As The Watercraft Journal has mentioned several times over the past weeks, even during mild-weather winters, January and February are often part of “maintenance and upgrade” season for PWC owners as they take advantage of the enforced downtime to tune, tweak and improve their PWC. This year, as Mother Nature continues to lash out at large swaths of the country with ice-cold temperatures, unexpected snowfall, high winds (and the devastating accompanying wildfires), there is perhaps even more time to tinker.
WCJ is, of course, here to provide information and tutorials on major projects you can undertake – but there are a dozen and one “minor” mini-projects that can be undertaken to improve the looks and performance of your ski.
This week, we’re looking at how to improve not only the style of your ski, but improved safety by reducing the chances of slipping when getting on or off your ski, as well as added protection for the body and finish of your ski.
A few weeks ago, WCJ contributor Chris Carringer gave an overview of the Jet Tech Traction Pads, and this week, we’re highlighting Jet Tech’s easy installation instructions for those Traction pads, which are Available in a vibrant range of colors—Grey, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, and Orange to easily match your graphics.
Constructed from marine-grade foam, these pads, when applied correctly, won’t slip off, and they improve safety by preventing slips as well as protecting your jet ski from unsightly scratches during docking or when boarding.
Installing Jet Tech Gunnel Traction Pads is an easy, five-step process; starting with cleaning the area with brake clean ore wax & grease remover; lining up the pad using the designed-in grooves, peeling back the self-adhesive backing paper, secure to the ski; and let sit for 24 hours to provide for best adhesion.
Jet Tech even provides the step-by-step instructions in a tutorial video to assure proper placement and installation for long-lasting wear and benefits. The video also provides a tip on extending the gunnel pads for those who want the added traction and protection along the full length of their ski.
Jet Tech Traction Pads are available from their website for $61 per set (2 strips) and have a 4.8/5.0 customer rating.
Basics: A “gunnel” on a PWC refers to the top edge of the side of the craft, essentially the outer rim that runs along the length of the hull, similar to the “gunwale” on a larger boat; it acts as a protective barrier and provides a place to grip when getting on or off the PWC and provides stability when boarding or moving around on the PWC.
Trivia: The gunwale (pronounced “gunnel”) is the upper edge or rim of a boat’s side, running along the length of the hull. It serves as a critical structural component that reinforces the sides of the vessel, providing additional strength and stability. The ‘gun ridge’, later known as ‘gunwale’, was a reinforcement of the boat’s edge to bear the weight of heavy guns. It was essentially a platform where the guns were mounted, hence the term ‘gunwale’. Over time, the pronunciation gradually simplified to ‘gunnel’, though the spelling remains the same.
