Expect the Unexpected

A central Florida day trip aboard a Sea-Doo Switch Cruise 21 is full of delightful surprises.

Story by Heather Steinberger / Photos by Richard Steinberger

Orlando trafﬁc is suffocating at the best of times, and morning rush hour on I-4 is no joke. As we inched forward in a twinkling sea of brake lights, I marveled at the urban sprawl that has gotten exponentially worse since I lived here more than 20 years ago.

In the years since, I’ve returned to the city with my family for the usual reasons. When our daughter was small, we visited Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, and of course, we returned to explore Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter when she was old enough to attend Hogwarts. Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, after all.

This would be a different sort of visit for our family. For the ﬁrst time, we were headed into Orange County’s Butler Chain of Lakes for a day of boating — just 15 miles west of downtown.

Orlando to the Butler Chain of Lakes

The Orlando area was primarily known for cotton plantations and cattle ranching until the early 1860s. When the Civil War put an end to the plantations, newcomers replanted the cotton ﬁelds with citrus groves.

By the late 1800s, central Florida was also the center of the state’s citrus industry. The Great Freeze of 1894-’95 shut down the smaller growers, giving larger outﬁts an opportunity to buy up their land and expand operations south to Lake Wales.

The railroad arrived in 1880, and by the early 20th century, the area was also a popular resort destination for those with means. Even so, by mid-century, Orlando had a population of just 50,000 people.

Then came the House of Mouse.

When Walt Disney World opened its doors in 1971 at Lake Buena Vista, 17 miles south of the city, growth exploded. Today, more than 2 million people make their homes in the metro area.

Still, as we exited the interstate at Conroy Windermere Road and approached the 1887 town of Windermere, I felt the densely packed suburbs slowly releasing their grip. With the ﬁrst ﬂashes of blue water between the trees, I knew we had entered the Butler Chain of Lakes.

The chain comprises 13 interconnected lakes that flow toward Reedy Creek, the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee and, ultimately, the Everglades. Prized for its crystal-clear water, lush vegetation and flourishing wildlife, it was the first lake system in Florida to receive the “Outstanding Florida Waters” designation.

With a combined 5,000 acres of surface water and 32 navigable channels, the lakes are a playground for boaters, anglers and watersports enthusiasts. In the last couple of decades, they also have been a magnet for celebrities seeking privacy at lavish waterfront homes.

Among them are Tiger Woods, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Ken Griffey Jr., Vince Carter, Wesley Snipes, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake and Larry the Cable Guy. In fact, you can ﬁnd an online brochure for your very own self-guided boating tour of celebrities’ current and former homes.

That was our plan for today, and I imagined a shoreline putt-putt cruise to see the estates, along the lines of what one does in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Then again, we were about to board a SeaDoo Switch, and I knew from experience that with Sea-Doo, I should expect the unexpected.

An ultramodern tri-hull

Designed to appeal to beginners, Sea-Doo introduced the Switch in fall 2021 with a formal show introduction in Minneapolis in early 2022. It’s an eye-opener. Imagine a boat for eight to 10 people that has the user-friendly, playful heart of a personal watercraft.

We pulled into RD Keene Park and wound our way to the boat ramp, one of two public access points on the Butler Chain of Lakes (and the only one with parking — the other is primarily for homeowners to splash their boats). Fortunately, our Switch Cruise 21 was still on its trailer, giving me an opportunity to explore the vessel above and below the waterline.

At ﬁrst glance, the Switch looks like an ultramodern pontoon boat. It features durable clear-view side panels around the decks rather than railings for greater visibility, and much of the craft is constructed of scratch- and impact-resistant Polytec.

This is both robust and easy to repair, and thanks to the vessel’s modular construction, certain components can be easily replaced. The Switch is manufactured in sections to create vessels of different lengths; the bow and stern are always the same across the model lineup.

Looking more closely, I noticed that the boat really isn’t a pontoon boat at all. It’s more like a tri-hull. The deeper center sponson is inspired by and shares some characteristics of a GTI-model Sea-Doo PWC, and the outer sponsons provide stability.

Climbing aboard, I immediately took note of the helm, with its familiar PWC handlebars, the 7-inch Garmin GPS that comes standard with the 230-hp Rotax engine, which is the largest currently available (the Switch Cruise is also available with a 170-hp engine). I noticed the 100-watt, waterproof, Bluetooth-capable BRP audio system as well.

The boat has an impressive amount of seating and storage, a full swim platform, and an array of LinQ attachment points for accessories. If you’re not familiar with LinQ, it’s a clever plug-and-play system that allows you to swap out a variety of nifty add-ons; there are more than 40 options, including a cooler, retractable ski pylon, watertight bag, fuel caddy, quick-attach rod holder, storage bin and more.

Then there is that Rotax 1630 ACE (Advanced Combustion Efficiency) engine. Designed specifically for marine use, these engines provide quicker acceleration, higher top speed, more precise engine calibration and better fuel economy. With every passing moment, the SeaDoo Switch Cruise was becoming less like a pontoon boat and more like a sportscar.

An inland lake playground

Clearing the dock and gliding into Lake Palmer was simple with the Switch’s Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC) technology, which allows you to start in neutral, and the intuitive handlebar steering. We motored across the lake and entered a long, narrow canal to Lake Louise — where we were joined by one other boat.

At 151 acres, Louise isn’t a large body of water, but we learned that she can accommodate a wakesurfing party. As our heavily ballasted neighbor cruised its preferred line up and down the lake, rolling waves bathtubbed from shoreline to shoreline. This created perfect conditions for an impromptu sea trial. I increased our speed and charged across the deep wakes. The Switch handled them with ease, and the tooth-jarring bangs I half-expected never came. Instead, the ride felt smooth and soft, and the boat smartly dug into every turn rather than skittering and slapping through it.

We entered another canal, cruising beneath Chase Road, which turns into Windermere’s Main Street. As we approached the bridge, we quickly collapsed the aluminum-frame

Bimini top; while this task took just seconds for two people, a solo boater could also manage it easily.

Entering massive Lake Butler, we motored toward an island along the lake’s east shore. There, we put the Switch in neutral and, thanks to the innovative tile system, rearranged the seating layout on the modular deck. Instead of a traditional livingroom-style arrangement, we now had a cozy forward-facing playpen.

With 1,700 acres available to us on Lake Butler, now was the time to throttle up the supercharged Rotax and see what the Switch could do.

In a matter of seconds, we were rocketing across the lake in a distinctly un-pontoonlike fashion. The jet-propulsion system provided jaw-dropping acceleration, while the responsive trim system allowed me to adjust the jet nozzle and fine-tune our ride. The Switch held its course firmly, and on command it carved its turns without any fuss. This performance and maneuverability are due to the larger, deeper center hull and stability from the outer sponsons.

I also appreciated the cruise control, as I didn’t have to keep my hand on the throttle. While we reached the upper 30s on our lake crossing, the Switch Cruise 21 with this particular engine is capable of hitting the 40s. And don’t worry about that Bimini top; it can handle speeds up to a whopping 50 mph.

At the northwest shoreline, I turned us around for the return to lakes Louise and Palmer, and then turned the handlebars over to my 14-year-old daughter, Johanna. She admitted she felt a little nervous, but on a weekday, there was virtually no boat traffic. She had plenty of sea room to play and learn.

The learning curve was short, as it turned out. Like a PWC, the Switch is simple and easy for new boaters. By the time we reached the canal on the south shore, she was grinning from ear to ear.

An empowering stop

Instead of returning to the boat ramp in Lake Palmer, we pointed our nose to the long canal along its south shore. Entering Lake Tibet, we turned to port. Then, keeping Bay Hill to starboard, we motored into Lake Chase, underneath Osprey Isle Lane, and into a winding canal toward Lake Blanche.

This canal was different. Instead of thick vegetation and dragonflies, it carried us past shoulder-to-shoulder homes with backyards that swept downward to a hodgepodge of boathouses and docks. It was tight.

It got tighter still on the return from Lake Blanche. As we approached the Osprey Isle Lane bridge, I spotted the wakesurfing boat, just cruising now with its load of cheerful passengers. They had already entered the canal, so I needed to move to the side, stop, and wait for them to pass.

But boats don’t behave like cars, and my knuckles turned white on the handlebars.

Then I learned some boats can behave like cars if they have Sea-Doo’s Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR). This is the world’s only on-water braking system, and with just a squeeze of a lever, I brought the Switch to an almost immediate stop against the brush to starboard as the wakesurfing party passed just inches to port with merry waves.

The iBR system is a blessing. Not only will it stop the boat sooner if and when necessary, but it also simplifies the docking and handling process. More good news for new boaters.

A return to old Florida

Returning to Lake Tibet, we cruised past Bay Point Drive and through a large bay into a tiny basin that is home to Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge. The 27 available holes of golf include 18 designed by Dick Wilson in 1961, and collectively they are considered one of his masterpieces.

The property was owned by Arnold Palmer from 1974 until his death in 2016, and it remains in the family.

From there, we tucked into a watery version of a cul de sac to see Justin Timberlake’s former home (sold in 2005), and then continued south into Lake Sheen and little Pocket Lake.

Pocket Lake was my favorite, hands down. Here, between the mansions, we caught glimpses of seemingly forgotten cottages tucked into the trees. They sat quietly with their low roof lines, broad porches and old wooden docks, patiently waiting for their families to return for a day of angling and a sizzling bluegill fish fry.

I was thrilled to see these remnants of old Florida just a stone’s throw from Disney Springs to the south. I loved the cottages more than the mega-mansions, and as I gazed toward the pristine wilds of Cypress Creek to the west, childhood memories of Wisconsin’s North Woods bubbled to the surface.

Simply unforgettable

Turning the helm over to my photographer husband, Richard, we blasted across Lake Tibet and entered the canal to Lake Palmer. For one last time, I marveled at the otherworldliness of these navigable channels — you enter a tunnel of green and blue, splotched with lily pads and whirring with life.

The Butler Chain of Lakes is a world away from today’s Orlando, offering an echo of what central Florida used to be. It’s a hidden gem, and it was just the right spot to experience the revolutionary Switch, which makes boating even more accessible and oh-so-much fun.

This is the part of the story where the writer usually says, “This isn’t your grandpa’s pontoon boat.” But that comparison doesn’t really work. The Switch is not a pontoon boat any more than the Butler Chain of Lakes is part of the theme park megalopolis down the road. They’re both simply unforgettable.

In addition, for full transparency, the Switch Cruise 21 with a 230-hp engine and trailer starts at $43,699 for model year 2024. For more information, visit SEA-DOO.COM.

Expect the Unexpected - November/December 2023