Patent ID: 7124703

Claim:
A personal watercraft comprising: a hull; a deck supported by the hull, the deck having a standing surface; a steering assembly pivotably mounted on the deck at a first end of the steering assembly, forward of the standing surface, the steering assembly having a steering handle disposed on a second end of the steering assembly; a jet propulsion unit supported by the hull, including an inlet for taking in water, an impeller assembly for generating a pressurized stream of water, an outlet for discharging the pressurized stream of water, and a movable element positioned at the outlet for selectively directing the pressurized stream of water, wherein the movable element is operatively connected to the steering handle and directs the pressurized stream of water based on signals from the steering handle; and a seat assembly displaceably supported by the deck such that the seat assembly is pivotably displaceable between a first position, in which the seat assembly is pivotably connected to the steering assembly and is positioned above the standing surface, such that an operator of the watercraft can be seated on the seat assembly, and a second position, in which the seat assembly is stored in the personal watercraft and supported by the steering assembly, so that the standing surface is unencumbered, such that the operator of the watercraft can stand on the standing surface.