Cartoon stick figure pointing towards a chalkboard with “Sea-Doo” written in large chalk letters — representing a blog post about personal watercrafts and the Sea-Doo word mark trademark registration.

Trademark: Sea-Doo

First Used: 1968

Registered: April 1989

Current Owner: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. [1]

Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark

Primarily Associated With: boats [2]

Generic Phrase: personal watercraft, as in SEA-DOO® Brand personal watercraft

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:

A personal watercraft (PWC), also known as a water scooter, is a small recreational watercraft propelled by an inboard water jet engine. Some of the most famous personal watercraft brands include Jet Ski® (Kawasaki) [4], Wave Runner® (Yamaha) [5] (with its iconic Visibility Spout), and Sea-Doo® (Bombardier) [6].

Did you know, the first personal watercraft brand was not Jet Ski? That’s right, it was actually Sea-Doo! The history of Sea-Doo (and personal watercrafts) begins in the 1960s when Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), a Canadian company known for its Ski-Doo® snowmobiles having yellow hoods, sought to create a personal watercraft that mirrored the thrill of riding a Ski-Doo snowmobile on water. Joseph-Armand Bombardier, the company's founder, envisioned a small, maneuverable watercraft that would be accessible to recreational users. Partnering with Clayton Jacobson II, who went on to invent the Jet Ski brand personal watercraft, BRP introduced the first Sea-Doo brand personal watercraft in 1968. However, early models struggled with mechanical issues, particularly overheating problems, leading to a temporary discontinuation in the early 1970s.

The Sea-Doo brand made a strong comeback in 1988 when BRP reintroduced the brand with a completely redesigned and more reliable model. With innovations in hull design, improved engine technology, and a focus on affordability, the Sea-Doo brand quickly became a market leader in the PWC industry. Over the years, the brand has continued to evolve, introducing features like suspension systems, intelligent braking and reverse (iBR), and eco-friendly engine options. Today, Sea-Doo remains one of the most popular and recognizable names in personal watercraft, catering to both recreational and professional riders worldwide.

[1] Sea-Doo, https://sea-doo.brp.com/us/en/.

[2] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,532,911, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73605044&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[3] About Us, BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS, https://www.brp.com/en/our-company/about-us.html; The History Of Sea-Doo® PWC, S&N MOTORSPORTS, posted March 19, 2021, and available at https://www.snmotorsports.com/blog/the-history-of-sea-doo-pwc--33709; Sea-Doo® Company History, HAYWARD POWER SPORTS, posted September 28, 2020, and available at https://www.haywardpowersports.com/blog/seadoohistory?Year=2020; PWC History: The Evolution of Personal Watercraft, BOATINGMAG, last updated January 8, 2016, and available at https://www.boatingmag.com/pwc-history-evolution-personal-watercraft/.

[4] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,394,547, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73461685&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[5] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,508,023, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73703080&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[6] Id. At 2.