Patent ID: 7354326

Claim:
A personal watercraft comprising: first and second flotation members, each flotation member having a longitudinal axis, an inboard coupling edge, a lower water engaging surface and an upper user support surface, said upper user support surface of each element being configured to support a user's foot thereon; first and second floating outriggers connected to respective first and second flotation members by respective outrigger supports, said floating outriggers being laterally spaced from their respective floatation elements; first and second hand-supports associated with the first and second flotation members, each of said hand supports comprising a flotation member-connecting portion and a user-gripping portion; wherein the inboard coupling edges of the first and second flotation members are configured to interconnect so as to enable relative sliding movement of the flotation members in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of each flotation member, but to prevent substantial movement of the first and second elements in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; wherein one of the inboard coupling edges comprises an outer tubular member and the other inboard coupling edge comprises an inner member, the outer tubular member configured to slidingly receive the inner member therein so that the first and second flotation members can slide relative to each other along their longitudinal axes; and wherein the outer tubular member further comprises a slot oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first flotation member; and wherein the inner member is connected to the inboard coupling edge of the second flotation member via a planar member such that when the outer tubular member receives the inner member, the planar member fits within the slot in the outer tubular member, thus connecting the first and second flotation members in a lateral direction while allowing them to move longitudinally with respect to each other.