A piece from News Channel 7 announced that seven South Walton Beach,Florida lifeguards recently become certified jet ski rescue operators. The 40-hour course was provided by the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), which utilizes the Hawaiian training method for its own nationwide instruction. The course took four days to complete and the newly certified guards gained the necessary tools and skills required to utilize PWC as tools for rescue.

Instructor Glen Kuehner said, “On some of the bigger days and days where it is more extreme to get out in the surf conditions, double red flags when people aren’t paying attention to the flags, this is a tool for us to be able to get out quicker, faster and sometimes be able to pick up multiple victims in terrible surf conditions.”

SWFD Lifeguard Supervisor Colin Perlaky, claims this new resource will enable the lifeguards to be more effective along the 26 mile strand of beach. They will be more efficient and able to quickly reach people in distress.

Perlaky went on to say this about the course,”We want them to be able to be confident on the jet ski and know how it moves through the water and how to navigate the water as well as coming up to a victim and how to properly secure the victim safely and get them returned back to shore.”

Senior Guard Meagan Ritacco expressed the importance of continuing education for senior guards. Ritacco said,”It’s important for the senior guards to know and be able to lead the crew on rescues pertaining [to], you know, high surf, any kind of search and rescues, Code X kind of stuff like that.”

The guards also learned how to maneuver PWC’s in tight spaces, operate the skis near victims, and gained the ability to move around sinking vessels. The class was held during a cold and blustery week in FL, which gave the trainees an opportunity to work in moderately rough weather.

An announcement from OZPWC provides some good news to the world of safety. New South Wales (NSW) Maritime Safety Program, introduced by Sydney’s Melinda Pavey is working. Pavey is the Minister for Roads, Maritime, and Freight. She announced $17 million dollars in funding for Boating Now Round 2 infrastructure projects and launched the Maritime Safety Plan 2017-2021.

The Safety Plan sets the strategic direction in maritime safety during the course of four years. The program is considered a Supporting Plan of the Future Transport 2056 strategy put forth by the Government of NSW. The number of confirmed boating fatalities has decreased by 70% from the time the plan was implemented.. Four fatalities were reported in June 2017, which is the lowest number of causalities recorded in 40 years.

A significant highlight of the plan is to continue the downward trend in fatalities. The long-term goal is to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries to zero on NSW’s waterways. That’s a lofty goal considering an estimated two million people hit the water every year.

NSW will adapt the internationally recognized Safe System approach to the waterways in order to reach the long term goal of zero deaths. This is the first time the use of Safe System will be used on the NSW waterways.

The four principles below make up Safe Systems:
1. People make mistakes
2. People are vulnerable
3. Safety is a shared responsibility
4. All parts of the system must be strengthened

Maritime safety in NSW is shared between many government agencies, private organizations, and individuals. The performance of the plan will be evaluated every year.

An annual report on boating incidents will be included in the evaluation. The primary goal of an annual review is to gauge the statistics of the number of fatalities and serious injuries on NSW waterways. A full progress report will be published in 2019. The details will help in determining what changes the plan may need. Adjustments will be made accordingly.

We touched on a few key points included in the NSW Maritime Plan. Our readers can digest the complete plan here, where it is available for download in pdf format.

“Honda!” Now there’s a name that practically everyone would recognize. After all, they are one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. They also used to make personal watercraft, dubbed the AquaTrax.

So why did perhaps the largest company out of all the personal watercraft manufacturers stop making these? With a reputation like Honda, they should have been extremely reliable, they looked pretty good, and after all they were the only ones offering a turbocharged engine.

According to one recent source, there were a few things that led up to the closing of the AquaTrax assembly lines. One reason can be attributed to the timing of Honda’s decision to enter the market. It takes a lot of research and development as well as budget to start a new line. Honda was only in the game a few years before the 2008 financial crisis hit and by 2010, they were no longer manufacturing new units. Perhaps they weren’t realizing their projected investment gains.

Some could also attribute their downfall to the lack of innovation. No radical new technologies were developed such as onboard braking systems, which is almost standard across the board these days. Additionally, Honda only sold its personal watercraft in a few select countries and at a small number of dealers so it limited access by consumers.

Sometimes the most fun comes not in the form of precision well-articulated movements of your watercraft, but exactly the opposite. Sometimes you just need to get down and dirty, or in this case wet and wild.

Take for example this video from Sea-Doo. This is the blooper reel from the Trixx competition which Sea-Doo held last year in Lake Havasu, AZ. While all of these guys could use a lot more practice on their stunts, they all have one thing in common. They are getting wet and having fun.

As Sea-Doo points out on their YouTube channel, with the Spark Trixx, learning new tricks is a blast and this bloopers reel proves that you can have fun while practicing to perfect your stunts!

One of the best things about the Spark Trixx model is that it is designed to bring out the playfulness of the Spark lineup. With its extended variable trim system, you can easily extend the pitch of the watercraft out of the water and ride in a vertical nose-up position. In addition, the foot wedges and extended handlebar adjustments, allow more rider input and control.

In this case we can definitely see that while it might take some time to master that control, you will surely have a blast practicing. Just make sure to let the temperatures warm up a little bit more as you are certain to get wet.

Now that the year 2018 is here, Sea-Doo watercraft is officially celebrating its 50^th anniversary. As we remember late last year during Sea-Doo’s 2018 product launch, this moment was extraordinary and highly anticipated.

In 1968, a watersports revolution began with the introduction of the first Sea-Doo watercraft. For half a century, Sea-Doo has consistently led the personal watercraft industry in innovation, design, and on-water fun. Since then, Sea-Doo has been taking the world on an incredibly wild, fun, and innovative journey.

The journey continues with the 2018 Sea-Doo watercraft line, BRP has once again revolutionized the personal watercraft industry with innovative designs that offer owners the opportunity to go beyond the ride and to experience their desire for wanderlust and adventure.

Times sure have changed since the first Sea-Doo was introduced with its two-seat capacity and its air-cooled, 320cc Rotax engine. However 50 years later the thrill still remains. You can still be as playful if not more than a dolphin on the Sea-Doo Spark models. Or you can carve the buoys on the monstrous RXP-X 300 and even the all-new ST³ hull models.

Want to take all the comforts of home and the whole family with you? On this 50^th anniversary, Sea-Doo even has models to do just that. With its revolutionary new storage layout and integrated LinQ Attachement Systems, you can now explore further, relax longer, and not have to worry about leaving anything behind.

So be sure to visit your local Sea-Doo Dealer to check out all of the 2018 models. Take a piece of history home with you by getting one of these 50^th Anniversary models.

Another story concerning the installation of cameras along the Georges River comes from 7 News Sydney. The report was released January 13, 2018. Mike Duffy reports that patrolling the waterways is a game of cat and mouse. When authorities are present, everyone on the water behaves. Once law enforcement leaves, it’s back to business as usual. The reckless riding resumes and the disrespectful riders on personal watercraft continue to wreak havoc on the waterways.

The cameras will span three locations between Revesby Beach and Picnic Point. An increase in the number of officers patrolling the river will help with the crackdown on the reckless abandonment by a few on jet skis.

Federal Member, David Coleman is calling for a ban on all jet skis. He and the State are at odds as far as what to do about nuisance riders. Coleman says the Georges River is an inappropriate area for jet skis. He wants them to move on to other waters. However, his solution only moves the problem to another location. Problem riders will be troublesome regardless of where they ride.

Angus Mitchell with Roads and Maritime Services disagrees with a ban. He views PWC’s as legitimate vessels to have on the water. Mitchell states that there are responsible riders and only a small number are disrespectful.

New laws and new cameras will be used to crackdown on offenders and lawbreakers. Failure to use due care on a personal watercraft will result in fines and a possible seizure of the watercraft. Coleman proclaimed, “You’re on notice. We have increased powers and we have increased capabilities to detect and catch you.” It sounds like the Feds mean business!