The PWC Hull Identification Number (HIN) discloses details on the manufacturer, watercraft serial number, manufacturing month, certification date, and year. While similar to an automobile VIN, it lacks data on model, engine, or drive type.
The decode is as follows.
Characters 1-3 = Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC) (i.e., HON for Honda, YAM for Yamaha)
Characters 4-8 = Manufacturer Serial Number. This is the unique number assigned to each vessel by the manufacturer at the time of hull production
Character 9 = Month of Manufacture. An alpha character is used to represent each month (A for January, B for February, C for March, D for April, E for May, F for June, G for July, H for August, I for September, J for October, K for November, L for December)
Character 10 = USCG certification date
Character 11-12 = Year of Manufacture