Everglades Explorers

Weaving through Miles of Reeds and Cypress aboard Yamaha’s Latest PWC

Text and Photography by Dana Barry

When you get the opportunity to spend a day of riding and exploring some of America’s most pristine wetlands aboard all-new 2008 Yamaha WaveRunners, you don't think twice. Particularly if you’re accompanied with the world-famous Scott Watkins of Yamaha, Hydro-Turf’s Arno Olbricht and a few of the sport’s best freeriders, Taylor Curtis, Ross Champion and Mike Serlin.

While attending this year’s Daytona Freeride, the idea was hatched to stay an extra day to check out the wide open maze of Floridian waterways – better known as the Everglades- as most of us had never been. Ross led the way south to central Florida, just outside of Titusville. Our situation seemed perfect; the four of us would free to ride the all-new FX WaveRunners through an endless amount of water and wildlife.

There’s a saying in Florida that “if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” Within the hour-long drive, the clouds had set in with some chilly winds that made us question if we were still in the Sunshine State. As Ross was the only one who had ever been on the ‘glades before, we concluded that he would serve as our navigator through the labyrinthine waterways.

Fired up to get out on the water and go check out what Mother Nature had to offer, Scott graciously provided the four of us with brand-new 2008 WaveRunners, three FX Cruiser HOs and an early “behind the curtains” look at the new FX Cruiser SHO. By the smirk on his face, I could tell that Scott was pretty excited to have the boys try out the new technology and features of the skis.

For this year, Yamaha has introduced revolutionary nanotechnology in the manufacturing of its hulls, hull liners, and decks to maximize performance and durability, while decreasing overall vehicle weight. This lighter, faster, stronger and more responsive process has reduced the hulls’ weight by 25% while making them stronger than ever. The performance highlights include increased acceleration and top speed, better fuel economy, more responsiveness and enhanced handling all thanks to the improved power-to-weight ratio.

As Ross led the pack, we were keeping our eyes peeled for alligators or any other swampy residents that we might encounter. Ross promised we would see at least one gator on the ride, so cautiously, we all kept our feet out of the murky, brown water as much as possible. Without a plan or destination in mind, we just tried to stay in the deepest parts of the channel.

We soon discovered that there’s no “endless amount of water” out there. Without fail, each particular route we chose would hollow out, eventually dead-ending, forcing us to laboriously turn our whole parade back around. Wet, muddy, and still thinking about those gators Ross promised, we tried to make short work of the process. Acres of big cypress trees and lots of tall grass surrounded by a variety of exotic birds with the occasional sighting of some cow bones or wild pigs at the waters edge, composed most of the scenery, all of it flat, not a mole hill in sight.

Naturally, we had a lot of fun trying to find our way through the maze as we finally rounded the corner and got back to the main channel. Right then, Taylor spotted an alligator as we turned the corner, all six feet of it slithering into the water. As Ross puts it “I’m pretty sure if we had actually seen all the gators that were around here, I would have spent much less time in the water.”

Feeling like we were heading down the right channel, the river opened up to a wide straightaway and we decided this would be a great place for everyone to take a spin on the revolutionary SHO and try out the new features. Yamaha offers an impressive array of new features on the Cruiser series WaveRunners this year; one of them being Yamaha’s exclusive Cruise Assist, allowing the driver to set and hold a particular speed. Once set, the driver can adjust the throttle as they like with a touch of a button. When the throttle is disengaged, the system shuts off.

Another is the No Wake mode that makes cruising through No Wake zones a breeze. Once engaged, the No Wake mode drops the engine’s RPMs to an optimal speed - five miles per hour - for efficiently navigating through a limited-speed zone. Lastly, an additional feature is the digital multi-function instrumentation which includes the industry’s only fuel-flow meter that allows the driver to monitor fuel consumption.

Grabbing a handful of throttle, Mike was up and flying past us. Turning back around towards us - at lightning speed - the giant smile on his face evidenced his approval. Impressed with the machine and the endless band of power it delivers, he beams, “The SHO is so smooth and stable that even with a broken leg I was able to ride it aggressively.” Oh yeah, did I forget to mention? Mike was nursing a broken leg during the trip.

Wanting to burn a little daylight before moving on, Ross and Taylor decided to see who could throw the biggest spray, dousing each other with waves of water. Arno, safely watching the mayhem from the sidelines, got more water on him then any one else. “Worrying about what I might catch from the water kept my mind off how cold I was,” Arno said as he wiped off his sunglasses.

We all got a good laugh at Ross as he tried to pull a back flip off the back of the ski only to land in frigid knee-deep, alligator-infested water. Finished with the rough-housing, we made it to the freeway crossing, our first sign of civilization since we left, and passed under the bridge as the sun crept out just enough to warm us up.

In the distance we spotted some airboats parked in front of a restaurant on the river. Coming up on the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp and Twister Air Boat Rides, Arno had the great idea that after the ride we should go in the restaurant and try some of their specialty items, “alligator tail and frog legs.” He had some convincing to do, but we were hungry, and our stomachs wouldn't know the difference betwen alligator and chicken would they?

After checking out the airboats, an isolated beach ahead of us looked like a nice place to pull up and take a break and stretch our legs. Surrounding the beach, a huge grove of trees was shadowed by languid strands of Spanish moss drooping from the branches. After picking a few oranges we sat down on the sand to enjoy Florida’s best-known export.

Talking amongst ourselves about the day’s events we all decided that we would call it a day and head back to the launch ramp. Gliding across the glass like silvery water striders, we journeyed back. Saying our goodbyes to Scott, we thanked him for allowing us the day with the WaveRunners as well as spending the day with all of us. It meant a lot to the freeriders to have Scott come as he is truly legendary in the sport and looked up to by many. Arno, having known Scott for over 15 years, commented to us,”I’ve always appreciated his vast experience and good sense of humor.”

Before we departed, Arno reminded us that we cannot leave without trying some alligator. Ross, reassuring us that it “tastes just like chicken,” convinces us to have a bite and a cold drink. Relinquishing, we all sipped on sweet tea as Arno ordered our one-pound of alligator tail to share. Too much to our surprise, the fried alligator was tender and appetizing! We all laughed and pondered the foreign menu, wondering what to order next. The menu had other unusual local foods like turtle, catfish and frog legs. In the end, I think we had our fill of what the swamp had to offer.

With the day drawing to an end, we couldn't help but reflect about the day’s experiences. Ross tells us the highlight of the day for him was,"riding the new skis, especially the SHO. That is the most fun sit-down I have ever ridden. The boat was amazing; refined, insanely fast, and turned like it was on rails." Mike laughs and shares that, “between the alligators, the wild boars and the unusual quisine, it was a real experience.”

From Daytona to the Everglades, from crowded beaches to empty waterways loaded with wildlife and unheard of eats. Whether you are getting lost or finding your way, Florida has so much to offer the explorer in us all.