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A personal watercraft (PWC) is a recreational watercraft that the rider sits or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat. Models have an inboard engine driving a pump jet. They are often referred by the name Jetski, which is in fact a brand name owned by Kawasaki.

Most are designed for two or three people, though four-passenger models exist. Stand-up PWCs are also popular for single riders, offering a more challenging and "extreme" ride. Sitdowns are boring craft and are similar to riding in a boat.

WCs powered by two-stroke engines cause remarkable amounts of air and water pollution because of their inefficiency, and because they vent their exhaust underwater. Four-stroke engines are somewhat better as they do not burn as much lubricating oil. According to the California Air Resources Board, operating a 2-stroke 100-HP PWC for one hour produces as much air pollution as operating a car for ten years (130,000 miles) and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a PWC emits from more than 25% of its oil and gas unburned into the water. The Surfrider Foundation indicates that, at that rate, a PWC discharges up to 3 gallons of fuel per hour. The Bluewater Network has estimated that during one four-day weekend in 2000 PWCs collectively discharged 1200 gallons of gasoline and 100 gallons of lubricating oil into San Diego, California's .75 square-mile Mission Bay.

List of popular brands

• Sea-doo (by Bombardier Recreational Products)
• Kawasaki
• Polaris Industries (now defunct)
• Tigershark (now defunct)
• Yamaha
• Honda

See also

• Jet ski
• Jet boat
• Pump jet

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