PWC Safety Tips

co-written with John Moore

What a great summer. Despite the rain I was able to get out on the river ALL THE TIME. I don't regret getting my new Seadoo PWC one little bit. I really threw myself into the sport and got a lot out of it in return. I took the sport very seriously and I had a healthy respect for the dangers involved with the sport. I must say that the only part of the active Seadoo lifestyle that I found distasteful wer a small number of other riders you behave carelessly out on the water. Not only do they endanger themselves and their passengers but they also endanger me and act to give Seadoo PWC riders a bad name. Thankfully it is a small percentage of riders who behave recklessly.

There are only a handful of water safety rules, that if followed, make the sport safe and enjoyable for all. The first and most important rule is to wear a life jacket at all times. Buy and wear a PFD that is properly fitted for your age,size, height and weight.Properly approved PFDs will have a label on the inside indicating that they have met certain safety standards. This sounds simple enough but you would be surprised by the number of idiots who don't wear one. I guess they don't want tan lines.

Don't drink and ride. Never mix booze and riding a Seadoo pwc. In fact, you should never mix alcohol with any type of boating or motorized activity. Sounds simple enough. There is plenty of time to enjoy a few cold beverages after you get off the water. Being drunk on a Seadoo is dumb. It is both dumb and very unsafe.

One thing I noticed this summer is that young kids tend to pile on 3 or 4 people on a Seadoo. It looks like they are going to sink. It is a great way to wear out your Seadoo seat covers. Don't overload your personal watercraft. Generally, Seadoos are designed for 2 people. That means they can safely accommodate 2 people. Sounds simple enough. If you absolutely need to have 2 passengers plus a driver then go slow and only do so in familiar waters.

Another common sense rule involves towing people behind your Seadoo. Don't tow anyone, ever, without a spotter. Again, this is just common sense. Whenever you tow people behind your Seadoo PWC (whether it is on water skis or a tube or a knee board) make sure you have a mature spotter that understands the importance and role of being a spotter. Oh, and make sure you have a proper tow rope. Having a tow rope snap is very dangerous and unpleasant.

My next safety rule is in a bit of a grey area. In my humble opinion, riding a Seadoo PWC is a day time sport. To me that just makes sense. Although most PWCs are equipped with lights (it's the law), it is very dangerous to ride a Seadoo at night. Water hazards such as rocks, shoals, buoys, swimmers and driftwood are nearly impossible to see at night. Just say no to night time riding.

For those of you, like me, that are in love with the sport, riding a Seadoo is one of the biggest highs of the summer. It is an inexpensive and super fun activity. Follow some common sense safety guidelines to ensure your safety and the safety of others around you.

Happy Riding.

My Summer of Seadoo Personal Watercraft

As we approach the mid-way point of August 2009, I can say that this was my summer of Seadoo personal watercraft. And what a great summer it has been. I absolutely love my new Seadoo PWC. I have been on it almost relentlessly since the start of the summer and much to the detriment of my golf game. I supposed you could say, as my spouse often does, I have found my addiction. Actually, my spouse just says I have changed my addiction.

Admittedly, I have been pretty single minded about getting on the water this year. Along with being my personal summer of Seadoo PWC it has also, sadly, been the summer of mucho rain drops. According to my logic I needed to make the most out of every minute of sunshine and I did. I also managed to get in a number of days on the lake during overcast and slightly rainy weather too. I expect I managed to get in about 12 individual days on the lake and the season isn't even over. I plan on getting out at least 5 or 6 more times before I need to put the seadoo winter cover on my Seadoo.

One of the things I like best about my Seadoo is the quietness of the engine. I have never liked loud noises and the sound of my engine is a real joy to me. I'm not sure why but the engine on my Seadoo seems to idle much more quietly than other Seadoos. Of course, when I am pulling a water skier behind the Seadoo the engine is louder but when I want to go for a peaceful putter around the lake I find the engine noise to be unobtrusive.

Although, it is very easy to pull a water skier behind my Seadoo, it is one of the Seadoo activities I enjoy the least. Pulling a water skier behind a Seadoo is safe if done correctly. To pull a skier safely and correctly, you must always have a spotter. The spotter sits behind the driver and keeps an eye on the skier. The spotter can advise the driver to speed up or slow down or return to the dock. It is the only safe way to pull a skier behind a Seadoo. Too many Seadoo drivers pull water skiers without a spotter and that is unsafe. I have had many friends ask for a quick tow when a spotter has not been available and I have always had to say no. When I have a responsible and sober spotter I agree to tow a skier but most times I prefer not to.

Even though I rarely pull someone behind my Seadoo, I found this cool video that I wanted to add to my blog.

I have hooked up with some acquaintances (now buddies) that are as keen on Seadooing as I am and we have a regular Saturday late-morning ride. Although, I really enjoy the solitude of being on my Seadoo early in the morning, the Saturday morning ride with my buddies is often the highlight of my week. We generally take off from the south side dock and marina and make our way to a waterfall across the lake. Most of us bring our spouses or significant others. We swim a bit at the waterfall and then make it back to the marina by 1 or 2 pm. By this time we are starving and thirsty. Luckily the marina has a weekend BBQ to satisfy our cravings. By 5pm we have the Seadoo covers back on and the Seadoos loaded on to trailers and are saying our goodbyes for another week.

I may not Seadoo for the rest of my life. I may not even Seadoo as much next summer as I have this summer. However, one thing is certain 2009 has been my summer of Seadoo personal watercraft and I have loved every minute of being on the lake.

First Day on New Seadoo PWC

I took my new Seadoo PWC out on the river yesterday. Initially, I found it to be a bit difficult to operate but after a few hours of testing things out it was smooth sailing. It corners differently than my older Seadoo but I was able to shift my weight a bit to the inside and it worked perfectly.

My buddy, who is also a Seadoo racer, came with me. He tried my new machine a few times for about 30 minutes each time and I could tell he was impressed. Because the choice of PWCs is a very personal thing I do not want to specifically endorse this type of Seadoo in this blog other than to say it is a Seadoo brand PWC.

For those of you that know me, it is common knowledge that I love to be out on the water. I have loved the water since I was a child. I went to university in a land locked city and wondered the entire time I was there way on earth would people settle in a town that wasn't bordered by a lake or ocean or some substantial body of water. I am on the water or beside the water at least once per week and more if I possibly can be. I love to fish, I love to water ski and I love to sail. However, the thing I most love to do is to get out on my Seadoo PWC.

I often Seadoo by myself when I find that I have a few extra hours in my day but I much prefer to Seadoo with a buddy. I enjoy the camaraderie and I feel that it is safer. Hours slip by when I'm out on the lake with a friend and we are riding our respective PWCs. I also like to take people on the back of my Seadoo and try to do that as much as I can. I love the idea of turning the uninitiated on to this great water sport. I am pleased that at least 2 of my good friends have purchased Seadoo PWCs after spending a few days out on the water with me. These guys are now trying to get others involved in the sport.

If you are interested in trying this sport, many marinas will have some older model Seadoos that are available for test drives. If you are serious and leave a deposit many will allow you to take them to your own lake or river and keep the machine overnight. This allows you to determine if buying a Seadoo PWC is the right investment for you If you are worried about the expense you should look around for a second hand model. With the proper care, PWCs like other watercraft, can last for many years.

Yesterday was my first day on my new Seadoo and, not surprisingly, I loved it.