2018 Yamaha VX Cruiser HO – Long Haul Ep. 27

It’s pretty much identical to Yamaha’s performance-minded VXR, so why is the VX Cruiser HO priced $600 less? Frankly, we have no idea because we think it’s got more bells-and-whistles from what you’d expect from such a budget-priced runabout. It’s a fun, zippy performer that’s both stable and sporty – so what’s there not to […]

2017 Yamaha EX Deluxe WaveRunner – Long Haul Episode 13

Not content to simply build “their version of a Spark,” Yamaha WaveRunners designed a completely unique 3-seater runabout to compete in the ever-growing Rec Lite segment. The new EX series is light, playful and smart, and yet retains a lot of Yamaha’s standards in reliability and longevity. The Watercraft Journal reviews the top-of-the-line EX, the […]

2018 Greenhulk Mudbug – Long Haul Ep. 29

It’s one of the best and biggest personal watercraft events in the Southeast, and it’s our fourth time attending so of course we’d make our trip to the 2018 Mudbug an episode of “Long Haul!” We brought with us two of the most exciting personal watercraft in the marketplace today, the 2018 Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner […]

Thrashing on Sea-Doo’s 2016 RXT-X 300 & RXP-X 300 – Long Haul Ep. 2

On this episode of Long Haul, The Watercraft Journal’s Kevin Shaw walks through all of the new changes, additions and performance gains in the 2016 Sea-Doo lineup. Kevin walks through all the details of the new 300-horsepower ACE motor in the RXT-X 300 and RXP-X 300, and takes each one individually to the water to […]

JC Racing ’17 Kawasaki SX-R 1500 Mid-Sponsons Install & Test – Long Haul Episode 14

There’s no doubt that the Kawasaki SX-R 1500 is one of the most polarizing machines new for the 2017 model year – and racers and recreational riders alike are coming around the big standup. We’ve had one in our possession for a while now and we’re still getting familiar with everything this ski can do. […]

Hammering on Yamaha’s 2017 all-new GP1800 – Long Haul Ep. 3

On this episode of Long Haul, The Watercraft Journal’s Kevin Shaw walks through the all-new 2017 Yamaha GP1800. Kevin details the evolution of this machine from VX to the new replacement to the outgoing FZR and FZS. With a superior power-to-weight ratio than any other musclecraft of its kind, the new GP1800 is one of […]

2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 – Long Haul Episode 16

Whoohoo! It’s possibly the single-most anticipated episode of “Long Haul” since we test rode the 2017 Kawasaki SX-R. And why is that? Because The Watercraft Journal just spent four whole days flogging the heck out of Sea-Doo’s all-new, completely redesigned 2018 RXT-X 300. Riding on a completely revolutionary ST3 platform, the new RXT-X borrows heavily […]

Cruising 90 Miles On The Cumberland – Long Haul Ep. 4

On this episode of Long Haul, The Watercraft Journal’s Kevin Shaw takes us on a 90-plus-mile ride from Ashland City, Tennessee, down the famous Cumberland River (once canoed by frontiersmen and fur trappers, and even paddled by American folk hero Davy Crockett), into the middle of scenic downtown “Music City” itself: Nashville, Tennessee – all […]

2018 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 230 & 300 – Long Haul Episode 18

It’s the most well-equipped, luxurious personal watercraft that Sea-Doo has built, and in this episode of “Long Haul” we put this supercharged machine through its paces. Of the GTX models, there’s only two tiers of the Limited series, 230 and 300. We don’t get into the nitty gritty performance differences between the two, because frankly, […]

RIVA Racing’s Stage 1 Kit-Equipped 2017 Yamaha EX Deluxe – Long Haul Ep. 6

The Watercraft Journal test rides RIVA Racing’s all-new Stage 1 Kit-equipped 2017 Yamaha EX Deluxe WaveRunner. The newly minted Stage 1 Kit is without handling components, solely performance adders and turns this little rec rider into a super-fun go kart. Here’s a complete list of parts: RIVA MaptunerX Yamaha TR-1 Bundle RIVA Yamaha EX Power […]

2018 Yamaha FX SVHO WaveRunner – Long Haul Episode 19

Long, low and sleek and able to pretty much do it all. It’s even been the recipient of The Watercraft Journal’s “Watercraft of The Year,” the winner of several offshore super course and endurance races, and continues to be the favorite of performance-minded runabout riders since its redesign in 2012. Today we review the 2018 […]

2017 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki Review (Finally!) – Long Haul Ep. 7

It took an agonizing 6 months to finally happen, but The Watercraft Journal gets its hands on the most hotly anticipated personal watercraft to come out in years – the all-new Kawasaki SX-R JetSki. Marking the return of Kawasaki to the world of standup skis, the SX-R looks huge, packs bigger power and surprised the […]