2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X

You go, water dog! The recent history of personal watercraft reads much like the evolution of the automobile over the past 50 years, only condensed into a decade or so. EPA and CARB regulations have caused a 90-percent reduction in watercraft emissions, with fuel-injected four-stroke engines replacing two-stroke carbureted units. In the process, exhaust noise has been drastically reduced, and refinement is way up. Meanwhile, instead of offering room for just one rider to stand up, ever-increasing size and weight have resulted in enough space for two passengers to sit down. The best part of all this, as with cars, is the phenomenal spike in horsepower that has occurred. In 1998, a three-seat Sea-Doo made 85 horsepower. But many of today's personal watercraft are turbo- or supercharged and make 200—or even250—horsepower. Indeed, in 2000, the Coast Guard's concern that performance was getting out of hand prompted a gentlemen's agreement among watercraft builders to limit top speeds to 65 mph. Keep Reading: 2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X