RIVA Racing posted up an in-depth interview with Dave Bamdas on their YouTube channel. We’re going to focus on what he and the RIVA crew are looking for in a team rider. Bamdas has three things in mind and first and foremost, you must be a good person. A prospective rider must have raw talent and the ability to provide excellent feedback to the development team. It is crucial to the research and development to receive timely and relevant feedback to continue improving on the level of performance parts.

While building a race team, Bamdas and crew are willing to help and advise people who are interested in racing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a privateer or a professional looking for guidance. The guys will help you find the right PWC and walk you through what modifications you need for competing in a specific class. They can do the mechanical work since they manufacture and supply all the parts required for P1 Aqua X Racing, which is the circuit in which RIVA’s sponsored riders compete.

Bamdas is excited about continuing with P1 Racing. He says that P1 brings accessibility to watercraft racing for everyone, meaning that it doesn’t require racers to be part of a big factory team to be competitive. He has a great deal of passion for watercraft racing and wants to keep the sport vibrant and healthy, while offering encouragement to racers. Bamdas is looking forward to what 2021 brings to the sport of watercraft racing and he’s excited about watching his RIVA Racing team battle it out.

RIVA Racing is the largest manufacturer of aftermarket performance watercraft products in the world. When the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hit, production came to a grinding halt. RIVA rebounded in April, when recreational vehicles were in extremely high demand. RIVA was slammed with orders and had their best and most profitable year to date in 2020. Now in 2021, the company can focus on racing again and creating stellar performance parts.

The Bopenski Kickback Chair will provide you with a nice break from all the supercharged riding and mods you might be doing on your PWC. RIVA Racing is selling the chairs for $139.95. They’re just what you need to chill and have a nice lunch and drink to fuel up before getting back at it.

The set-up is a breeze and takes less than a minute and no tools are required. The chair feet are designed in a way that they won’t scuff the deck of your jet ski. The Kickback fits most models of jet skis, even the ones that will move at lightning speed out of the gate.

The chair supports 225 pounds and is made to last a long when exposed to salt and fresh water. It is comprised of anodized aluminum and put together with stainless steel hardware so you can expect your Bopenski Chair to last a long time. These chairs are great for all styles and types of riders.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or a recreational rider, everyone likes to sometimes to kickback on the water and it’s nice to give your back a break. If you aren’t riding solo and have someone on the back of your ski, they might like to chill and enjoy the scenery for a minute in a comfy Bopenski Kickback Chair.

The next time you’re perusing the RIVA Racing website, pick up a Bopenski Kickback Chair for $139.95!

Yamaha Marine has not only been hard at work pumping out new watercraft units, but they have also made huge strides in Congress with conservation initiatives.

Their efforts have proven victorious because between 2020 and 2021, three significant conservation bills were signed into law.  These include the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the Great American Outdoors Act and the Descend Act.

Check out the press release below for more information:
Yamaha Marine, along with trade and conservation organizations, worked last year during the 116th Congress to ensure the conservation of U.S. waterways, promote responsible angler practices and increase access to federal land and waterways. The legislation signed into law in 2020 and early 2021 is the result of efforts from many entities promoting conservation and sustainability while achieving access for fishing and boating. 

“The legislative victories of 2020 prove that advocacy works,” said John O’Keefe, Senior Specialist, Government Relations, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “They also prove that even in a difficult year there is room for bi-partisan agreement and consensus among groups that might not always see eye-to-eye.”

Three of the most significant bills signed into law in 2020 and early 2021 are the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the Great American Outdoors Act and the Descend Act, all long supported by the recreational fishing and boating community and the result of many trips to the Hill to lobby the House, Senate and Executive Branch as well as strong advocacy efforts from the marine industry.

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act aims to mitigate and remove marine debris, incentivize international engagement on marine debris and strengthen domestic waste management infrastructure to prevent the creation of new marine debris. The bill follows the success of the first Save Our Seas Act and allows for increased authority and funding to protect our nation’s waterways and coastlines from plastic trash. The law expands the ability for the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and local governments to capture plastic trash in municipal stormwater systems before it escapes into the surrounding streams, rivers, wetlands, and marshes.

The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funds the highly successful Land and Water Conservation Fund which, for the past five decades, has helped provide access to recreational areas, trails and waterways throughout the nation. Importantly for the sportfishing industry, the Great American Outdoors Act ensures that $15 million annually is dedicated to expanding public access for fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation. It also creates the “National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund.” This program will provide $9.5 billion over five years to the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to improve trails, campgrounds, roads, visitor centers and other infrastructure.

The Descend Act, passed in early Jan., 2020, requires recreational (including charter boats) and commercial anglers to have on board a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use while fishing for reef fish in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. These devices allow anglers to practice successful catch-and-release methods that help ensure our fisheries are healthy and sustainable for future generations.

Additional bills signed into law in 2020 that serve to protect our environment while allowing for growth with the recreational boating and angling communities are: the American Conservation Enhancement Act, the Restore Our Parks Act, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Act, the Coordinated Ocean Observation and Research Act, the Digital Coast Act, the Amend Nutria Eradication and Control Act and the Protect and Restore America’s Estuary Program.

Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine U.S. Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,400 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception.

Yamaha Rightwaters is an organization that promotes environmental stewardship through education, partnership, and advocacy among other things.

In their latest environmental campaign, Yamaha Rightwaters teams up with Skeeter boats to provide a boat to the University of Florida.  A team of University Marine Bioscience Researchers will use the new boat to conduct a study on redfish activities.

To learn more about the activities, continue reading the information from Yamaha below:

Yamaha Rightwaters is teaming up with Skeeter Boats to provide a SX2250 center console boat with a 250-horsepower Yamaha V MAX SHO outboard to the University of Florida. Scientists in the University’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience will use the boat and outboard to conduct a study on redfish activities and numbers to gather better data on the species in Northern Florida. 

“The root of successful conservation begins with in-depth knowledge of the species and areas you are trying to protect,” said Dr. Jimmy Liao, Ph.D., marine biologist focusing on fish sensing and fish behavior at the University of Florida. “We will use this boat and outboard to tag and track the behavior of redfish in a 35-mile radius of northeastern Florida. The more data we collect, the better our understanding of the redfish becomes, and with that understanding comes the ability to better manage the fishery. The Yamaha Rightwaters and Skeeter teams recognize the important relationship between conservation and growth in the recreational fishing and boating industry, and we are grateful for the support.”

The University of Florida’s redfish study has three components. The first is tagging the fish to get a better idea of the exact number in the area. The second is studying the migration patterns of the fish to determine which habitats are preferred by the adult breeders and which make good nursery sites for the juvenile fish. The acoustic tags the scientists use can pick up signals from Canada to Cuba. Finally, the third aspect of the program focuses on seeding fisheries with redfish bred by the University and tracking the number of juveniles that return to the fisheries.

“Scientific research is one of the four cornerstones of the Yamaha Rightwaters mission,” said John O’Keefe, Senior Specialist, Government Relations, Yamaha Marine U.S. Business Unit. “This redfish study currently underway at the University of Florida will give state officials the information they need to manage this fishery properly so that it may grow in a healthy sustainable manner and continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Yamaha Rightwaters is a national sustainability program that encompasses all of Yamaha Marine’s conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, the reduction of marine debris and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha’s long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources and Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.

The Yamaha Perfect Choice Sales event is going on now at Cycle Springs Powersports! Have you been contemplating buying a new GP1800R SVHO or maybe a VX Deluxe with audio? Does the thought of new  2021 SuperJet get you excited?

If so, now is the time to take the plunge and purchase a new Yamaha WaveRunner. Check out these special offers on Yamaha WaveRunners from Cycle Springs Powersports. No payments for 90 days for qualified buyers on the purchase of a new 2015-2021 Yamaha WaveRunner. You won’t even need a down payment or trade in for this offer.

Take advantage of 3.99% APR for 36 months. This offer is available to tier A1 credit customers who finance through Yamaha Financial Services. Get payments as low as $29.52 per $1000 financed, regardless of down payment. Higher financing rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings.

If you need two WaveRunners, Cycle Springs and Yamaha have you covered with 6.49% APR for 96 months. This offer is geared toward A1 credit customers who finance through Yamaha Financial Services. Score payments as low as $13.38 a month per $1000 financed, regardless of down payment.

All the Yamaha Perfect Choice Sales Event deals are based on approved credit. The better the score, the better the interest rate. The offers apply to select models available in retail stock and the buyer must take delivery by June 30, 2021. Contact Cycle Springs for complete details and qualifications and to check out the select models on sale.

Cycle Springs Powersports can be contacted by submitting their online form, calling them at 727.771.1211, or stop in and see them at their Clearwater, FL location.

As we celebrated Earth Day this year, Yamaha would like to remind everyone what we can do to practice green boating.  These 10 Best Practices For Boaters come courtesy of Discover Boating.

Some of these tips include preventing oily discharges.  Clean up any oil spills when doing an oil change and be sure to properly dispose of old oil.  For those folks still riding an old 2-stroke WaveRunner or boat, consider switching to a newer 4-stroke model.

Be sure to prevent fuel spills when re-filling your gas tank.  When topping off your gas tank, stop filling immediately when the fuel nozzle cuts off and don’t add more gas to the filler neck since expanding fuel can cause it to spill out.

Minimize maintenance on the water or having to call for a tow.  Having to call for a tow causes not only unnecessary expense to your wallet, but also to the environment.  Instead, plan ahead and take preventative maintenance measures.

When you’re out on the water, it’s natural to want to relax with friends and family by enjoying some mid-afternoon snacks and drinks.  When you’re finished, be sure to save your trash and dispose of it properly when you return to dry land.

Another great tip is to know the water you are operating in and what kind of marine life might be below the surface.  For example, try to avoid operating in shallow waters where marine mammals live.  Also avoid dropping anchor into coral reef or protected areas.

For more great tips, head over to the link above so that we can all enjoy the water while protecting our environment.