May 8th, 2021 welcomed PWC anglers from across the country to compete in “The only PWC Fishing Tournament in the Country”, the Lake Powell PWC Fishing Tournament. This purely personal watercraft-based fishing tournament – hosted by the folks at Up Lake Adventures – engineered a unique fishing tournament using the Catch, Photo, Release (CPR) method, meaning that when you catch a fish, you lay it on an approved measuring board, take a picture, and then upload it to the Fishing Chaos App.
Be the first of its kind, the first ever Lake Powell PWC Fishing Tournament welcomed diehards and curious enthusiasts alike, with the winner taking home a brand-new 2021 Sea-Doo Fish Pro. Well, with a lot more steam behind it, the 2nd annual Lake Powell PWC Fishing Tournament is happening on May 14th, with a sponsorship from Sea-Doo. How big? The winning angler goes home with a 2022 Sea-Doo FishPro Trophy!
The tournament looks like a lot of fun with loads of cash and prizes going out to several different finishing positions. The event will take place at the Stateline Auxiliary Launch Ramp at Lake Powell. The ramp is on the border of Utah and Arizona so they will be operating on AZ time. Keep that in mind before you head to fish. The entry fee is $225, and you can also buy $25 tickets for the largest Striper and largest Walleye. It’s a winner take all pot!
Sign up for an account on Fishing Chaos App and register for the tournament. The fishing starts at 5:30 AM PDT on May 14th and ends at 5:30 PM. This tournament sounds like a lot of fun and if we were going to be in Lake Powell, you can believe we would enter for a chance to win a FishPro!
It’s time to dust off our boats and inspect our gear for wear and tear. Safety first, especially when it comes to the kid’s life jackets. It’s important to make sure the buckles are in good working order and to scrutinize the straps for frayed edges. If it’s time for replacements, Bombora has a collection of USCG approved Type III PFDs made especially for young children, weighing 30-50 pounds. It can be difficult to get the little kids to even wear a lifejacket because the jackets can be cumbersome and downright uncomfortable.
An uncomfortable PFD makes for a miserable day on the water and that’s where the Bombora Kid Vest comes in. These brightly colored vests are designed with your child’s safety and comfort in mind and your kids will be easy to spot. They feature a layered foam, which makes the PFD extremely flexible and comfortable.
The arm holes are large, which allows for freedom of movement making it easy to splash around and swim without feeling hindered. The vests are covered in soft durable 200d and 300d polyester fabrics so they can take a beating. They are equipped with a heavy-duty zipper and two belts with Delrin buckles, which make them easy to put on.
The Bombora Kid’s Vest come in two bright color combos. They have the Tidal theme, which is white, blue, and turquoise. The second color combo is called Sunrise, which is blue, yellow, and red. The jackets also feature a recovery loop sewn on the back for easy assists when helping children back into the boat. Check them out now and get ready for fun in the sun!
Well, now that we’re in Spring, the mercury is beginning to climb up the thermometer and folks are finally taking collection of their 2022 models, it’s time to properly equip you for the riding season! Right now, Sand Docker is offering an unprecedented 10-percent off any purchase at the webstore when you use the coupon code “pwcjournal” at the checkout. Seriously, it’s that easy.
In a time when prices are being hiked up everywhere we look, it’s a rare opportunity to save a few bucks on something you’re going to get years of usage out of. So again, make sure to visit www.sanddocker.com and enter “pwcjournal” at the time of purchase to save 10-percent off.
Since it’s development over 20 years ago, the STX hull was one of the single-most successful designs to hit the water; both recreationally and professionally. Well balanced, stable in chop and featuring a natural inside-lean in aggressive cornering, dozens of athletes earned national and world championships aboard the STX and for good reason. It works really well.
Although a bit staid by today’s technological standards, the STX-160 lineup (160, 160X and 160LX) remains a viable rung on the market’s ladder, offering a solid, reliable machine for entry level buyers and those on family budgets. But how about those wanting a little more from their STX? Kspeed has exactly what the performance enthusiast is needing to pour on the pizazz.
Kspeed’s Adjustable Race Sponsons fit all years and makes of STX JetSkis – whether its a STX-1200R, 12F, 15F or any of the new 160 models. And they also fit on the SX-R 1500 stand-up! The machined backing plate permits for a handful of adjustment settings, placing the deep-set blade forward, rearward or deeper in the water for maximum traction in chop and bite in the corner.
The steep rise of the backplate raises the bow as the blades cut at an aggressive negative-camber angle, ensuring that you can power through a hairpin or sweep a wide circle without losing the tail. Priced at $300 AUD (or $225 USD), you too can speed through tight corners and navigate the surf with Kspeed’s STX/SX-R Adjustable Sponsons.
Check out these best-selling accessories from Sea-Doo. They may not have a lot of PWC in stock, but they do have a lot of gear on the shelves. A 2% commodity surcharge has been added to help offset the rising cost of raw materials on the market. The increase also allows Sea-Doo to continue to provide high quality products to their customer base. With that said, let’s get on with high lighting some of their great products.
Add some sound to your Sea-Doo with the additions of a BRP Audio-Premium System is. This is their fully submersible system that you can use even when the engine is off. It has Bluetooth connectivity and two 50-watt speakers that put out clear sound, even when riding. For those days you want to stop and chill for a bit and don’t want to deal with the drift from the wind or a lot of current, grab a Sea-Doo Sandbag Anchor. Fill the heavy-duty bag with sand, and you’re set to stay in place.
A safety kit that includes some essential items is also available. It includes 50ft. of buoyant heaving line, bailer, whistle, and a watertight flashlight. With a $20 price, you can buy several just to have or give to friends. Add a Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher to round out your safety kit. It fits on all LinQ with 16” base. At the time of this writing, Sea-Doo had all these items and more in stock. We recommend you order now or head to your local dealership to get what you need. Happy riding!
All three impeller designs began as “clean sheet” designs despite years of offering impeller wheels for these two platforms since their respective introductions. The intent behind each entry was to maximize the total boost or psi (pounds per square inch) throughout the engine’s powerband. Previous iterations build boost in a gradual curve, increasing the positive atmosphere progressively; the new impeller designs by RIVA provide greater boost earlier in the curve, continuing to increase throughout the band.
For Yamaha applications, RIVA Racing designed two impeller wheels for the SVHO that do not require any milling or modifications to the factory housing itself. Although part of the Stage 3 and higher levels of modified engines, removing the need to machine the housing saves engine builders a major step. Rather, the new R3 and R4 impellers ($499.95 each) generate increased boost pressures earlier and continually, delivering increased horsepower and torque throughout the RPM curve without permanent modification.
These gains are achieved via two methods: Radical new blade designs that maximize internal volumetric efficiency and optimized precision machining. Each impeller wheel is machined within exact tolerances, resulting in an impeller wheel without the telltale “bite marks” taken out of the leading edge – the result of post-production balancing. Made from 2618 US forged aluminum and machined in North America, each impeller is anodized to prevent corrosion, and labeled with RIVA’s logo via laser etching.
Although not visually significant, the differences between the RIVA Racing Yamaha SVHO R3 and R4 supercharger impellers are significant when comparing the boost pressures throughout the acceleration curve (particularly when reaching revolutions above 8,000rpm). Each requires an engine management tune and supercharger shaft upgrade kit to handle the radically increased boost pressures:
For Sea-Doo enthusiasts, RIVA Racing offers an all-new XX-Charger Upgrade Kit ($649.95) for all 300 ACE 1630 applications. Unlike the two Yamaha SVHO applications, to best maximize the efficacy of the new XX-Charger impeller wheel, RIVA includes a billet spacer made from the same 2618 US forged aluminum as the impeller itself. This 3mm spacer fits between the front and rear housing of the factory supercharger, increasing the housing’s total volume, permitting RIVA to design a taller, more aggressive blade design for wheel.
Due to the superior materials used, RIVA is able to shave 22 grams off of the impeller’s wheel (168 grams) over stock (190grams), meaning although taller and more aggressive, the XX-Charger wheel is lighter and better balanced. This also means less wear on the clutch and bearings. Similar to the aforementioned Yamaha R3 and R4 impellers, the XX-Charger impeller is precision machined so there’s no need for re-balancing after final machining.
Equally, the XX-Charger is anodized for corrosion resistance and is made entirely in North America – so no waiting for a container ship from overseas. For those professional racers, the new XX-Charger Kit is also IJSBA Limited Class legal; otherwise, the impeller upgrade is designed for dedicated performance enthusiast running the Stage 3 or Stage 3+ kit with an upgraded engine management tune and fuel delivery system, as the XX-Charger produces a peak 17.5 psi at 8,700rpm – nearly double the peak psi of the stock impeller wheel.
As RIVA Racing remains unrivaled in its ability to design, prototype, test and manufacture some of the industry’s most successful performance products, it’s also the tip of the spear when it comes to customer assistance and troubleshooting.
RIVA has a full technical support team dedicated to answering emails and phone calls if you’ve got questions regarding your particular application or deviations from RIVA’s prescribed packages. As RIVA Racing president, Dave Bamdas stated, “Even if you’ve got a somebody else’s camshaft, we can work with you to get that calibration – through MaptunerX – to get that to work with your package.”
Superior performance has never been this easy, and RIVA Racing remains at the forefront of this effort. If you haven’t already, visit www.rivaracing.com, enter in your personal watercraft into the search function and begin perusing the pre-packaged Stage Kits or scour the catalog of parts to begin building your ideal performance package.
This year, Sea-Doo stepped up as the presenting sponsor and has ponied up for an awesome Grand Prize for catching the five longest Large Mouth and or Small Mouth Bass: a brand-new 2022 Sea-Doo Fish Pro Trophy and a single-place trailer!
Held on Saturday, May 14th at the Stateline Auxiliary Launch Ramp at Lake Powell, the venue rides right on the border of Utah and Arizona so it will be operating on Arizona time, which just so happens to be one hour behind Utah time.
Competitors note that you’ll be fishing for Large and Small Mouth Bass, with an entry fee of $225 each. There are also tickets for the Largest Striper and Largest Walleye for $25 each ticket. Winner wins the pot. Please note that this is a CPR tournament (meaning Catch, Photo & Release).
This means that after a fish is caught, it is photographed using your cell phone with the fish being placed on an approved measuring board. Then the photo is uploaded to the Fishing Chaos App. After a judge approves the catch, it is then placed on the leader board. The angler with the most inches at the end of the tournament wins the Grand Prize.
In addition to the Sea-Doo Fish Pro Trophy grand prize, many other prizes (and cash) will be awarded to other finishing positions, including Castaway rods, Icom handheld marine radios, Camp Chef pellet grill, Helinox chairs, Sun Bum merchandise, and many other cool items! Click HERE to enter next month’s tournament and a chance to win!
Now that you have your watercraft registration number and date sticker, you’re required to display it on your vessel. And this is the same for all states. As mentioned before your state-issued eight-digit registration number, the first two digits are your state’s abbreviation followed by four numbers, followed by two letters.
There are a couple of ways you can go about getting these numbers; first, you can go down to a local marine supply store like West Marine. You also have the option to go to a sporting goods store like Bass Pro Shops, Academy and so on. In the marine section, they all have registration number packs that you can purchase. If you do not live close to one of the stores, Amazon is also a decent option because they have different designs, colors and fonts to choose from.
Another way of displaying your registration numbers is to have pinstriper paint on your registration numbers. This was very common back in the day; however, it is almost a lost art. You can also do what we have done in the past and go to a local graphics shop and have them match colors to your watercraft’s design and color palette. This by far is the most expensive option but it also looks the best in our option.
Now if you bought a used ski, it is far more common for people to have pinstripers paint on their registration numbers. Even though this looks extremely cool it makes for a bit of a pain for the next person who buys your ski given that they are going to have to change the registration numbers.
If your ski is gel coated you were going to have an easier time removing pinstripe numbers compared to skis like the newer Yamahas that are painted with automotive grade paint. If so, you might want to consider covering the old pinstriping with a vinyl sticker and put vinyl registration numbers over it because anything short of a repaint is going to damage the base coat color of your watercraft.
Here we’ll show the removal of pinstriped registration numbers and install registration decals along with a date sticker on this 1997 Sea-Doo GTX. If your ski is painted with gelcoat, you are in luck because there are products on the market like Owatrol Marine Strip, which is gel coat safe. This product works extremely well at removing old paint like pinstripping and will not harm your gel coat.
The process of applying this product is quite simple. Begin by cleaning the area you wish to remove with soap and water and apply this product liberally with a paintbrush. Allow it to sit long enough to soften the paint. This may require a few applications to remove all the paint.
You can also use a non-scratch Scotch-Brite pad along with bleach-free Soft Scrub with a bucket of warm water to assist in the removal of the paint. If after a few coats you are not seeing results, you’re going to need a little elbow grease to get those last lingering bits off.
When it comes to removing vinyl decals, another product you can use to remove any leftover adhesive residue is acetone but we will caution to use this sparingly as not every ski is the same material. Acetone on a Yamaha will permanently ruin the automotive-grade paint. Yet, a little acetone on a rag on older 1990’s and early 2000‘s Kawasaki and Sea-Doo gel coat is extremely tough and can hold up to these harsher chemicals.
When it comes to applying new stickers it is required that you do so in a certain way. Your date sticker will always go to the rear of the vessel no matter if it is on the starboard or port. And your registration number must read left to right no matter if it is starboard or port.
Once you have cleaned the surface it is time to apply for your registration numbers. Use a very mild solvent like glass cleaner and lint-free paper towels to remove fingerprints and oils from the surface. Next, using masking tape to make a guide line, align your decals on the ski (prior to removing the paper backing) with the curve of the watercraft.
Now with everything lined up to your liking, begin peeling back the paper backings exposing the adhesive and begin applying. Most off-the-shelf decals are applied to a dry surface while some higher quality vinyl decals are applied to a wetted surface (be sure to verify which ones you have before applying them). Finally, apply your date sticker and registration number. If you wanted to look nice and straight, take your time. There is no rush because you want to get it right the first time.
The Sea-Doo crew knows it can be tough for some of us to dock our PWC for myriad of reasons. Unfavorable winds, strong currents, waves, and inexperience at the helm are some of the problems that can make it tough to dock a PWC. Fortunately, Sea-Doo has fenders to help protect your when any of the above mentioned conditions arise. Fenders can also save you money on costly repairs that can occur when your watercraft bangs into the dock. They can also help stave off the damage an unattended ski at the dock can suffer due to rough conditions.
Sea-Doo carries a 16-inch polyform fender that can be used for all PWC. The fender has a vinyl valve system for inflation adjustment. It also comes with a rope for easy attachment to your craft. The poly fender is a decent inexpensive option at under $40.
The easy to install Snap-In Fenders, which are exclusive to Sea-Doo brand, are a little over $100. They are sold in pairs and mount on the front and rear of the Spark models. The fenders come in high visibility orange, and they float, making them easy to retrieve if you drop them in the water. These are ready to install on all Spark Models. Snap them on and go.
For all other Sea-Doo models, a Snap-In Fenders Installation Kit is required. There are several different kits available for the various models of Sea-Doo watercraft. Order a set of Snap-In Fenders now protect your Sea-Doo before it ends up in the shop needing bodywork!
Radinn makes it easy for everyone to get their stoke on regardless of ability and this Instagram post says it all. It is a family affair.
Whether you’re an up-and-coming ripper or someone with mad skills who likes to throw buckets of spray, there is a board configuration for you.
Radinn’s modular set up makes it easy to customize your jetboards, with interchangeable components. The handheld remote is a breeze to use for controlling acceleration, once you’re up and riding.
The kids will be cruising in no time and Radinn’s mobile app makes it easy to change the speed of the jetpack with the touch of a button.
The standard jetpacks are perfect for beginners and with speeds of up to 25 mph, there’s enough power to get moving and gain confidence.
As the crew progresses, pick up a high performance Carve so they can up their game with advanced maneuvers, like riding on rail to pull off some deep carves. Swap out one of your jetpacks, download the Jetpack G3 Pro upgrade, and with speeds of up to 35mph, a new realm of possibilities has opened up for the rider who likes to push the limits.
From big cutbacks, to getting launched, you can do it all on a Carve. It’s a stellar board for performance riding. This is the board your family can aspire to. Radinn Jetboards are ideal for families who like to play outside and push the boundaries when it comes to getting wet. Get out there and get your ride on!
Radinn makes it easy for everyone to get their stoke on regardless of ability and this