The single most repeated piece of advice I give at The Watercraft Journal is for folks to always, always, always anchor their skis in 3-feet of water. Beaching your ski – although it looks pretty cool and all the manufacturers always do it for their photoshoots – is one of the worst things you can do to your ski.
Besides scratching the heck out of your hull – especially if its painted, like all factory Yamaha hulls are – it is the quickest way to get sand, rocks and other debris lodged into your jet pump. And if you’re on a Sea-Doo, the fastest way to get sand impregnated into your carbon seal, which can lead to catastrophic failure.
So yeah, like I said, always use an anchor. And over the years, I’ve found that the Sand Docker anchor – more than any others – has got to be my personal favorite. First, it’s 100-percent American made. I love supporting small American business, and Sand Docker is out of Jupiter, Florida.
Second, it’s not some over-complicated high-priced piece of equipment. Made from entirely out of aluminum and TIG welded together, the Sand Docker is lightweight, super strong, and impervious to rust.
Lastly, they’re incredibly easy to use. Simply pull it out of his supplied perch, hook the bungee strap to your bow hook, and stomp it into the ground. It’s literally that easy – and it’s just as easy to pull it out. No twisting or goofy procedures.
The anchor itself is less than $60 bucks, and together with a bungee dock strap is a little under $85 bucks. That’s literally less than HALF of what some of these other guys are charging – and a lot of those anchors barely even fit in your ski.
The Sand Docker is compact, lightweight, won’t beat the crap out of your storage compartment (because it comes with its own mount) and is a fraction of the cost. That, and it’s not made overseas but instead, here in America.
Save your ski. Support small business. And save a few bucks while doing it. Check out the Sand Docker anchor at www.sanddocker.com. You can thank me later.
