Sea-Doo Switch Safety Information - Risk of Capsizing

BRP is providing important safety information to remind Switch owners, operators and passengers not to create a risk of capsizing by operating their watercraft when it is frontloaded.

This page presents safety instructions and warnings regarding the risk of capsizing if the Sea-Doo Switch is overloaded at the bow and explains how operators and passengers can avoid creating a risk of capsizing with proper loading before operation.

Boating safety guidelines require boats to be properly loaded during operation (for example, see the U.S. Coast Guard publication "A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats", or the Transport Canada publication "Safe Boating Guide: Safety Tips and Requirements for Pleasure Craft"). That means the total weight of passengers plus cargo must remain below the boat's maximum weight capacity and be evenly distributed along the boat from front (bow) to back (stern) and side to side (port to starboard).

Operating the Switch at 9-13 km/h (6-8 mph) with frontloaded weight distribution or uneven weight placed at the front two rows of deck tiles can create noticeable nosediving, bow submergence, and swamping as water comes over the deck. If the operator releases throttle and eliminates frontloading by evenly redistributing or balancing weight from bow to stern, Switch watercraft will level out.

If the operator accelerates or increases throttle while the Switch is frontloaded and nosediving, the operator can create a risk of capsizing, which can result in serious injuries or even death.

The warning label at the operator console and in front of the watercraft describes proper loading and what an operator must do if the Switch starts to nosedive.

Before every ride, the operator and passengers must be familiar with the warning against front overload and with the instructions about proper passenger and cargo weight distribution.

To all operators: you must read and understand the important safety information found below and in your Sea-Doo Switch Operator's Guide before operation.

⚠️WARNING

Avoid SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH.

- DO NOT OVERLOAD THE BOAT. NEVER EXCEED THE WEIGHT CAPACITY of your boat. 

- ENSURE THAT WEIGHT IS PROPERLY AND EVENLY DISTRIBUTED front and back and on both sides of the boat to avoid poor handling, sudden loss of control, swamping and/or capsizing.

As the captain of the boat, you must understand your watercraft’s capacity and how to distribute the weight you bring on your watercraft (passengers and cargo). You are responsible for safely loading your watercraft, which includes where your passengers will sit every time your watercraft is underway.

How Many Passengers Can I Have on my Watercraft?

To safely load your watercraft, it is important to know the maximum capacity shown on the capacity label located next to the captain’s seat. Do not exceed the maximum persons and weight capacities specified on that label to ensure the watercraft is not overloaded. The capacity of a watercraft is determined by WEIGHT.

The total weight of all persons and cargo on board must never exceed the weight capacity stated on the capacity label.

Depending on the passengers weight and the cargo weight, you may have to bring less passengers than the number of passengers indicated on the capacity label.

Cargo weight includes all material that you bring on board as well as all added accessories.

The number of seats on your watercraft is NOT the passengers capacity. You should never rely on the number of seats to assess if you exceed or not the loading capacity.

How to Distribute the Weight on my Watercraft?

The trim of a watercraft is defined as the watercraft's attitude or angle of its bow (front) in the water. Negative trim means the front is more inside the water than the back of the watercraft.

Negative trim of your watercraft needs to be avoided at all times.

Weight distribution is critical in order to achieve proper trim angle of your watercraft, which will affect ride quality and handling. Distribute the weight evenly from port to starboard (left to right) and from bow to stern (front to back).

Passengers must be seated on the boat according to their body weight and where your cargo weight is located.

In order to maintain a proper weight distribution, passengers may have to be relocated. This weight distribution should be followed at ANY SPEED. The Underway Seating Positions label, located next to the captain’s seat, indicates where the passengers sit when the watercraft is moving (underway), once the weight is evenly distributed.

NOTE: The examples above are for illustrative purposes only. Your watercraft, passengers weight and loading conditions may vary.

Avoid Overloading the Front (Bow)

⚠️WARNING

Avoid SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH.

– DO NOT OVERLOAD THE FRONT as this may cause nose diving and even capsizing.

– PASSENGERS AND CARGO WEIGHT MUST BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED from front to back and on both sides of the boat.

– If ever the boat starts to nosedive, immediately STOP the boat and REMOVE PASSENGERS from the front

Passengers must not sit or gather at the very front of the watercraft. This condition will create an improper weight distribution and may cause the front to dip in the water, the boat to nose dive and even capsize. If ever the watercraft starts to nosedive, immediately stop the boat and have passengers move away from the front and to the back to distribute the weight correctly.

Do not try to use engine power to raise the front back out of the water. Use of any engine power will make the watercraft dive more and increase the risk of capsizing.

Improper distribution of passengers and cargo weight could overload the front of the watercraft and cause instability, nosediving and possibly lead to capsizing. The condition worsens if water evacuation from the hull is not optimal. This could cause serious injuries or even death.

BRP is renotifying Switch owners who have not participated in the October 2025 Updated Recall (Bulletin 2026-1) to have their outstanding repair completed as soon as possible.
Note that Bulletin 2026-1 replaced Bulletins 2025-4 and 2025-10. Even if the watercraft has been repaired under those prior bulletins, it must be repaired again. The previous sealant portion of the remedy may not perform to our expectations for durability and was replaced with gaskets. Watercrafts already equipped with gaskets must be inspected to ensure that all three gaskets are present.

Owners can contact an authorized BRP Sea-Doo dealer now to schedule an appointment to have the necessary repairs completed free of charges.