What Happened to This Sea Doo Tour Bag?
This is a story about the Sea Doo tour bag that never was – unlike the other products I review. The tour bag appeared briefly at the BRP Club in Montreal in the summer of 2011 as a prototype. It made the print version of the 2012 Parts, Accessories and Clothing Catalogue. Riders and dealers were excited that Sea-Doo was finally coming out with a touring bag and many orders were placed, but then it mysteriously vanished without explanation, like Al Capone. There’s nothing like it in their 2013 catalogue either, just a couple of back packs and a dry bag – and a really nifty duffle bag that I’m using to carry my Sea-Doo gear in my SUV.
When I asked the powers that be at BRP what happened to the new touring bag, I didn’t receive anything definitive, but got the impression there may have been some potential liability issues related to the risk that some passengers might use it as a backrest, and it certainly wasn’t meant for that.
My Sea Doo Tour Bag never came off!
So What are You Missing?
I was able to snag one of the prototypes and 50 tested it for 50 hours in all conditions during the summer of 2011. Little did I know the bag would disappear like the Invisible Man. Recently, I was sorting through some electronic files, when I came across the review I wrote at the time, but was never published because the product in question went up in smoke. Everything I said in my review still applies and many good reasons remain why riders still needs a touring bag that works. I know because I’m still using that prototype for my own Sea-Doo touring – too bad you can’t get one too! Who knows? Maybe the brain trust at Sea-Doo parts, accessories and clothing are developing a better replacement for their touring bag that never was. One thing for sure though, we’re not going to see it real soon as stated in my review!
My Tour Bag Review…
Touring riders never seem to have enough storage space on board. Until now, the options for adding extra space have been limited to bungeeing a dry bag to the rear grab bar or creating some other jerry-rigged set up on your Sea-Doo watercraft. For 2012, Sea-Doo is introducing a new touring bag that sits on the back of the seat and rear grab handles. In position, it looks much like the storage case on a typical motor scooter.
The bag has a decent capacity and attaches easily with two simple straps and two Velcro wraps. Before testing, I have to admit to being sceptical about the bag staying attached through varying conditions. But in very rough water, during manoeuvres that almost threw me off, and over many hours of riding, the bag remained rock solid, never moving or even loosening a little.
While the bag does not appear to be tightly sealed to keep water out, it does a remarkable job of keeping contents dry. I deliberately tested it with clothes inside unprotected by plastic. While I sometimes got thoroughly soaked as a rider, the bag sat high and dry with no discernable moisture entering or dampness on the contents.
When in position, the lid lifts up towards the rear, so contents are easily accessible to the operator when riding one up. This bag is for touring or cruising; it might be in the way of a tow sports spotter or if you wanted to ride three up.
That said, an integrated bag to supplement on board storage space is a major benefit for touring riders and this new Sea-Doo touring bag does the job. I expect to see a lot of these on the water real soon.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other product reviews!
The tips and advice in this article are the opinions of the author, may not work in every situation and are intended only for the convenience and interest of the reader, who has the personal responsibility to confirm the validity, accuracy and relevancy of this information prior to putting it to their own use.