How does reverse work on a waverunner?

Answer 1

The reverse on a waverunner works very similarly to the reverse on a jet plane. A mechanism called a "reverse gate" drops down over the jet on the back of the Waverunner. The reverse gate changes the direction of the thrust so that it goes forward instead of backward. With the thrust going forward, the Waverunner goes backward for the same reason it goes forward with the thurst going backward.

Note that switching into reverse at speed or using the reverse at high speed or using the reverse as a brake can rip the pump out of the back of the Waverunner. The reverse is only intended for low-speed maneuvering.