Thankfully, we couldn’t be on more-
appropriate craft. With low-water levels,
numerous shallows dot our first hours on
the river, shallows that would be a seri-
ous threat to a prop-driven boat. With
our jet pumps protected by intake grates
and flush with the hull, we manage to get
through without a scratch. The specific
models, 2018-vintage Sea-Doo GTX and
RXTs, are also tailor-made for adventure.
Each features clever mounts on the aft
platform, to which we’ve attached coolers, gas cans, and
gear bags loaded with the necessities. When that dry des-
ert air becomes too much, we simply spin around in the
saddle and pop open a Yeti cooler filled with ice, drinks
and snacks. When a distant gas stop later proves to be
unexpectedly out of fuel, we have jerrycans at the ready
to top of our tanks. A new storage system, which opens
directly to the driver while seated, also made it easy to
grab whatever was needed underway without leaving the
seat or teetering over the handlebars.The new GTX/RXT platform also
puts a premium on stability, meaning
if you had consumed a lot of water on a
lengthy ride with no shoreline facilities,
you could even briefly drift away from
your riding companions, kill the engine,
stand on one side of the craft, and re-
lieve yourself without fear of tipping the
boat and falling into the drink. Not that
I personally know of anyone who would
actually do such a thing ...CALM WATERS
AND RED-ROCK CANYONS
After miles of open water and empty desert, our return
to the real world is like finding an oasis, a restaurant/
bar/store and swimming-pool complex known as To-
pock 66. Named both for the picturesque gorge that
awaited us to the south as well as the adjacent historic
Route 66 highway, Topock 66 arrives out of nowhere.
One minute you’re riding through solitude, the nextThe Sea-Doo
GTX and
RXT-X are
especially
suited to
touring, with
an aft mount-
ing system
for switch-
able compo-
nents such as
a touring bag,
cooler or gas
can, as well
as a newly
designed
stowage
compartment
under the
handlebars
that swal-
lows up gear.BEYOND
LAUGHLIN,
DEVELOPMENT
EVENTUALLY
GIVES WAY TO
THE DESERT,
AND THE SOLI-
TUDE AND RAW
BEAUTY OF
THE NATURAL
LANDSCAPE
RETURN.
PHOTOS:COURTESY SEA-DOO
BOATINGMAG.COM | MAY 2018 | 77