Safety Recall for Sea-Doo Switch Cites Handling Issues

Facing Litigation, BRP Emphasizing Proper Weight Distribution

Part of the recall stressed the need for proper weight distribution, as this new safety sticker illustration indicates.

The manufacturer of the Sea-Doo Switch Pontoon has issued a safety recall for the pontoon jet boat that has demonstrated a propensity to flip over forward. Bombadier Recreational Products (BRP) did not issue a press release about the recall notice, which was entitled “Front Overloading-Risk of Capsizing” and went out to owners on February 18.

The recall comes after a $30 million Florida lawsuit over a forward-flip accident that left a little girl severely disabled even as a second suit is being readied over a similar accident that left a Virginia girl dead.

Lawyers for both said the recall was overdue and would make their cases easier to prove to a jury.

“We are incredibly pleased with this recall as a team, but I wish they had done it before a little girl died,” said Attorney Emily Brannon, representing the family of a nine-year-old girl whose Switch flipped without warning on Lake Anna in Virginia.

“It’s too little too late,” said Judd Rosen, lawyer for the Florida family. “To me, it means that this case screams out for punitive damages. They know they are guilty.”

Lawsuit Seeks $30 Million, as Lawyers Defend Florida Dad in Tragic Boat 'Flip'

The recall pertains to Switch models from 2022 to 2025, which is all of them. “Improper distribution of passengers and cargo weight could overload the front of the watercraft and cause instability, nosediving and possibly lead to capsizing,” Sea-Doo said in the recall notice. “The condition worsens if water evacuation from the hull is not optimal. This could cause serious injuries or even death.”

Rosen represents William Grullon and Sheila Feliciano whose 22-month-old daughter has been immobilized by “a catastrophic anoxic brain injury.” Rosen said he will argue that the Switch design is so flawed that it can flip over forward even when weight is distributed optimally.

The second part of Sea-Doo’s explanation is intriguing because the company appears to be admitting to a flaw in the boat’s water ballasting system. As Loose Cannon mused when the story broke on September 22:

Switch outer hulls are not fully filled with foam. The hulls comprise multiple segments whose number determines LOA, whether the hull is 13, 16 or 19 feet long. The segments are purposely not sealed, so water seeps into the hulls, supposedly to add weight and thus stability at rest. The ballast water then flows out through an opening in the back when underway or when hauled out.

Loose Cannon visited a local Sea-Doo dealer to ask about this characteristic. The salesman did not hesitate to acknowledge the boat’s propensity to flip when suddenly decelerating, particularly in choppy water or in combination with a turn. But he said he did not know exactly how much ballast water the outer hulls could hold, noting that it is not specified in any of the manuals or training literature.

A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds. Our salesman guessed maybe two gallons. Owner Facebook posts suggested it could be more. A worst case might be 10 gallons per hull.

If a Switch were at rest and then got underway long enough to lose 10 of the 20 gallons out the back, and were then throttled down, a combined 80-plus pounds of water could be sent hurtling forward, filling the empty space and helping to force the bow down.

BRP ignored messages asking for an interview, so the water capacity of the hulls of the various models is an open question, but the recall-notice reference suggests it could be significant. That handling characteristics could be affected by “non optimal” water evacuation was never before mentioned, which meant that even a savvy operator would not have known how to compensate to keep the boat safe.

One of the two new stickers that will be affixed to recalled boats.

BRP says parts for recall repairs will become available “gradually” beginning March 3 as parts become available. The repairs will take about an hour a half, and will involve application of some type of sealant, though this will not be necessary for 2025 models. Additional warning labels will be affixed to two locations.

BRP has also issued a new training video and updated the Switch manual, urging owners to review both. At one point, the manual warned owners not to try powering out of a nosedive, saying that accelerating would tend to plunge the bow down further.

Loose Cannon has reached out to BRP’s media office and will update this story with any response.