Last month, The Watercraft Journal took a bit of a detour from our typical focus on PWC models and major PWC components and upgrades to look at some of the less glamorous additions, replacements or upgrades that you can look into to increase your riding efficiency, safety, comfort and convenience.

On Jan. 21, we took a look at a simple project to improve safety and provide protection for your graphics, all while polishing up the look of your watercraft with bright, colorful traction-providing gunnel pads.

This time, we’re taking a look at adding an item that can keep your gear organized and dry and serves double (or more) duty, coming in handy for not only PWC rides and races, but designed for use in hiking, camping, travel, workouts and more.

The KSpeed Performance Duffle Bag is crafted from tough, waterproof polyester, keeping your gear protected in day-to-day use or on epic adventures. Designed for durability, this duffle features 40L of storage, waterproof compartments, a separate pocket for water shoes or dirty towel, making it the perfect storage and transportation for PWC rides or races, carrying racing gear and accessories. It can be stashed in hood compartment storage or secured to a cargo rack and still keep your gear dry.

As an added bonus, the duffle bag quickly and easily converts into a comfortable backpack, perfect for travel or outdoor missions. From hiking trails to the gym, overnight trips to training sessions—wherever you’re headed, the KSpeed Duffle is ready to roll – and with a price tag of just $26, including tax, you’ll still have funds left over to do a little more (browers) window shopping at KSpeed,where you can find other cargo and storage solutions, like the 2022-2024 Ultra Multi-function Cargo Rack for $514. The rack mounts to Multi-Mount Rail on Ultra® Deckstable rail positions and features a large capacity and fishing pole provisions, is RotopaX enabled. The rack can hold three of the Dry Duffle Bags or one Kawasaki Orca 40 Quart Cooler.

For those interested in the Orca 40 Quart Cooler, it is available in green or white an has integrated insulation for maximum ice/cold retention and freshness of stowed items for up to 10 days; a lid gasket to ensure a perfect seal; extendable flex-grip handles for comfortable solo or tandem portage, a cargo net attachment for added storage, and an easy-flow drainage spout, all for $453.

If the cooler doesn’t fit your needs, you can grab a water resistant 2022-2024 Ultra 310 & 160 Stern Bag for $443, with an approximate 27-litre capacity and is compatible with or without the ULTRA Deck.

KSpeed also has the Kawasaki Insulated soft cooler bag with a 5 liter capacity and designed to fit inside the Stern Bag.

While we’re all about PWC news here at The Watercraft Journal, we can’t deny our love for professional watersports as a whole. From surfing to skimboarding and everything in between, there’s something about high-speed water action that gets the adrenaline pumping—whether you’re out on the waves yourself or watching from home.

Every so often, we see a crossover between top watersports athletes and jet ski news, and when that happens, we make sure to cover it.  

That’s why we were especially excited when a new video from Red Bull popped up in our feed, showcasing an incredible PWC save by world champion skimboarder Lucas Fink. Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Fink made history in skimboarding when he became the first non-American to win the overall title in the United Skim Tour in 2019, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite. Now 26, he competes in both skimboarding and big wave surfing, proving his exceptional skill and versatility on the water.  

What caught our attention, however, was the impressive maneuvering, timing, and composure Fink displayed in this video as he executed a daring rescue of a fellow surfer. The event took place at Nazaré, Portugal—home to some of the world’s most notorious big waves—after a minor wipeout by his surfing partner, Willyam Santana. In the longer version of the video, uploaded to Fink’s Instagram, he explains how, after Santana’s fall, he races in on a jet ski to pull him away from an oncoming monster wave. Even through the screen, the adrenaline rush is undeniable.  

Be sure to check out the video on Red Bull’s YouTube channel and Fink’s Instagram to witness this incredible save for yourself!

https://youtube.com/shorts/LiDcIszTujM?si=8M_S40JksfAHATyD

There is no denying the value of detailed technical information in terms of buying, owning, maintaining, upgrading and riding your PWC, whether that comes in the form of how-to mechanical instructions, maintenance tutorial videos, data-rich spec sheets or in-depth feature articles, podcasts and videos.

On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for shootin’ the (bleep) with a fellow member of the PWC community – and when that colleague also happens to be Steve Ciervo, owner of Kawi Performance – you’ve hit the jackpot.

After all, as pointed out previously by The Watercraft Journal Editor-in-Chief Kevin Shaw, “Few companies have proven their mettle when it comes to troubleshooting, problem solving and offering proven positive results for Kawasaki JetSki owners than Kawi Performance. Within the past dozen years, Steve Ciervo and his team have made huge gains in improving the longevity of these machines – not to mention increasing horsepower, sharpening throttle response and much, much more.”

WCJ has featured Ciervo’s knowledge and expertise multiple times before, relying on his extensive experience to pass on detailed knowledge on subjects like an install on the STX 160 Fuel Blowout Prevention Mod or an in-depth look into supercharger maintenance on the Kawasaki Ultra 300 and 310.

Recently, however, Ciervo took things a lot more casual as he joined Jared Brussels of JD’s WaterWorld  – who brings more than 25 years of PWC expertise to the mix in his own right – for an ocean ride off the coast of Jupiter, Florida, and a chat about top Ultra 310 mods and favorite Kawi Performance products – and they brought us all along – via video – to eavesdrop on the chat.

Setting out on the Loxahatchee River, they head out under the reconstructed U.S. 1 bridge that connects Tequesta and Jupiter for the roughly 18-mile trip to Peanut Island – with plenty of ride video. Stopping at the shore of the eighty acre tropical park in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Lake Worth Inlet  in Palm Beach County – a popular snorkeling destination – Ciervo reveals that his favorite Mod is the KP Automatic Tensioner Arm.

JD also quizzed Ciervo on KP’s best selling mod or component for the Kawasaki 310, and since Kawi Performance is one of the largest manufacturers of custom components, parts, and accessories for Kawasaki PWCs, with many parts US-made – tagging a most-popular seller could be a challenge, but Ciervo immediately pointed to the replacement fuel pump.

The cold air intake, smaller items like the billet cap, and the exhaust filter mod also received mentions. 

Be sure to check out the full video for more 310 parts and mod talk, and keep an eye on both the KP Youtube Channel and JD’s WaterWorld for more great PWC content.

Sure, the weather lately may be more in line with Ski-Doos and snow days, but the 2025 PWC Season will be here before you know it, and now is the perfect time to get a jump on the year with an on-the-water upgrade – and Cycle Springs Powersports and Sea-Doo are making that upgrade just a bit easier with inventory-clearing manufacturer deals on 2023 and 2024 model PWCs, as well as some great deals on a past-year model Switch. 

Cycle Springs’ advertised rebates up to $2,000 and 2 years of coverage on new 2023 Sea-Doo RXP 300, RXT 300 and GTX 300 PWC models last through Feb 28, or you can choose financing starting at 0% and rebates up to $1,000 on 2023 Sea-Doo personal watercraft models, also through Feb. 28. 

Step up a model year and get a new 2024 Sea-Doo with up to $1,500 off or financing rates starting as low as 0% APR for 36 months.

And if you’re looking for a ski with a little bit of experience, check out Cycle Spring’s pre-owned inventory, with a lineup of deals like a pre-owned  2016 Sea-Doo SPK 3UP IBR/CONV for $2,491 – a savings of $4,409

And just to make life easier, don’t forget Cycle Spring’s Trade-In tool, where you can jump on the Cycle Spring website and get a trade-in value for your old ski.