What It’s Like To Ride The World’s Fastest & Most Powerful Production Jet Ski

The Sea-Doo RXP-X 325 thrills like no other watercraft can.

(Sea-Doo/Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)

Spritzes from central Florida’s St. John’s river told me that I wasn’t technically airborne, but the sensation felt less like floating and more like gliding. Not in the graceful way the surrounding egrets were conducting methodical flyovers in search of fish—my knuckles were white and my heart was pounding. Though the Sea-Doo RXP-X 325’s ride was devoid of any bucks or vertical movement, its straight-line speed still squeezed my adrenal gland as unimpeded airflow temporarily disfigured my face.

The experience triggered a strong childhood memory of a 2000s-eraTop Gear episode, in which always-spirited host Jeremy Clarkson helmed an Ariel Atom. The open-wheel, open-top (but somehow street-legal) roadster impressed the blunt British gearhead, who summed up the vehicle’s particular brand of speed with an all-time quote. “It’s so quick, it can destroy your entire face,” Clarkson said, his cheeks undulating under gale-force winds.

I didn’t remember more details until I re-watched the segment on YouTube. Clarkson breathlessly reveled in the almost unrivaled horsepower-to-weight ratio, batshit zero-to-60-mph time, g-force-producing grip, and superlative performance—the Atom would eventually take the top spot on the motoring program’s power-lap board, besting even seminal hypercars like the Ferrari Enzo and Koenigsegg CCX. Disregarding the Top Gear appearance, all of the above attributes also belong to the Sea-Doo RXP-X 325.

(Sea-Doo/Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)

When it comes to horsepower, the crown belongs to Sea-Doo’s flagship personal watercraft (This is technically the correct term, as “Jet Ski” is a Kawasaki model name.) As RideApart points out, Sea-Doo’s engineers redesigned the proven 1.6-liter supercharged three-cylinder to bump up output from 300 to 325 horses, presumably so the RXP-X could steal the “most-powerful” title from the 310-hp Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310XL. This figure and feat were achieved by improving the air intake system, upgrading the planetary gearbox’s components, and, most importantly, equipping a new supercharger that spools up to 100,000 rpm. That extra juice helps the RXP-X 325 achieve another industry record: It’s the world’s fastest production jet ski, with a 0-62-mph time of 3.4 seconds.

I’d been in cars and on motorcycles capable of that sort of acceleration, but my personal watercraft (PWC) experience was nonexistent, save for one hour-long ride on a rental off the coast of Cancun. Even so, when I first sat in the RXP-X’s narrow, race-inspired Ergolock R seat and grasped its low-profile handlebars, I thought “This will probably be like some sort of seafaring crotch rocket.” Incorrect.

Before I fired up the three-cylinder, my accompanying Sea-Doo rep suggested that I connect my iPhone. Using the 7.8-inch touchscreen I completed a standard Bluetooth pairing process, and the powerful pair of 50-watt speakers built into the fairing below each handlebar beamed music with impressive clarity.

(Sea-Doo/Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)

You won’t find an audio system on any sport bike, let alone an analogously capable motorcycle like a Ducati Panigale V4. More importantly, the fact that I—effectively a jet-ski virgin—was encouraged to crank up the tunes before even turning over the world’s most powerful PWC engine speaks directly to what makes the RXP-X really special, especially when compared to other flagship performance vehicles: The learning curve is nearly non-existent.

It took my Sea-Doo guy only a matter of minutes to give a thorough rundown of the controls. Throttle is engaged with a lever on the right handlebar—I was reminded that all PWCs require gas to turn. The lever on the left handlebar controls the Intelligent Brake and Reverse system (iBR)—grab this lever to slow down, and, once stopped, continue depressing the lever to back up. First introduced in 2008, Sea-Doo’s iBR marked the first time a jet-ski had been equipped with a brake, which cut stopping distance in half—the innovation even earned the brand an award from the United States Coast Guard. What’s more, iBR also gave riders the ability to reverse without letting go of the handlebars for the first time.

That was all I needed to know before riding the world’s fastest and most powerful production PWC. Granted, my first steps were taken in a giant lake without another watercraft in sight, but I think I could have navigated a stream on my maiden voyage without issue. Balance and stability were non-factors, and the throttle delivery was exceedingly easy to intuit. To add context: I rode a cruiser motorcycle for an entire year before I tried out my first middle-of-the-road sport bike, and the latter’s comparatively touchy throttle response still required careful input. I reckon you could put a precocious teenager on the RXP-X without worrying about whiskey-throttle.

(Sea-Doo/Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)

I practiced slow speed turns and gradual acceleration for about five minutes before I gave it the beans. It felt like 60 mph came in about two seconds and a goofy grin stretched across my face. After another five minutes, I switched from Eco mode to Sport mode, at which point a message flashed on the LCD screen instructing me to advise any would-be passenger to hold on. I went full-throttle again, and this time, the vehicle launched entirely out of the water with the trajectory of an orca’s leap, I shit you not. I actually laughed.

As the Sea-Doo rep and I embarked on a trip up and down the St. John’s river, the grin morphed into perma-smile. Except when forbidden by signage, we were at or near the electronically limited top end for the entire way. As joyfully jarring as it is to launch the RXP-X, the ride felt like a silky smooth glide thanks to the design of the T3-R fiberglass hull, which features a shark gill design at midpoint to increase predictability and an aggressively deep V-shape. At speed, the pointed bottom of this V shape is the only part of RXP-X that’s in-contact with the water… until you corner, at least.

Most other PWCs have rounder hulls that skim across the water’s surface while cornering. The RXP-X’s T3-R hull does the opposite: It cuts into the water hard and refuses to deviate from the direction in which the handlebars are pointed. Riders are required squeeze their legs into the molded, side-mounted kneepads and hold on for dear life, lest g-force causes them to take flight. I’d felt this exactly once before on the three-wheeled Can-Am Spyder (quite a coincidence, considering both Sea-Doo and Can-Am are owned by Canada’s Bombardier Recreational Products).

(Sea-Doo/Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)

I previously described the “intensely thrilling sensation that something is trying to pull your body in the opposite direction while turning.” Well, on the RXP-X, that sensation is considerably more intense—the trike will break traction, the PWC will toss the rider well before the hull gives out. I don’t think I’ve experienced quite so much lateral g-force in my life. The last thing I did on the RXP-X was “test” this cornering ability by doing donuts until my hip cramped.

No reasonable person would put a new driver into the cockpit of a world-beating hypercar. Before a new rider tests out a 600-cc sport bike, they’d better have at least a couple thousand miles in the saddle of something tamer and, preferably, a certificate from a safety course. Meanwhile, I rode the RXP-X like a maniac for 50 miles without incident. If there’s another top-performing vehicle that a plebe can handle so easily, please drop me a line so I can come drive it. From $19,499

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