, the ages and physical abilities of the user or users, your budget, and, perhaps most importantly, the body of water that you will most regularly have access to.
Some personal watercraft or pwc are best suited for single users. In this case the user must be old enough to operate the pwc and be a competent swimmer. Some motorized personal watercraft require a license and the license itself will have a built in age requirement. Some require a minimum amount of physical strength to operate. Some personal watercraft are perfect for small rivers and streams while others can be used their full potential on larger bodies of water. Some pwc require strong and consistent winds. some require waves, while others are best suited for windless flat water. Some have motors and some don't have motors.
As you can see, the answer to "which personal watercraft is best suited for a single 24 year who is in good shape" will be much different to "which personal watercraft is best suited for a 75 year old that has been told by his doctor to get some more exercise".
Personally, I lean towards owning a Seadoo PWC as I live near a large lake that is perfect for Seadooing and I have a tight circle of friends that I regularly Seadoo with. However, when I visit my parent's cottage I really enjoy windsurfing and canoeing.
Each different PWC comes with it's own pros and cons. Before you invest in a PWC you should think realistically about what type is best suited for you and your family. Your first PWC should not be a Seadoo that you can only manage to use once per year even if that type of PWC seems to be the most fun.
In later posts I will go over in detail the pros and cons of a number of different types of PWCs that I hope will help you to answer which type of PWC is best for you.
