Let this be a reminder to you to always check your gear before and after you leave the water. When attending surf or other safety instruction training, we are taught to inspect our equipment prior to to use. We go over a checklist and have a hands on discussion. It is best to know beforehand if there is a problem with your gear. No one wants to enter the water and realize their drain cap isn’t tight or their leash tie is frayed.
Inspecting gear is a little different when it comes to a jet ski. The assessment of equipment is more involved and requires a more thorough review. Trailering may be involved along with proper docking and tying down watercraft.
When we sifted through the Facebook comments to determine what happened to Jorge Ocana’s PWC, we discovered that he failed to check his wooden lift before tying down his newly purchased 2014 Sea-Doo GTX iS 255.
He claims he secured his ski to the lift only to come back later to find his machine had fallen into the water and smashed against some rocks and a dock during a storm. Ocana also wrote that he tied down his ski and that the wooden lift broke.
This disaster could have easily been prevented by taking the time to look over everything. There is no need to rush when it comes to inspecting machines and tie downs. Take the extra minutes to properly secure your craft and look over the place you’re storing it.
A few simple bowlines and half hitches attached to the eyelets on the ski may have saved the day. Straps may have been key as well. However, with the weakened rotted wood, we have a different scenario; a neglected lift. It is too bad that Ocana didn’t notice his lift was bad. A costly error was made and we will never know if the Sea-Doo was properly secured.
Personal watercraft riding can be one of the most enjoyable events in life. The thrills that come with it are some of the greatest but as with any activity, there are good things as well as bad things.
If you are perhaps considering whether or not to purchase your very own personal watercraft, here is a list of good things and bad things that come with the territory of ownership and operation of these machines.
The fun factor: personal watercraft are undeniably fun to ride. The feeling of exhilaration is there every time from the small nimble and playful units to the supercharged high-horsepower monsters. Take one ride and you won’t deny it either.
Easy to operate: Once you understand the basic principle of a personal watercraft in that you use the jet pump’s thrust to propel and steer the craft through the water, they are very easy machines to operate. In fact with such ingenious systems like Sea-Doo’s IBR or Yamaha’s Ride, maneuvering, braking, and reversing have never been easier.
More fun than a motorcycle: Okay so this one is debatable depending on who you ask but c’mon let’s be honest. Take a look around the next time you see someone riding a motorcycle and then someone riding a personal watercraft. The watercraft rider will be smiling and the motorcyclist won’t be. Plus, where else can you pin the throttle and not break any speed laws other than on a personal watercraft.
Safety is there: Modern personal watercraft have come a long way since the early days. The watercraft of today’s world have many built-in safety features such as off-throttle assisted steering, brakes, and learning modes to help new riders. Statistically-speaking, personal watercraft are far safer than motorcycles as you don’t have to contend with nearly as many distracted drivers and hazards in your riding path.
Anti-theft deterrents: Much like your car keys, modern personal watercraft have anti-theft systems installed. Some come with digitally encoded key fobs that are unique to your exact watercraft and others might have a remote control allowing you to digitally lock the watercraft from unwanted starting of the engine.
Fun for adults and younger riders: While most jurisdictions have age restrictions limiting young teenagers and children from riding alone, many watercraft come with programmable keys allowing you to limit the speed and power output for younger, inexperienced riders.
Take the whole family along: Recent personal watercraft have gotten more spacious, more stable, and allow more flexibility for storage of all your essential items. Take for example Sea-Doo’s revolutionary new hull and platform design which allows you to stretch out and bring the picnic along with you.
Many shapes, sizes, and budgets: Personal watercraft come in many sizes from your small, lightweight craft that you can pull on a trailer using a Toyota Prius all the way up to the large touring models that fit three or four people. Prices range from just over $5000 to well over $17,000 so they can be affordable for many people.
More than just recreational riding: Owning a personal watercraft unlocks the gate to so many activities from sanctioned riding and racing events, organized riding clubs and activities, to offshore fishing, and exploring hidden and remote areas.
Relatively simple to maintain: With some simple tools and equipment, anybody can do most minor service work themselves. Additionally, if you regularly clean and maintain your personal watercraft, it will last for years to come.
The Bad
Cost of Ownership: As with any powersports activity, there is cost associated with owning a personal watercraft. You must obviously consider the cost of the unit itself plus a trailer if necessary. In addition, you should consider insurance, fuel, property tax, and maintenance costs.
Limited riding season for many: Unless you are planning on investing in wetsuits and other heavy winter riding gear, many people will realize that riding is limited to the summer and mildly cool months.
Winterizing: If you live in an area that gets well-below freezing and you plan on storing your watercraft for many months, you will need to winterize your ski which includes extracting all water out of the internal engine and/or exhaust passages as well as lubricating the engine cylinders.
Buy a trailer: If you are like most people, you don’t have direct water access from your house and so you will need a trailer and a proper vehicle to tow your personal watercraft.
Need water access: Obviously you need water to ride and an established boat launching ramp. Many people do not live close to a sufficient water source.
Safety concerns/riding at night: You are required to wear certain safety gear such as a life vest. While some may consider this restrictive to your movements, there are actually very comfortable options available. Personal watercraft do not have the necessary equipment to operate at night and so it is unlawful to do so.
Environmental Concerns: You will certainly be operating your watercraft in the homes of marine animals and wildlife. Especially when operating in shallow water conditions, this could pose a hazard to some animals and surrounding environment areas.
Can be hard to sell if you have to: Making sure you like the watercraft you buy is important because re-selling can be difficult especially in the wrong market.
Not all watercraft are for every riding condition: Small, cheaper units will generally have a rougher ride and are not as stable. Therefore, they will not suit well in ocean or rough conditions. On the same note, a larger stable watercraft will not be as playful in terms of doing spins and other tricks so you will need to pick the watercraft that suits your style.
It took me two years of planning, building, and coordinating to experience my first surf ride and that was far too long! Please, don’t be like me.
As a child, when my family traveled to the coast for a family outing, full of excitement I would run onto the beach and dig my toes into the early morning sun-warmed sand, feel the salty breeze on my face, and listen to the waves crash onto the shore and recede with persistent tenacity. Twenty five years later, the wonderful smell and bark of two-stroke exhaust echoing from my stand-up ski combined with all those nostalgic feelings created a truly stunning experience. My visit was not without mistakes and problems though. Without proper planning, a surf ride can go from having the time of your life…to instant disappointment and danger. To avoid the typical beginner mistakes, here are some tips that can help your first ride go as smooth as possible.
Section One: Preparation
Pre-Ride Check
Pre-ride checks should be done before every ride, but are especially necessary before a surf ride where something like intermittent spark or bad tuning can leave you stranded. The danger factor when riding surf is greater than fresh water outings, considering the unique threat of ocean predators, strong currents, and obviously, hefty waves crashing over you and your ski. If your ski has lived the fresh water life, some small problems can become big ones once the ski is dropped into corrosive salt water.
Check all electrical connections, dialectic grease in connectors can be used to keep out moisture and corrosion over time. Go over all wires looking for sheath damage or wear, especially where they exit the e-box, stator cover, and spark plug boots.
Look at your fuel lines for nicks, tears, and friction rubs – especially around fittings and connections. You should replace old, brittle fuel lines before the ride to avoid any breakage when jumping waves and the inevitable harsh landing.
Re-torque nuts and bolts, especially major ones on the pump, motor mounts, intake grate, ride plate, pole mount, and steering.
Make sure the hood seal is intact, no need for waterfalls of salt water leaking into the bilge area – especially right into the intake.
If you do not have an OEM style intake or pre-filters on your pod filters, I’d suggest you get some. Even with a proper hood seal, water will enter the bilge. Always better to be safe than sorry and stop the potential sloshing of water into the intake.
Always good to use anti-seize on proper nuts and bolts if you plan on riding often in the surf. Just be sure to note what bolts need thread locker and which are safe for anti-seize. This can save you a lot of time and headaches in the future when breaking the bolts loose. Along the same lines, a good anti-corrosion spray like CRC’s Marine Corrosion Inhibitor and 6-56 Lubricant can go a long way to protecting bilge components before and after your ride.
Find Your Spot Use the technology at your fingertips to find your riding spot before you make the trip. Check forums like www.x-h2o.com and others for popular riding spots suggested by fellow riders. Once you find the spot, check Google maps to see what you’ll be working with. Is it a loose sandy beach; is it rocky, any boat ramps around? Will you need a 4×4 or is there a parking lot? These details can make or break a ride before you even hit the water. Check local laws and guidelines for beach access. Often a permit will be required to drive on a beach and can be purchased beforehand.
Check the Surf
Just like the weather; check surf reports before heading out. Beach websites usually have surf and weather conditions, though you can also download surf forecast apps like Magic Seaweed and others. Height and Period are important terms to know when looking at a surf forecast. Height refers to the measurement from bottom, or trough, of the wave to the top, or peak. The distance between waves is the Period. Wider Periods between waves are preferable to give you more time and cleaner water to set up for the next wave. There is nothing like flat surf to ruin your plans, you can ride the local lake if you want flat conditions! On the flip side, its best to not go out in tropical storm surge for your first ride either. A low two-foot day is a great way to cut your teeth if you are near the coast and want to take it slow. Three to four foot plus surf starts to get exciting… and maybe a little bit much depending on your ski-handling skills. Always err on the side of caution and do not ride beyond your limits.
Gear Checklist Like packing your luggage for a trip, gather your gear before the day of your ride. Suggestions for important items you should include are:
Helmet – Motocross helmets are popular among jet skiers for their full-face, high impact protection. On the plus side of protecting your noggin, they also offer a great place to mount a camera.
Goggles – I prefer to ride without them in the surf, but if conditions are rough and windy a pair of goggles can help stop salt-water spray from burning your eyes.
Gloves – Salt water is slippery, keep your hands from coming off the grips with a good set of gloves. I prefer full finger gloves to cut-offs.
Kneepads – Having busted open my knee on my race ski on flat water, kneepads are now a mandatory part of my kit. They do not have to be huge and bulky, slim mountain biking pads can work and often have added shin protection.
Coast Guard approved life jacket – I know the competition wakeboarding jackets look cool and are slim fitting, but proper flotation is necessary. You won’t care how you look if you get knocked out and your unconscious body needs to float.
Shoes – I always ride with shoes in fresh or salt water since they help you stay connected to the ski and protect you from those pesky bottom dwelling sea creatures.
A friend or three – you should never ride alone and always good to have a rescue ski available.
Tow rope with quick connect carabineers for expeditious towing.
Extra gas and oil/mixing container for premix if you have a two-stoke engine.
Beach cart if beach-only access.
Water/drinks and snacks, stay hydrated!
Extra spark plugs – Easy to foul plugs ingesting salt water and if you ski randomly decides to run poorly you’ll be prepared.
Tools – I personally have a mobile set of tools that covers anything from simple bolt tightening to taps and dies for stripped bolts. Your minimum should be a ratchet, socket, and wrench set plus an array of flat-head and Phillips screw drivers.
Towels – I cannot count on two hands how many times I’ve forgotten to bring a towel and had to air dry before heading home.
Sunscreen – your coworkers can and will poke your sunburn. Stop the harassment, and more importantly the threat of skin cancer, by keeping the sunscreen flowing!
Other items that are not mandatory, but preferable are:
Wetsuit or rash guard – protect from sand rash and sea creatures (namely jellyfish).
Camera(s) – always good to document the fun (and fails).
Change of clothes – handy to have if local showers are available.
Phone charger – Remote locations can drain your battery faster than normal, keep your lifeline to the rest of the world charged!
Chairs and some kind of shade.
Section Two: Ride Your ski is in perfect working order, ride spot is selected, and your gear is all accounted for and packed. Time to ride!
On the Beach My local surf riding spot is a two-hour drive, so my first surf ride day started out at 4:30am with coffee and more coffee. After the drive, beach parking permit in hand, we drove on to the beach and began to unload the over-full bed of the truck. Still a few more things to go over before hitting the waves!
It may seem obvious, but simple tasks are often forgotten when faced with new experiences. Make sure you have a full tank of gas in your ski to give you maximum ride time, and more importantly, a better cushion if you happen to find yourself farther than expected from shore. Before dropping the ski in the water, prime and start your engine on the beach to make sure everything functions properly. As long as all is well, gear up, and drop in. Once in the water sand will find a way to get into every nook and cranny, always clean your pump and ride plate area out by sloshing the ski back and forth before firing up the engine.
Surf’s Up Most of us jet ski riders being children at heart, our surf day dreams probably consist of wild images of slashing an eight foot wave and pulling rad aerials twenty feet in the air just to land perfectly in time to welcome the next wave. There are hundreds of posts on social media daily of people rocking the ocean on their jet ski. You know your trusty steed and have hundreds of hours logged on your local lake. How hard can it be?
More than likely your first foray out into the surf will be as shaky as a newborn colt trying to walk for the first time. Every ski is setup differently and every rider has a different style and skillset, but here are a few quick tips to get past the breakers:
Be mindful of the shallows – if your riding conditions allow for it, walk out into the surf minus ski to judge depth. Nobody wants to land the back of a ski on solid ground (poor, poor pumps and nozzles!), keep your jump height to a minimum until far enough out from shore. Sandbars can be nasty surprises so always err on the side of caution until you know the area. As mentioned earlier, local jet ski riding groups and forums can be invaluable for finding known, safe riding spots.
Hop over, rather than through small waves – preload the back of the ski and simultaneously blip the throttle to pop over the white water and small waves near shore. Your goal is not to get airborne, but to glide over the wave – or at least impact the wave with the center of your hull instead of the nose so it does not force you and your ski under water. Careful not to tag waves with the back of your ski and cause the nose to dive.
Ride the Wave Once past the breakers and away from the shallows you can now start to experiment with what everyone is raving about.
When ‘surfing’ a wave, keeping your nose up is the “name of the game” to avoid pearling. Pearling does not refer to something involving clams either. Pearling is submarining (diving) the nose underwater on the face of a wave, usually resulting in the wave taking you and your ski end over end. On the lighter side you’ll get a nose full of salt water and be a bit shaken up, on the bad side a jet ski to the helmet or a waterlogged, sunken ski caught in the waves. To avoid diving under it helps to shift your weight to the rear of the tray and the side closest to the wave face.
The bubbly, air filled white water can prove difficult to ride in as it causes pump cavitation, inhibiting proper hookup and traction. This can both cause a delay in forward propulsion and cause the rear of the ski to ‘unhook’ and slide. Salt water is also more buoyant than freshwater so your hull will ride higher in the water. Keep that in mind when transitioning from clean water to the white water as it can pop your ski upwards unexpectedly, possibly bucking you off or causing your helmet to hit the pole. Ask me how I know….
You might have many hours on a jet ski, but surf will make you acutely aware of your balance. Try to loosen up on the bars and not ride stiff. I know the death grip is real, but you will be able to better absorb unexpected waves, bumps, and jostles inherent in the ocean current. If your tray or deck allows for it, ride with one your dominant leg forward and other leg at the rear of the ski – aka: surf stance. This improves your balance to give greater control over the pitch and roll of the ski.
Safety This information might not be the first paragraph, but safety is the most important part of any ride. Keep it simple:
Do not ride in conditions beyond your skills.
You are riding in the ocean; oceans have large predators. Just because you are riding on a jet ski with a loud engine does not promise sharks and other creatures will ignore you.
Do not ride alone, and have a towrope if your ski dies or you get injured.
Having a cell phone with you in your dry-bag is always a good idea. If you do not want to use your own phone, inexpensive pre-paid ones are another option.
Section Three: Conclusion Ah the post-ride glow from epic riding with (hopefully) nothing breaking! Once packed up and home, a clean jet ski is a happy jet ski both inside and out. As mentioned earlier, salt water is more corrosive than fresh water so post-ride maintenance is paramount. Either use a fresh water flush from the hose with the engine running on the trailer, or drop your ski in some local fresh water to remove all the salt from the engine/exhaust and exterior. Remove all excess water from the bilge and spray the metal engine bits down with a marine grade lubricant like CRC 65-6 or Corrosion Inhibitor. Similarly, wash and clean your gear so you don’t end up with a sandy, moldy kit. My father always told me if you take care of your machines, they’d take care of you and many years later I still heed his advice. Speaking of – heed this advice and get out and slash some waves!
Anthony Radetic, the former US Army helicopter pilot-turned-professional jet ski racer, is one of the most prolific persons in the sport of offshore runabout racing today. Sponsored by Sea-Doo, the Watercraft Superstore, JetRenu, JetLift, Fly Racing and many more, Radetic was involved in a motorcycle accident while stationed in Alabama’s Fort Rucker – home to the 110th Aviation Brigade – that rendered the young husband and father paraplegic. Undaunted, Radetic sought out new ways to not only keep up his adrenaline levels, but also hone and sharpen his athletic skills.
First introduced to the world of offshore PWC racing at the 2014 Jettribe Long Beach-to-Catalina Offshore Championship, Radetic learned quickly that excelling at this sport used much more than his legs. Since that time, Radetic has been a major fixture as most major runabout races, including several bouts at the Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300, as well as the ongoing P1 Aqua X series. Today, Radetic is a welcomed member of the Sea-Doo X-Team, as well as the posterboy for several of his sponsors. Recently, AquaBike filmed a quick biography video worth watching below:
While temperatures are piquing around the Northern Hemisphere, it’s good to remember that at one time, winter was hanging around for faaar too long. Many places still had snow in May.
Being that as it may, our friends in the Great White North, Mid-Canada Jet Sports (in conjunction with the IJSBA) recently announced two weekends of racing in central Canada.
The two events are scheduled for the final weekend of July, the 28th and 29th at Lake Minnewasta in Morden, MB and the second weekend in September, the 8th and 9th, at Lake Mary Jane Reservoir in Manitou, MB.
Sponsored by SBT, Inc. Spyder Fiber, VP Racing and Hydro-Turf, these two races are expected to bring in quite a few racers looking to test their mettle.
For further event details please visit midcanadajetsports.com or contact [email protected]. Or look them up on Facebook or Instagram @midcanadajetsports for more up-to-date information on the 2018 season.
An article presented online by Boating Magazine lets us know a bit about the Florida Sea-Doo testing facility. Testing in real conditions in Florida waters sounds like the perfect environment to give a PWC a thorough beating. The testing areas are located in Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.
Anyone who rides in saltwater knows that if their ski isn’t properly maintained after each ride, it’s only a mater of time before rust, corrosion, and other salt water contaminants cause major problems. Sea-Doo understands this, which is why all of the Sea-Doo models are put through the wringer in the many different conditions of Florida waters. PWC are driven and tested in the extreme elements of salt, sand, and sun. All of the testing happens before the latest Sea-Doo goes into production. The company wants you to have the best ski it can offer. That’s why the brutal testing goes on for the lifetime of each Sea-Doo model, which makes Sea-Doo one of the more innovative watercraft brands.
One example of Sea-Doo’s ingenuity is the Closed-Loop Cooling System. Some key benefits of this type of system are that salt water and other items are kept from clogging the engine through the cooling system. Also, engine temperature is continually maintained, therefore engine performance is enhanced due to a consistent engine temperature. Less maintenance is required with the use of a closed loop cooling system. That’s a bonus.
The Sea-Doo testing area is also useful for hull experimentation, especially when the water is choppy. Hull research and development has resulted in more stable, durable, and responsive designs. If you decide to purchase a Sea-Doo, you know the model has been thoroughly tested and ridden in all conditions prior to manufacturing. A Sea-Doo will last you for years to come with minimal maintenance.
Recently, we caught some grief after noting in our super-popular-yet-wildly-contentious 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 vs. 2018 Yamaha GP1800 shootout, that the GP1800 has been sweeping championships and podium finishes since the day it was released. Many wanted to argue the veracity of our statement, but the facts are facts: the Yamaha GP1800 continues as the winningest runabout in recent years. And backing this claim (again) was a stellar weekend for Yamaha and North Carolina’s Brian Baldwin.
Baldwin, who reigns as the standing P1 AquaX champion, went into Round 4 of the AquaX American series ready to contend with some serious players, including Aero Aswar, Eric Francis and of course, Chris MacClugage – all of whom pilot Yamaha GP1800s. Despite some erratic weather, and a 4th place finish during the first moto, Baldwin battled back the Pro level field twice to take consecutive wins in Motos 2 and 3, earning him top billing. MacClugage followed with Francis closely behind. Our complete recap from the race weekend was published yesterday.
Here’s the complete original release: WINNING! Yamaha Pro WaveRunner Racers Sweep the Top 10 Spots at Round 3 of the P1 AquaX Enduro Pro Series in Sarasota, Florida
Yamaha GP1800 racer and current P1 AquaX world champ Brian Baldwin overcame rain, wind, and very choppy water conditions on Saturday to finished 4-1-1 overall on Sunday, followed by fellow Yamaha GP1800 riders Chris MacClugage and Eric Francis who finished the weekend 2-3 respectively.
In all, Yamaha rider swept the top 10 positions, shutting out Sea-Doo and Kawasaki who have yet to beat the Yamaha GP1800 in Enduro Pro racing the past two seasons.
Round 3 Race Recap: Moto 1: #1 Chris MacClugage, #2 Eric Francis, #3 Aero Aswar Moto 2: #1 Brian Baldwin, #2 Chris MacClugage, #3 Aero Aswar Moto 3: #1 Brian Baldwin, #2 Eric Francis, #3 Aero Aswar
Overall Series Standing: #1 Eric Francis (Yamaha, 130 pts), #2 Brian Baldwin (Yamaha, 116 pts), #3 Chris MacClugage (Yamaha, 94 pts), #3 Aero Aswar (Yamaha, 94pts).
The next round of the P1 AquaX Enduro Pro Championship sees the riders and teams heading to Chicago on Lake Michigan for more exciting action on Sept. 1-2, 2018 in Chicago.
According to Baltimore CBS Local, Joseph B. Ireland was arrested for intentionally using his personal watercraft (PWC) to ram and inflict injuries on swimmers in Magothy River. Ireland and the two men were said to have been arguing earlier that day prior to Ireland purposely striking the two as they swam in the water.
Ireland has since been charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder, and is being held by the Maryland Natural Resources Police without bond. The brief report of the incident is included below:
ANNE ARUNDEL CO., Md. (WJZ) — A Glen Burnie man has been arrested after police say he struck swimmers with his jet ski, Joseph B. Ireland has been charged with attempted murder for the incident Sunday night.
According to Maryland Natural Resources Police, Ireland struck swimmers with his jet ski in the Magothy River. Ireland is being held without bond.
Joseph B. Ireland, 28, of Glen Burnie charged with attempted murder after he struck swimmers last night in the Magothy River with his jet ski. He is being held w/out bond. Witnesses are asked to call @MDNRPolice investigators at 443-699-5297.
Any witnesses or anyone with additional information is asked to call police at (443) 699-5297.
The fourth round of the P1 Aqua X Series was a Pro race only this weekend and it was interesting to see how the racing would be after the other rounds were marred by marine holds. The city of Sarasota, Florida was the site and if past experiences of this site held up, it would be an epic weekend. Many racers were in town for the weekend festivities to include Phil Pope from Great Britain, the Aswar brothers from Indonesia, Mike Klippenstein and Jay Edworthy from Canada, and David Chassier from France making this series a truly international event.
The racers had to share the weekend with not only the P1 Superstock boats but also many other off shore boat racing. The weekend forecast would call for some showers and hopefully that wouldn’t put a damper on the races. After the riders got their safety briefings they put their craft in the water to make their trek out to the racecourse, which was in the Gulf of Mexico and in front of spectacular crowds on Lido Beach.
On their way to the course the racers had calm waters in the intracostal but once they exited into the Gulf, the winds had picked up a little and the racers saw white caps and rollers. Overhead, the clouds had pushed in and rain could be seen far off in the distance. Due to this gloomy weather the crowds on the beach were not as big as previous years but that didn’t matter because racing was about to take place and the racers were pumped to kick off the weekend racing with the first moto.
A final sweep of the course was done and the green flag was given for racing to commence. As the green flag dropped it would be Aqsa Aswar who took the hole shot. With the choppy and rough conditions this was a true offshore race and Aqsa would be in his element. Eric Francis, Brian Baldwin and his brother Aero Aswar would chase him. Chris MacClugage would get off to a bad start off the line and had a lot of work ahead of him to be in the hunt.
Chris, who loves to ride surf races, had to battle through the pack and fight his way to striking distance of Aqsa. The conditions were pretty rough out there as a lot of racers were catching air off the waves and had a hard time finding a rhythm. Macc and Aswar went neck-and-neck battling it out to the lead. With five minutes left, they would side-by-side; it looked like Aqsa would still maintain the lead when he misjudged a roller and flew off his ski just before the white flag went up for the final lap. Macc took over the lead to the joy of his family who was watching from the beach. He would take the checkered flag as the first moto was completed. The top three were MacClugage, Francis and Aero Aswar. If this was any indication of how the rest of the racing would be, we were going to be in for a treat.
The rain came in but was irrelevant as the racers had a long break before their next moto, which was slated for later in the afternoon. Torrential rain came down and it was getting closer to race time for the second moto. The race gods must having been looking out for the racers because the rain held up just in time and the racers headed out to the course. For the second moto, it would be MacClugage who grabbed the hole shot. He maintained the lead for the majority of the race but that didn’t stop Brian Baldwin from thinking the win could be out of reach. Macc looked like he was going to cruise in for a second win for the weekend when suddenly Baldwin put his head down and blew by Macc. Baldwin took over the lead and hold onto it for the remainder of the race. The final standings were Brian Baldwin for the win followed by MacClugage and Aero Aswar.
The second day of racing looked a lot better than the previous day weather-wise. The sun was shining bright and it looked like a typical Florida day. The racers again started off the day for everyone. The green flag would drop and it would be Brian Baldwin who would take the hole shot. Eric Francis would chase him as well the rest of the field. Brian would prove too strong as he maintained his lead for the entire race. Phil Pope battled with Chris Saxon. Pope came to realize that racing in the United States was a different beast due to the competition and the weather.
Baldwin grabbed the checkered flag for the final moto of the weekend with Eric Francis and Aero Aswar following him. Baldwin took home the overall title for the weekend with his strong showing. The next set of races for the series are heading north out of Florida to the Great Lakes series and will return back to Florida in November for the final race of the year.
Have you ever pulled up to a boat dock only to notice that there is no proper tie off points for your watercraft? Many docks have tie off devices or cleats however they are improperly spaced for smaller personal watercraft, damaged, or worse don’t exist at all.
In these cases, you can still travel or launch your watercraft at the ramp worry-free with a portable dock cleat system. You can make your own tie off points exactly where you need them with these handy devices.
There are a few different designs and manufacturers, but most of them offer flexibility, lightweight construction, and are relatively compact so they fit in most watercraft storage compartments.
The portable cleats are as easy to use as they are to transport. Most designs use the cleat on top with a T-shaped cross bar on the bottom. The T-bar is usually slipped between two dock boards and turned 90 degrees to hold it in place. That way, you can tie off in any location you want.
For more information on these, you can check out intrepidcottager. They have tested out different types and models and have some opinions to offer on which designs worked best.
Inspecting gear is a little different when it comes to a jet ski. The assessment of equipment is more involved and requires a more thorough review. Trailering may be involved along with proper docking and tying down watercraft.
While temperatures are piquing around the Northern Hemisphere, it’s good to remember that at one time, winter was hanging around for faaar too long. Many places still had snow in May.
