9 – 1 2   m ) ▁in ▁length . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Water ▁sc oot ers — as ▁they ▁were ▁originally ▁term ed — w ere ▁first ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 5 0 s , ▁with ▁models ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁British ▁ 2 0 0 cc ▁prop ell or - dri ven ▁Vincent ▁Am anda , ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁W ave ▁Rol ler . ▁Two ▁thousand ▁Vincent ▁Am andas ▁were ▁export ed ▁to ▁Australia , ▁Asia , ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁developed ▁further ▁by ▁Clay ton ▁Jacob son ▁II ▁of ▁Lake ▁H avas u ▁City , ▁Arizona , ▁USA . ▁Origin ally ▁a ▁mot oc ross ▁enthus iast , ▁Jacob son ' s ▁idea ▁was ▁designed ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁power ed ▁by ▁an ▁internal ▁p ump - jet ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁out board ▁motor , ▁made ▁of ▁all ▁al umin um , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁fixed , ▁u pr ight ▁handle . ▁Jacob son ▁eventually ▁quit ▁his ▁job ▁in ▁bank ing ▁to ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁to ▁developing ▁the ▁idea , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁working ▁prototype ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁It ▁differ ed ▁slightly ▁from ▁modern ▁personal ▁water craft ▁but ▁had ▁definite ▁similar ities . ▁He ▁completed ▁a ▁second ▁prototype ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁made ▁of ▁fi berg lass . ▁The ▁first ▁Clay ton - type ▁P W C ▁to ▁reach