10 feet in length, nominally wider 3 feet, 10 inches
in width, and weighs in at only 421 pounds. Fuel
capacity is only 7.9 gallons. Though both craft are
now three-seaters, passenger capacity varies. The
EX is rated to carry 529 pounds, the Sea-Doo 450.
Perhaps the most notable diff erence between
the two craft is hull construction. Sea-Doo
unveiled a new hull and deck material when the
Spark made its debut, a mix of polypropylene
with long-strand glass-fi ber reinforcement
dubbed PolyTec. It’s lightweight, cheaper to
produce, and comes molded in a variety of matte
colors. Yamaha stuck with fi berglass-based sheet
molding compound (SMC), the same material
long used to form all WaveRunners. Both sides
will cry foul on occasion when it comes to
construction claims, but under normal use our
experience has shown that both materials are
quite durable. Yamaha’s SMC is more rigid, but
can reveal fi berglass’s brittle nature if punched
with a sharp dock corner. Sea-Doo’s PolyTec
reveals more fl ex, but seems to resist that type of
damage better. Yamaha’s painted fi nish features
a nice shine but can show scratches. Sea-Doo’s
exterior better hides those marks, but you’ll
never buff it up to gleam in the sun.
Both craft feature a minimal LCD screen
to keep tabs on essentials such as fuel level.
Yamaha features EVA footwell traction mats,
while Sea-Doo molds a textured pattern into the
footwells and aft deck.{HANDLING}Both craft display more playful
handling than other craft in their respective
lineups. That means with the proper weight shift
and throttle input, you can break the stern free or
tweak the craft coming off a wave. Of the pair, the
Spark is the most free-spirited. With a good snap
of the handlebars, I can actually spin it out into a
180-degree slide. The EX isn’t quite as loose when
trying to perform freestyle-type maneuvers.The fl ip side is that the EX’s precise ride may
inspire a tad more confi dence in novice riders.
While both craft can crank their way through a
precision turn, the Yamaha feels more locked
in. Its slightly longer hull and added weight alsoSEA-DOO UNVEILED A NEW HULL
AND DECK MATERIAL WHEN
THE SPARK MADE ITS DEBUT, A
MIX OF POLYPROPYLENE WITH
LONG-STRA ND GLASS-FIBER
REINFORCEMENT DUBBED POLYTEC.PH
OT
OS
:^ CO
UR
TE
SY^
YA
MA
HA
MO
TO
R^ C
OR
PO
RA
TIO
N,^ U
SA
BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2019 | 93