By Will Burgess

If the thought of a spin on a jet ski fills you with the same excitement as a lazy day floating on the pontoon, then American Jet Concept has something to rekindle the thrill of the open water.

Enter the SPARK Evo.

Billed as a go-kart for the water the Spark Evojet limited production craft is designed as a kit to convert an ordinary Sea-Doo Spark into a watercraft unlike anything you would find on your home lake.

Resembling more of a miniaturized boat than a personal watercraft, the Spark Evo is outfitted with a frame reinforcing roll-bar, a steering wheel that would fit right in at a Formula 1 race, and a cockpit you sit in rather than a seat you sit on.

By this definition the Spark Evo fails to fit into any category of watercraft you might find at a boat show and perhaps offers more of a shakeup to conventional boating like the Polaris Slingshot brought to the three-wheeled motorcycle.

Both seem to capture the basic components of what it means to deliver a thrill ride: an open air concept, low center of gravity for the rider, and, most importantly keeping the weigh down to just where it matters.

Unlike the Slingshot, the Evojet can be ordered as a DIY kit or a factory model. The kits are offered as a completely reversible installation for both the 60 hp and 90 hp Rotax 900 engine Spark, all the way to a 120 hp “performance” kit.

For those without the skills or tools to overhaul their ski, converted craft can also be purchased directly from American Jet Concept in Florida, starting at USD$14,990.

What’s more, as the kits are designed to work with even the entry level Sea-Doo Spark which retail at $5,699, it brings a factor of affordability to enthusiasts who are looking to both turn heads and pump adrenaline on the water, though the kit itself adds another $8,990 for the starter package, garnering a total savings of $301 if you self-install.

The only other limiting factor is that Sparks, as about any other watercraft this season, are increasingly hard to come by. The pre-order period for 2023 Sea-Doo watercraft opens in August when the new models drop. So if your dreams include owning a one-of-a-kind toy for the water, you may have hope for seeing yourself in one next year if the configuration of this model doesn’t change significantly or preowned Sparks start showing up on Facebook Marketplace.

The jet ski has come a long way from the 1963 concept of a “pleasure craft” which were nothing more than a broad, flat hull with an outboard motor and a handlebar, to the first production Kawasaki “dirt bike for the water” (see our post from last year for the full scoop on the first ever “Jet Skis”.).

From stand up, to sit-down, to sit-in, this go-kart for the water may just be the next significant evolution for the personal watercraft rider.

Will Burgess is a journalist with Adrenaline Powersports Mag