This time of year it is hard to get away from the computer and designing, so when an opportunity presents itself you have to act quick. With an invitation to get a first look at the 2008 Sea•Doo line up I quickly hopped on a flight up to Northern California's Lake Shasta. If you haven't been to Lake Shasta then you should go. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking with dense pines covering the hills and emerald green water at your feet. This was the perfect venue to test the 2008 product including everything from the new 430 horse powered 230 wake boat as well as their extensive fleet of personal watercraft including the versatile and agile GTI 155 and 215, to the adrenaline pumping RXP series, which provides 255 hp to the water and has a 0-60 time quicker than a Ferrari 430.

The Sea•doo I was most interested in was the Wake Edition. Sea•Doo has had a Wake Edition line for sometime now but they have once again proven to be innovators with designing a removable ballast system for 2008. The system, which can be fitted on previous models as well, draws 200 lbs of water into a self-contained ballast system that has a non-skid surface and footrests for the rear-facing spotter. Also new for this year is a variable trim system, which is crucial when adding the extra weight. This provides an actual green water wake, which really opens the door for wake maneuvers behind a personal watercraft. You can actually create a double up with this thing.

With two full days of being catered to by the entire Sea•Doo staff and covering almost half of Lake Shasta, I would have to say I was not ready to go home. Having the opportunity to ride behind the jet-driven 230 Wake boat, which provides a legit wake, and then instantly get behind a Sea•Doo PWC with a ballast system doesn't make me want to rush back the office. But eventually reality kicked in and it was time to say goodbye. Hopefully they do the same next year and I can find myself back at Shasta doing it all over again.