A safer ride

A safer ride

Technology Innovation Awards - lee/collier Runner-up by Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier

PWC Industries is putting the brakes on watercraft dangers.

Personal watercraft may be fun, but they're not the safest crafts on the water.

Consider the most recent U.S. Coast Guard accident statistics. In 2005, personal watercraft were involved in one out of four boating accidents which resulted in 65 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries.

"Those are just the ones that are reported," says Fort Myers entrepreneur Todd Bootes, who says his braking system could reduce those grim statistics. His company, PWC Industries, makes taillights that warn riders the personal watercraft in front of them is slowing down. With speeds reaching up to 70 miles per hour, there's only a split second to avoid a collision.

The brain of the system is an electronic module that senses when the watercraft slows down. It's been refined so that the up-and-down motion of the waves doesn't inadvertently activate the brake lights. It costs $200 and an owner or a dealer can install it within two hours. To cater to the rental market, there's a less expensive $100 model for fleet owners.

In addition, the company sells a kit that lets you hook the system to your vehicle so that the watercraft's taillight can be used as another brake light for the car. That costs $250.

So far, the company has sold about 50 taillight systems since it started selling them in July. Four dealers have signed up to install the systems and Bootes designed in-store displays that show off the product. The market is there: Bootes says manufacturers build 110,000 personal watercraft per year and a faster model comes out annually.

The taillight system is actually a byproduct of another endeavor. The company has developed a brake system that lets a rider squeeze a handlebar lever that lowers stainless-steel plates attached to the rear of the watercraft to slow it down. Bootes says it takes about 340 feet for a personal watercraft to come to a stop after reaching maximum speed. With his brakes, he says the watercraft can come to a stop in less than 100 feet.

The brake system is not available now. Bootes hopes to persuade leading manufacturers to buy the license to his patented system.

So far, Bootes says he and business partner, Verdelle Jahn, have invested $60,000 in the brake system and about $14,000 in the brake-light technology. Bootes and Jahn were partners in real estate ventures and Bootes now devotes his time fully to PWC. He estimates the venture will break even next year.

Besides the braking system, Bootes is now planning to introduce a waterproof stereo system for personal watercraft next year. All a rider has to do is hook up an iPod in a waterproof case and crank up the music with a volume-control button on the handlebar. The whole system is designed to be waterproof so that even the speakers can play while submerged. It will cost $450. "I could probably sell 500 sets today," Bootes says.

Bootes says the prototype stereo system has been a big hit with visitors to boat shows. He says one Naples dealer told him recently that he receives 20 to 30 calls a week from customers asking about installing a stereo system. However, there's nothing now on the market like it. "We'll be installing them next year," Bootes says.

Since all the components for his stereo system are available separately, it's only taken about $8,000 to design it. To help him overcome some of the technical challenges, Bootes contracted with two electrical engineers.

Bootes promotes his products on his Web site (www.jetskibrakes.com) and he's hoping for favorable product reviews in industry magazines and online forums. It's too expensive to advertise, he says. Boat shows are great marketing opportunities too, though he says they can cost several thousand dollars after you count hotels and meals.

In anticipation of the growth, Bootes has leased an 1,800-square-foot building in Cape Coral. Besides assembling and mailing the brake kits and stereo system, Bootes plans to offer installation services.