JET SKI TECH
Jet skis are popular around the world, but how do these tiny boats go so fast?
WORDS MIKE JENNINGS
THE JET SET
Personal
watercraft
work
thanks
to
smart
technology
and
basic
physics
Futuristic jet skis will balance greener, eco-friendly designs with more luxury
“These lightning-quick boats look effortless and exciting”
TRANSPORT AR ZONE
Races take place globally using specially designed craft that have been modified for racing
If you’ve ever been on a beach holiday, you’ll have seen jet skis zooming around on the water. These lightning-quick boats look effortless and exciting, but plenty of hard work beneath the surface helps these pocket rockets bounce across the waves. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a jet ski operates with motors and propellers, but that’s not the case – they work with powerful jets of water. And despite those jets, they’re not actually called jet skis: that’s a brand name that’s become popular, just like how hoover is now a common term for vacuum cleaner. If you want to be accurate, call them personal watercraft.