They say the best things in life are free, and perhaps that is true. Everything that really matters goes into that upper echelon of priorities and importance. But we would like to offer up a secondary thought. One that sits slightly below on the hierarchy of inspirational-yet-somewhat annoying cliches to hear about life, and that is this: “Sometimes, fun costs money”. Now that is not to say that all fun costs money, nor is the amount of fun you have directly proportional to the amount of money you spend, but more that there could be a relationship between occasionally having to spend money in order to reap the benefits of the work you put into making that money by way of experiencing fun in whatever way you have chosen.
Oftentimes that chosen method of fun has something to do with the beach. Whether it’s a beach house, boat, vacation, timeshare, you name it. A relatively new addition to that list of things you can drop your hard earned cash on comes from Sea-Doo, called the GTX Limited 215. This top of the line luxe-personal watercraft comes with some serious amenities and options, the only question is: How much do you want to spend?
With an overall length of 139.2”, a beam of 48.2” and a dry weight of 894 pounds, the GTX Limited 215 is no small PWC. It’s got size enough for three riders, which are afforded stadium-style seating so they are able to see beyond the shoulder blades directly in front of them. The hull is a large stable piece that can handle a rider capacity of 600 pounds, and has a deep-V bottom to keep drag to a minimum. Riding and driving positions are all well thought out with carpeted footwells and a narrower knee area is provided by the Ergolock seat to help keep hip strain down as much as possible. This seat is designed with the driver in mind, and its main goal is to help connect the boat and its captain while inspiring confidence and providing comfort.
The list of features includes the iTC System, which stands for Intelligent Throttle Control. This fun setup gives the driver full authority to program the GTX Limited 215’s power delivery by using different mode settings. ECO, Sport or Touring with an activity-specific cruse control all give the GTX as many different personalities as a lifetime psych ward resident. Another feature that uses more letter abbreviations is the iBR, which stands for Intelligent Brake and Reverse System. This incredibly useful system is the second-generation from Sea Doo. According to SD, the GTX Limited 215, when stopping from 50 mph using iBR, stops a full 160 feet shorter than the same PWC without iBR.
There are a host of smaller options that all add up to a more luxurious feel when grouped together than perhaps separately, but it’s the little things that matter the most right? Things like the Electric Variable Trim System that adjusts the trim positions to give it different looks. The iControl Learning Key is much like a valet key for a high-end sports car. It serves as a safety device by limiting the boat’s power so new drivers, or those unfamiliar with the powerful 1494cc Rotax 1503 SCIC 4-TEC motor, which can make up to 300 horsepower on 91 octane. The Off-Throttle Assisted Steering does exactly what it’s name flatly implies, helping low speed turning. The key possesses radio frequency technology as well for added security.
The Sea Doo GTX Limited 215 may be a mouthful to say, but it will have a lot of people talking at your next beach party. Of course, all that fun in the sun comes at a price, as well mentioned earlier. The price here starts at $14,899 and goes up from there depending on just how many options you’d like to tack on to the Sea Doo. So while the best things in life may be free, sometimes, fun does cost money. And in this case, about fifteen grand might just buy you a lifetime of fond memories, and those … are priceless.