IJSBA shared some exciting news from Florida and even Ohio! Mike Young’s Surf and Turf Promotions has partnered with Powerboat Nationals to bring three weekends of PWC Competition to Tavares,FL. This year’s event will not only feature HydroDrag Racing, Sparks, Sport Class; other watercraft will soon be announced. Partering with Powerboat Nationals is a great way to grow the sport of watercraft racing. The partnership will generate more interest in watercraft racing since many different machines will be on display and in the water. This in turn creates more revenue for communities and more fun for spectators.
The 10th Annual Hydro-Turf US HydroDrag Nationals and World Championships powered by Yamaha will return to Lake County for four events. These begin April 6 and will feature the “World’s Fastest Race on Water.” This event runs for two days and is sanctioned by the IJSBA of Half Moon Bay,CA. The HydroDrags feature a one of a kind launch pad and it will be set up directly behind Kalua Beach Bar. Five classes of HydroDrag Racing will be entered. These classes include Pro Stock Sea-Doo, Pro Stock Yamaha, Spec, Superstock, and Unlimited. Stock and Spec Classes run on Saturday and the more modified machines run on Sunday.
This is promoter Mike Young’s 32cd year in the industry and the 39th year of organized PWC racing. Young said, ”I enjoyed putting on the races in Tavares so much that I moved here from Bradenton and our relationship with the City of Tavares and Lake County Economic Development is excellent” With that being said, Young said that there will be 3 additional events held on May 18-19, July 18-19, and November 9-10. The May and November events will also feature the Powerboat Nationals Hydro Cross Classes; Sport and Spark, which will bring a lot more people to Lake County for the event as the Powerboat Nationals Series heads to Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and West Virginia!
The Series attracts hundreds of racers from all over the U.S. National and local sponsors include Hydro-Turf, Yamaha, City of Tavares, Lake County, RIVA Racing, Greenhulk.net, Tiki West, Key West Resort, Blowsion, Jet Pilot, IJSBA, pipmthatride.com, 4-Tec Performance, Team Mean, MVP Production, and Jet Ski Daily. The events run from 9am to 4pm and are free for Lake County residents to attend.
Non-residents can purchase a pit pass for $10. Surf and Turf Promotions has more information available on its website. Bleachers will be provided, however, attendees are urged to bring their own seats and ear protection because it’s going to get loud! Free parking is available at the Tavares City parking deck.
This is a family-friendly event with a high energy vibe. Prepare to have fun! Drag Racing, Freestylye, and Closed Course racing will be on display. Plenty of vendors will be on site and many restaurants are within walking distance. Uva Perez from U-Jet is the current holder of the World Speed Record in the Unlimited Class. The record happened in 2017 on Lake Dora and it was an impressive 127.7MPH! Are you ready Tavares? The 2019 Hydro-Turf US Drag Nationals and World Championships are coming back to town and they’re going to be bigger than ever!
This bizarre story out of Grand Island, New York states that Border Patrol Agents took a man into custody Wednesday morning at Beaver Island State Park for smuggling two aliens into the United States from Canada. This is especially unusual due to the time of year. The water and air are frigid and the suspect is accepting money to smuggle a couple of people into the U.S. from Canada.
Wanderson Dos Santos Freitas of Brazil was arrested after his jet ski broke down on the Niagara River.
Border Patrol officers were blown away when they saw Dos Santos Freitas on a jet ski driving across the Niagara River with two passengers. They got stuck in the middle of the river when the jet ski malfunctioned stranding them on a block of ice.
Two of the people were able to walk across the ice to land. However, the Grand Island Fire Department had to rescue the third person with the use of ropes and a small inflatable raft.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Dos Santos Freitas with bringing aliens to the United States for money.
“The aliens on the jet ski had paid the defendant six thousand dollars or agreed to pay him six thousand dollars to bring them into the US,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlie Kruly.
The two passengers were put in extreme danger by the man at the helm of the PWC. Neither person were wearing life jackets and the woman on the back didn’t even know how to swim. The water temps were 32 degrees Fahrenheit. After paramedics evaluated the three people, Buffalo Border Patrol took them into custody.
Dos Santos Freitas faces up to 10 years in prison and the other two remain in detention.
Air support was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air, and Marine Operations.
Jeffrey Wilson of the Buffalo Border Patrol Station praised his men by saying, “I commend our agents for apprehending this smuggling attempt.”
It’s no secret that RIVA Racing – in addition to developing and manufacturing some of the best go-fast parts in the business – also excels at building and testing some super sweet one-off customs and race-ready performance skis for customers. It’s not the typical fare you might expect from the world’s leading Sea-Doo dealership, but RIVA has always made the time for discretionary customers wanting that upper hand.
Recently, a video of one such build came across the intarwebs showcasing the final bit of testing for AquaX racer Brandon Oburn’s 2019 RXP-X 300. The machine is clearly punching out far more than it’s showroom-stock rating of 300-horsepower; as the machine rockets to 84mph across RIVA Racing’s test lake facility.
Wrapped in IPD Graphics vinyl and brandishing a who’s who of RIVA parts (and some not listed), Brandon is looking well equipped for the 2019 season. Mind you, reliable speed doesn’t come cheap and most folks wouldn’t be able to even hold on to the grips for too long, so it’s pretty impressive to get this POV video. Enjoy!
If you’re thinking that 2019 is going to be the year that you finally step up to the plate and purchase that brand new WaveRunner, we’ve got some really good news for you! Yamaha WaveRunners has launched a massive new program pairing you, the potential buyer, with your local Yamaha dealership to test ride the latest WaveRunner or boat.
That’s right! You can actually take the ski (or Yamaha boat) of your dreams out for a spin on the water. Yamaha states: “Yamaha Boats and WaveRunners are the best in their class and the top selling in the industry. There are many reasons why, and we want you to experience them for yourself.” And to help you do it, Yamaha has developed a whole new website to make it happen.
It states: “Use this site to locate a Yamaha dealer near you who can help you find the right model for your needs and arrange for a product demo on the water.” Seriously, it’s that easy. Just go to the site, click on whether you want to test out a boat or a WaveRunner, type in your ZIP code, and BAM! Yamaha will help arrange for a test ride. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Then go try it out HERE!
Pro Watercross announced Daytona Beach as the Round Two stop for the 2019 Pro Watercross National Tour. The race will be held in Daytona Beach, FL on May 11 and 12, which is also Mothers Day weekend. Registration opens March 22cd and contestants who submit their entries by April 1st will receive a limited addition hot pink Pro Watercross T-shirt for Mother’s Day. The race sounds like a fun way to spend the weekend. Check out the Daytona event schedule here.
Pro Watercross has more great news. A new division called Supercourse has been added to each tour stop. Jennifer Handler, CIO, of Pro Watercross said; “The addition of Supercourse to our lineup of races is something we are very excited about. This is something that Pro Watercross and our advisory board have been working to set up and organize, putting rules in place so that we can bring this new, challenging aspect of Pro Watercross to our racers and fans this season.”
Supercourse will make its debut in Pensacola Beach, FL with two new 200 and 300 classes. Box Stock rules will be in place and the races will consist of two twenty minute motos, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The rulebook has been updated to reflect these changes, including the models of watercraft that fall under the 200 and 300 categories.
Forms for the Pro Watercross National Tour, National Championship, and World Championship can be emailed to:[email protected].
The haters. Oh boy, the haters. If the internet has taught us one thing, it’s that people sure love to dump on stuff. For anyone who spends any time online, they’ll find that the trash talk between brand-loyal watercraft enthusiasts is roiling at a fever pitch. Barbs are freely exchanged, but when it comes to Sea-Doo, one jab rears its ugly head more than any other: they sink. And if you were to believe what the digital mob preaches, it happens all the time.
So if we are to believe that these machines sink more often than a lead-filled, mesh-bottomed canoe, why is it that Sea-Doo has the largest slice of the marketplace; or some of the highest customer satisfaction; or the largest segment of returning customers than any other brand? Could it be the haters are wrong? *gasp!* Well, we won’t say “wrong”, but we will say that there is a lot of misinformation floating out there, and quite a bit that’s simply missing from the public dialogue.
Now that we’ve got you all roiled up and triggered, let’s dive into the meat of the story. In this essay, we’re going to address the primary cause of most of these rumors, these uniquely rare and isolated experiences, and more importantly, how to make sure it never happens to you.
The subject in question is Sea-Doo’s carbon ring. This ring encircles the driveshaft prior to it exiting through the hull and into the pump, sealing the hull from the water outside. The two-piece design provides the craft a waterproof seal while allowing the shaft to spin with the least resistance (ie. friction) possible. More pertinent to the focus of this discussion, the carbon ring is a wear item, just like the wear ring in the pump. It is not designed to last forever.
When under optimal conditions (correctly installed, operated and serviced), a carbon ring can last upwards to 100-to-150 operating hours. Yet, we find more often than not, premature failure of the carbon ring directly linked to operator error, misuse and damaged equipment. Thankfully, there are several telltale signs to alert a Sea-Doo owner well before a catastrophic failure – that is, between the watercraft’s regular service intervals.
The first cause for potential carbon ring failure is also the most common – and gratefully, the easiest to avoid: excessive heat. While not in direct contact to the driveshaft, the carbon ring caps the bellows (the corrugated black rubber boot that contains the shaft’s ball bearing) that encloses the shaft. The carbon ring is preloaded against a tapered, machined support ring (ie. hat), which is held in place on the shaft by a keyed circlip. It’s the carbon ring pressing against the hat on the driveshaft that makes the watertight seal.
As the driveshaft spins, so does the hat – with its flat machined surface – pressed against the stationary carbon ring. This of course, generates friction. Friction causes heat, and excessive heat often leads to early failure. The carbon ring is only cooled when the Sea-Doo is in the water – whether idling or at speed. The heat generated by the hat’s surface spinning against the face of the carbon ring can lead to premature wear (and failure) when operated too long out of the water.
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, not so when you see folks revving the snot out of their Sea-Doo on the trailer. Even when flushing the exhaust system with a running hose, the carbon ring is not being cooled. That is why the operation and service manual recommend running the engine no more than 90-seconds out of the water. Even “blipping” the throttle hard enough to purge the waterbox can lead to premature wear and failure.
While a bent or injured impeller blade can cause undue and aggravating turbulence, the unsettling harmonic is more likely to radically deplete the longevity of the pump’s wear ring before injuring the carbon ring – primarily because the carbon ring is only making contact with the hat, and not the shaft itself. Yet, a bent driveshaft oscillating at several thousand revolutions per minute can carve an erratic wear pattern into the carbon ring’s face, eventually leading to an early failure – although this is often the least likeliest cause.
Although not common, bending or distorting a driveshaft can happen due to careless operation; either by sucking up a tightly coiling a rope; or impact with rocks, branches or other objects small enough to pass through the intake grate. Even when poorly maintained or with parts improperly installed it is difficult to damage a driveshaft enough to injure the carbon ring.
The final factor linked to carbon ring failure is often its hardest to diagnose; engine misalignment. First and foremost, it is incredibly rare that an engine come from the factory misaligned; and all damages would be rightly covered by BRP’s warranty. Rather, it is more likely that engine misalignment is the byproduct of either harsh impacts from wave jumping or having had the engine out before.
Contrary to popular belief, these high-powered machines are not designed to jump waves, and doing so rapidly weakens, loosens and often breaks engine mounts. During a particularly severe impact, the driveline undergoes extraordinary torsional forces, causing the engine to literally shift. It might be significant (in the form of a broken motor mount) or minor, but a misalignment has potentially occurred.
Many times, such riders have replaced broken or worn motor mounts presuming that aligning the bolt holes would return the driveline to its proper default position. Not so! Certified BRP mechanics will have the correct alignment tools to ensure that the driveline is square. The same goes for the aftermarket tuner or the less-than-reputable repair shop who misaligned the engine upon reinstalling it. Both of which, the onus lies with the owner, not BRP.
Because the carbon ring is the final line between having a great day out on the lake or sinking to its bottom, it’s best to 1. maintain a proper service inspection schedule with your dealer or certified mechanic; 2. look for signs of wear in the form of excessive water in the engine compartment (particularly around the bellow), water whipping violently around the bellow, or large deposits of fine dark gray carbon blown or streaked across the engine compartment; and 3. to consider upgrading your carbon ring kit.
The Watercraft Journal spoke with Greenhulk PWC Performance‘s own Jerry Gaddis, who recommended upgrading to the new style carbon ring hat. Jerry explained, “The new carbon seal hat is 5mm thicker. That means its putting more tension on the carbon ring for a better seal. The kit is less than $90 bucks and comes with the new thicker hat and a brand new carbon seal. It’s the cheapest insurance policy you can get.”
So no, Sea-Doo’s don’t sink; but poorly maintained or incorrectly operated Sea-Doos with worn out carbon rings can though. Proper use and regular service from certified technicians will ensure your Sea-Doo will continue to perform as the day you first picked it up from the dealership; it’s really that simple. And for the haters online? There’s not much you can do about those miserable saps but sit back and feel sorry that they’re not having as much fun as you are.
Addendum (8.24.20): There have been a rash of carbon ring seal failures in recent years as noted by increased service requests. According to The Watercraft Journal’s sources, a confluence of weak or porous materials used by outside suppliers and a limited sequence of units manufactured with slight engine misalignment have contributed to premature failure of carbon ring seals. To our knowledge, 2020-and-up models are not showing these failings. Regardless, please take added precautions to operate your Sea-Doo within the prescribed guidelines outlined in your operator’s manual, as well as stay “on top” of your regular service schedule.
Additional photography and the video below via 3ft Deep.
The call for an electric personal watercraft isn’t exactly mainstream, but it is vocal. Now, is that clamor enough to force the Big 3 manufacturers into scrambling to develop an electric-powered runabout? Unlikely, but if there is a fiscal incentive (say, subsidies or tax benefits) you might see a shift towards electric power. It’s just the cost to dump literally hundreds of thousands of hours spent developing, tooling, manufacturing and maintaining gasoline-powered watercraft is just far too prohibitive.
Equally, we’ve seen personal watercraft swell in size over the past three decades. The two- and three-seater runabout is a stable, well-balanced, heavily-equipped and nicely instrumented machine – a far, far cry from the stripped-down, bare-bones runabouts a quarter century ago. Many bemoan this enlarging because it strips the rider of the intimacy between the water’s surface and the machine, as today’s craft are comfortably insulated to soak up rattles, jolts and bumps.
So what do we think of this one-man, electric catamaran from WoKart? Because of its proven stability, the machine comes equipped with a high-back, race car-inspired seat and polished steering wheel and traditional gas pedal. Weirdly enough, the craft – priced at $9,800 – comes without its engine, asking that the buyer purchase one compliant with the rules and regulations pertinent to their respective nation. Crazy! The first half of the video below shows the bright red craft in action. Enjoy.
Aquabike promotion organizer of the UIM-ABP Aquabike Championship announced a six race calendar set to take place in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The UIM-ABP season kicks off in Portimao, Portugal. This event also marks the start of an exciting ten day water festival on the Arade River. During back to back weekends, we’ll see the UIM-ABP Ski Juniors World Championship and Round 2 of the UIM F1H20 World Powerboat Championship.
The season moves on to Olbia on the island of Sardinia for Round 2 of the Aquabike Championship. The Sardinia event combines the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship for Runabout GP2, GP4, Ski GP2, and GP3.
The third stop is in China, where no Aquabike events have taken place since 2016. From there, the participants head to India in November for the fourth round. This marks the beginning of a weeklong watersports festival in Amaravati on the Krishna river. The Aquabike Championship season will end its fifth consecutive year on the Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah in the UAE. An additional race will occur in December. It has yet to be confirmed.
“We are delighted to be able to announce such an exciting and diverse calendar for 2019 which highlights the growing reputation of this championship,” said Raimondo di San Germano, H2O Racing. The success we have enjoyed and support we have received at venues with the UIM F1H2O Championship now allows us to be able to showcase the Aquabike Championship.
I would like to thank Mayor Isilda Gomez and the Portuguese Federation, Mayor Settimo Nizzi and the Italian Federation, the Chinese Federation, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and the UAE Marine Sports Federation”, continued San Germano.
The fact that Sea-Doo has not had a dry suit is not all that strange. The proportion of watercraft drivers who ride only when it’s sunny out versus all-year-long must be considered; and that investing in both a wetsuit and a dry suit constitutes a significant cost. The market for the sale of dry suits is therefore perhaps not the largest. But since it increases the possibility of using a watercraft, a dry suit should also be a natural part of the range for all the major watercraft manufacturers as we see it.
With a good dry suit you will keep the winter’s limitations at a distance, both in the spring season but perhaps especially in the fall while the water temperatures are still at their highest while the air becomes colder. And as mentioned, longer trips with varying weather or simply gray days will be far more relevant for several people. Finally, Sea-Doo is now out with a self-developed dry suit. The suit is available through the central warehouse the first week of April, and will probably be ready with the country’s dealers before Easter – according to BRP Norway AS. The suit will initially be sold in Europe.
The new Sea-Doo dry suit is available only in yellow and black, cool for those who like yellow. And yellow is ideal if one wants to be seen well on or in the water. So, if you put security in front of the color scheme for Sea-Doo is therefore an advantage all the way. If you choose a dry suit, your comfort and safety is something you prioritize.
Before we got to test the Sea-Doo dry suit, BRP had already shown the suit earlier in Norway and Scandinavia, but did not go public with the product until now. This is mainly due to inertia around the decision on design and final production, and we have therefore not even given information about the suit until today. The work on developing the new dry suit actually goes back over 3 years, according to BRP. Let’s take a closer look at what Sea-Doo has to offer features at a suggested retail price of $7990 kr ($860 USD).
The suit’s long and durable zipper with a wide opening was one big plus; nothing is more frustrating than having to fight into the suit to get your arms and head in. The zipper was somewhat twisted too close when it was completely retracted; it also bunched up occasionally in a small relief hood at the top. We resolved the issue with a little zipper wax we had.
Like most dry suits, Sea-Doo also has suit braces. The belts seem to be of good quality and are not marked while driving. The tension is easy to adjust, and the buckles do not come off or gnaw during driving. The buckles seem to be of good quality, and it will surprise us if these turn out not to last over time.
The suit contains a firmly integrated hood, which contributes to the collar being relatively dominant and thick. As the suit is designed, the cap works excellently both coiled and unrolled over the head. It is also easy to pull out and roll together, even with 3mm gloves. At speeds above 35-40 knots, it quickly became clear that one is better off using a neoprene hood or helmet, rather than pulling the cap over the head. When used with a helmet, it pushes the collar slightly, and frustratingly towards the underside of the helmet. Since we often drive with just a helmet, this is one minus point for us, but most of the people probably will run with a neoprene hood and glasses, and with that combo the hood and collar work wonderfully. (It’s also worth noting is that the neoprene cap from Sea-Doo is sold separately, the same applies to their new type of neoprene gloves, price and info about these we will return to.)
The suit has solid neoprene cuffs in both the neck and arms; the seams appear strong. Especially the seams and the strength of the arm cuffs are important to us, as these are heavily stressed when taking the suit off and on repeatedly. More than once, we have broken cuffs on our other suits, and that is something you do not want. As expected, the suit and the fabric can withstand water. Our tests from both quayside and watercraft show that the men’s suit remains watertight. Removing air from the suit is also unproblematic, both on land and in the water. All in all, we found only positive experiences here.
Sea-Doo has chosen to go for integrated shoes, than with fixed shoe sizes adapted to the different suit sizes. That shoes are included in the price naturally adds value, and who does not like to get the most for the money? The downside is whether your shoe sizes do not match the suit size. We are a little surprised that BRP chose this rather than a latex sock or pure cuff as most other manufacturers do. This gives greater freedom of choice for one’s own footwear. The shoes themselves worked well; there was room for thick socks. The shoes are noticeably a bit more clumsy than the neoprene shoes we use for our other dry and wet suits. All in all, the shoes work well and help defend the price of the suit.
Unlike several of our dry suits, the Sea-Doo suit has glued areas with anti-slip material in the seat. In contrast to, for example, the Gecco grip that we have on our Jettribe wet suits, probably these fields do not provide just as good attachment. But compared to dry suits completely without anti-slip on the butt, the Sea-Doo solution surprises well, not too little and not too much. It should also be added that the suits are relatively spacious and there is more than enough fabric in the longitudinal direction so that one is not affected by driving in a sitting position, even with a lot of warm clothes underneath.
In addition to what has already been mentioned, the only thing we have to critique on the suit is that it lacks a zipper in the crotch, something we mentioned to BRP last year, but were unfortunately too late in this process. BRP Sea-Doo has not revealed the dry suit yet, but the selection is now expanded and you do not have to look for dry suits for kayaks and kiters. The Sea-Doo suit goes a little higher on the price list than the very popular Crewsaver Cirius suit, but quite in line with most others. Is it worth the price of 7990 kr? ($860 USD) Yes, as long as it fits you in size of suit and shoes.
[This article was originally written by Christian Hammernes for Waterscooter Norway March 9th, 2019; and has been translated, edited and condensed by The Watercraft Journal. You can read the original publication in its entirety here.]
Once again, East Coast Watercross comes through and will produce the 2019 IJSBA US National Championships. The event will take place in Plattsburgh City Beach in Plattsburgh, NY July 27th and 28th. This is the second consecutive year that East Coast Watercross has presented the National Championships in Plattsburgh, NY. It’s part of their 2019 Racing and Freestyle tour.
The beach is across from the Adirondacks and The Adirondack Coast Visitor’s Bureau is the local host of the IJSBA National Championship. The bureau does a wonderful job arranging hotel deals, activity maps, and will let racers know about the locals’ favorite hangouts and eateries.
Plattsburgh City Beach is the fresh water beach in America and peaks of the Adirondacks to the Green Mountains of Vermont can be seen across Lake Champlain. Other cool things are that the area provides easy access to the venue, an international airport, lots of hotels and activities on and off site. Everything is just a short drive away.
The 2019 National Championship is a two day event. Saturday and Sunday will be full on excitement and adrenaline filled fun with lots of racing taking place! Racing and Freestyle classes from beginner to pro will be held and the crowning of champions takes place during Sunday’s awards ceremony.
East Coast Watercross will make frequent updates on their website so everyone can stay in the loop with deals and an official hotel soon to be announced. People can also follow their social media on Facebook; @ECWatercross and Instagram; @EastCoastWatercross. Both are updated daily with information, photos, and videos. All pertinent information will be in one place on the website, which translates to more riding and less searching for competitors.
Once again, East Coast Watercross comes through and will produce the