Nevertheless, the damage done to the back buildings of Cycle Springs’ headquarters was substantial. Although investigators are still pouring over what caused the early morning fire at Cycle Springs Powersports’ Clearwater location, according to preliminary reports by Bay News 9, damages from the fire could total more than a million dollars. In the first responders’ reports, the fire began early in the morning, near the repair bays. Above the bays, storage units full of paperwork came crashing down, fueling the fire further. Inside the service center, a boat and motorcycle were destroyed, with less than two dozen motorcycles stored outside suffering minor damages as well. Thankfully, the dealerships’ two showrooms suffered little to no damage.
“They’re trying to remove all that debris to get at the heart of the bays to see what’s inside the bays,” said Clearwater Police Public Information Officer Rob Shaw. Since the first news report, investigators have been provided all of the surveillance footage and should have a report as to the fire’s cause shortly. Nevertheless, Cycle Springs has been up and running! And with two off-site service departments running at full throttle, the dealership hasn’t missed a beat. Right now, Cycle Springs Powersports is preparing to unveil its all-new and newly refurbished service center, which The Watercraft Journal will have all of the information and images to enjoy, shortly.
“Ow you like da’ boo-dan?” the 20-something-year-old waitress asked from behind the counter. The “boo-dan” (or boudin, as its spelled), to the unfamiliar, was a skinned sausage made with crawfish, seasoned rice, onion, peppers and the like, packed into a po’ boy sandwich roll together with fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce and mayonnaise (with a few splashes of D.a.T. sauce for added spice). Amazingly, I had gone two days without enjoying any of the local cuisine while in Morgan City, Louisiana, and was determined to enjoy at least one “real” cajun dish. I just hadn’t expected to find it at a waterfront gas station seated beneath a dripping air conditioner vent.
Attending last year’s annual Greenhulk.net Mudbug properly prepared me for what to expect this year, at least that’s what I thought. All would gather beneath the large stilted pavilion beside Lake Palourde early Saturday morning, and constantly return to this central location throughout the day to enjoy some free food, music and company. That, fatefully, is not how the Mudbug has or normally worked. “No, no,” Greenhulk.net’s owner Jerry Gaddis corrected. “Last year’s event was unique because Yamaha was here doing demo rides. Normally, it’s just a free-for-all. You gotta go to the forum and find what’s going on before you come.”
Despite the intentional disorganization, there’s little to no chaos. Those planning to attend hop into one of the official Mudbug threads (or chime in on the event’s Facebook page), and see what is happening and simply asks to join the fun. In my case, I was bringing my 6-year-old daughter, Morgan with me and knew that sitting around the local watering hole, Gros Marina, wasn’t a good option. Neither was spending too long watching the drag races that Gaddis was officiating in the nearby Avoca Island Cutoff (a nearly laser-straight corridor cut through the bayou) Saturday morning. No, she and I wanted to enjoy some riding, and thankfully, quite a few other Mudbuggers did too.
“You missed Friday’s ride,” Gaddis teased over dinner. “It was probably one of the biggest rides (in attendance) I’ve been on at the ‘Bug.” We had pulled into town Friday afternoon and stayed until early Monday, a schedule that proved to be a day removed from the mainstream crowd, who showed up Thursday and left Sunday. Nevertheless, thanks to voracious riders Billy Crews Jr., Wade Robinson and Bryan Muirhead we had a 100-plus-mile route and a large, eager group for Saturday’s ride already lined up. Of course, Crews is a regular contributor to The Watercraft Journal and hosts his own website PWCTrailerFinder.com documenting touring routes through some of the most impressive waterways in the Gulf area.
Although you can never count on Louisiana’s weather for very long, last year’s rough water prompted me to bring our new 2016 Kawasaki Ultra 310X Special Edition (SE) media loaner. Considering the big JetSki’s thirst, I brought with me an additional 3-gallons of emergency fuel beneath the front (removable) storage bin but was assured that two gas stops would be found long the way. The cavernous stowage also permitted bringing along my camera bag, backpack, towels, sunscreen, two pairs of flipflops and a change of clothes if needed. And because I was traveling with a child, a cooler full of water, Gatorades and juice pouches was strapped to the rear swim platform.
Although the staccato whine of the Eaton TVS supercharger fetched smiles from those we passed, in all seriousness, the glistening Candy Burnt Orange hue of the Special Edition is what drew more attention than anything else, even prompting some to believe it was a custom paint job. “This should be the color offered on their $18,000 [310LX] model, not green,” one ‘Bugger quipped. It’s true that the metallic orange and a somewhat redesigned seat are all that distinguish the SE from the base 310X, leaving one to question why have a Special Edition at all, when the color could be such an attraction to the top-of-the-line LX models.
Prior to our Big Marsh Loop ride, Morgan and I set into the water alongside Ponchatoula, LA-local and long-time Mudbug attendee Cliff Schinetsky and his wife, Gena, who joined us in watching an hour’s worth of speed alley runs. The slight mishap of Gaddis’ brand-new radar gun needing be fished from the soft, silty floor of the swamp didn’t stop the fun. While a few conversion skis made strong passes, it was Ben Herman of Ben’s Performance Plus and his SVHO-powered GP1800R who came home the champion. His nearly back-to-back runs of 98.5 and then 98.7mph were tremendous to behold, particularly as it is still supercharged and running in near-suffocating 90′ F degree heat with 85-plus-percent humidity.
Most of the drag racing crowd filtered out while others left to rendezvous at the Amelia launch ramp where the Marsh Loop was set to begin. Beneath the big shadow of the bridge, we welcomed 11 runabouts with 14 riders and set off on a slightly altered route that Crews had plotted to assure nobody would be running out of gas this day. The route was wide for the most part, consisting of large stretches of the Intracoastal Waterway, passing us by several large marinas full of barges, research vessels and oil containers. We avoided the temptation of taking a short cut through the Mandalay Wildlife Refuge that would’ve taken us south to Lake De Cade, but traveled further around and arrived at the Falgout Canal Marina for lunch and fuel.
A warm winter and a recent bloom of lilies blocked us from taking a couple of routes, but our trusty navigator guided us through the tighter paths into broader waters with no trouble. By 2pm we returned to the Amelia Launch and bid goodbye to most of our group – as so many were packing up to leave early the next morning. Crews and Robinson invited us to join them at Gros, where we reunited with Gaddis and his wife Carey to sit a spell in the wash of a large fan blowing our way. “I gotta say,” Crews beamed. “Miss Morgan gets the ‘ironwoman award’ for today’s ride.” Between gulps of fruit punch, she smiled and said she wanted to go swimming at the hotel. If only I could have half as much energy…
We avoided much of the more adult-themed festivities happening at night and instead, planned for a shorter 84-mile ride the next day with just Crews and Robinson. Meeting at the Spunky Monkey bar and fuel dock at nearby Pierre Part, the air was offensively thick that morning, requiring us to restock our cooler with more drinks. With 21-gallons of premium in the tank and another 3 in the bow, we were locked and loaded for what Crews cautioned was a “long, boring ride” to Plaquemine, LA, which was anything but. Running 42-miles up the Port Allen Lock canal, the water comes to an abrupt stop at the now sealed-in Plaquemine Lock Historic Site. The lock once opened to the Mississippi River before being closed in 1961. Besides a massive earthen bank filling the lock, much of the lock’s structures and mechanisms that accessed the Old Man remain since their construction in 1908.
We would’ve stayed longer but the consistent crack of thunder and darkening skies chased us back to our skis and on a hurried return route home. A second storm rolling in from the gulf kept us from dillydallying and hastened our pace. Skirting through the lilies and past a river tug that failed to negotiate a turn, literally beaching one barge up the embankment, we returned to the ‘Monkey for lunch at nearby Paizano’s Convenience Store and gas station. Although Crews tempted us with another, albeit shorter, afternoon ride, my copilot was spent after over 200-miles of riding over two days’ time, and wanted to crash in front of the Disney Channel before dinner.
So much could be said about the Mudbug that happened outside of my personal experience this year, as everyone lives it differently. Some come to grudge race, furiously wrenching to get their ski to shave off a half second from their ET. Others come to socialize and barely use their PWC than to take from from the dock to Gros to listen to music and enjoy a few drinks. And others come to see a lush green world that they can’t find anywhere else. What I’ve learned is that the Mudbug is what you make of it, and only you decide how you want to enjoy it – and that’s why I’ll be back next year.
According to CBS Miami, this past March, the body of a missing PWC rider was plucked from a lake near Miami International Airport after going missing in the dark two days prior.
“Jose Montes de Oca, 46, went missing in Blue Lagoon Lake,” Lorenzo Veloz, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said. Montes de Oca went out on his friend’s Yamaha WaveRunner FZR SVHO late on a Saturday night from Antonio Maceo Park and never returned.
He was wearing dark clothing and did not have a life vest on. The WaveRunner FZR he was riding on was located jammed into a group of trees soon after his friends realized he was gone.
The FWC and Miami-Dade Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Team searched the lake Saturday night, Sunday and into Monday. Sidescan Sonar helped find Montes de Oca at about 2:30PM on the Monday afternoon. Veloz said he was found about 25 feet below the surface, not far from where the watercraft was found.
We at The Watercraft Journal share this somewhat belated story with a strong emphasis on safety with our readers. Please don’t let this happen to you. This unfortunate and sad accident could of been easily avoided had the rider 1. not ventured out late in the evening/dark; and 2. simply been wearing the proper safety gear.
Equally, it’s always a good idea to ride in groups or at very least a pair when out on your PWC as well. Be prepared and keep an emergency kit on your watercraft with items such as a GPS, waterproof flare gun and a charged cell phone. And again, always wear a proper fitting life vest. Being prepared and having these simple items could mean the difference of life or death.
Applying new wraps to old skis is nothing new, in fact, Europeans have been doing it for years, and is quickly becoming more and more popular in the United States. So don’t think custom paint or a trade-in are your only options, go visit America’s Motor Sports and check out all of the new and attractive options to you and your Spark today!
A politically-charged and overtly weaponized Environmental Protection Agency has already famously failed at outlawing the modification and alteration of passenger vehicles into non-highway-compliant vehicles (ie. race cars), thanks to the massive outcry of the automotive aftermarket. Taking “no” for an answer, the EPA recently announced its desire to heavily curtail the production of non-ethanol fuels here in the United States. This, in turn, will result in less “pure gasoline” fuels being found at gas pumps, docks and elsewhere throughout the nation.
In an effort to thwart yet another clearly divisive move by the EPA, Chris Manthos of the American Watercraft Association, crawled out of his doomsday bunker and issued this bulletin that although isn’t entirely accurate (as modern 4-stroke pistons and electronic fuel pump systems typically are treated with high temperature coatings that stave the corrosive properties of high ethanol-blended fuels), is always spot-on when it comes to removing government from the production or meddling with consumer goods.
Here’s the original bulletin: AWA Alert: Government forcing high ethanol blends on you [by] drastically slashing ethanol free gasoline supply. Call your Congressional representative today and demand they co-sponsor H.R. 5180.
As a PWC owner, you know the problems that come with ethanol. AWA was one of the first boating groups to warn about the negative effects of ethanol and has championed your freedom of choice when it comes to the fuel you put in your watercraft.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to force you to use higher blends of ethanol, whether you like it or not. Starting in 2017, the EPA wants to increase to E-15 and beyond by making you buy an additional 1 billion gallons of the junk.
Even worse, the EPA demands that ethanol-free gasoline production be slashed from the current 5.1 billion gallons, to just a trickle of 200 million gallons whether you like it or not.
E15 and higher blends destroy marine engines — that’s a fact. It can also void warranties and leave boaters stranded on the water, endangering the boating public. Considering that 97 percent of boats are fueled at gas stations, the likelihood of accidental misfueling is extreme
The EPA is working to force a fuel on you which will destroy your engine, and slash your choice to purchase ethanol free fuels. And they don’t care what you think.
What you can do now: There is bi-partisan legislation pending in Congress — H.R. 5180 Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act of 2016. This bill will restore common sense by setting blends back to E-10 and maintaining your freedorn of choice back into your fuel tanks
Please contact your member of congress today and demand they co-sponsor this important legislation immediately.
Spread the word. Urge every boater you know to contact their representative and demand they sign on to H.R. 5180.
We must speak up and reject this extreme push by special interests groups who could care less if your marine motor is ruined. Your voice is the one that counts When we speak as one, we prevail. When we are silent, we lose. It’s that simple.
To find out who your member of Congress is go HERE.
If decades of “Scooby-Doo” cartoons have taught generations of Saturday morning TV kids is that there’s no such thing as monsters: they’re only people in costumes doing horrible things to teenagers and their dog. And if conceptual artist Pete Mander’s SSCS Frogman Suit is to teach us anything, it’s that Pete has got his eye out for terrorizing those kids riding around in the Mystery Machine. Seriously, this thing is terrifying.
What started out as a custom suit design almost 3 years ago, this functional prototype is Mander’s first and only personal and original proof-of-concept suit. And no, this wasn’t designed for a future “Halo” video game or sci-fi movie.
Rather, the armored suit was created to propel military frogmen through the water via jet-propulsion. To accomplish this, Mander is effectively a flyboard without the hoses – enabling the wearer to jump from a ship, independently fly through the water, and effectively propel the frogman aboard the deck of another ship.
This kind of thrust and propulsion is still in its infancy and has yet to be shown actually lifting the wearer through or out of the water with any sort of control. Rather, all that is shown is the SSCS Frogman Suit emerging out of the surf like part of Aquaman’s most intimidating branch of his military.
Hey, remember when The Watercraft Journal attempted to race across the entire state of Florida (west-to-east-to-west again)? While we were held up by some delinquent government employees thus thwarting our plans for world domination (or at least some bragging rights), our friends at Sea-Doo thought to take things a little more down to earth, and enjoy a sun up to sun down ride nearly mirroring our world record attempt, that is from east to west.
The result is a great video heralding “the Sea-Doo Life” – the 2016 advertising campaign for the watercraft manufacturer – and featuring three of the brand’s favorite (and photogenic) riders: Erminio Iantosca, Ashley Sponaugle and Cody Hawkins. As soon as the video broke, the riders (and many more Sea-Doo fans) quickly shared it on their personal social media pages;
Ashley Sponaugle wrote, “Had such a blast riding across the state of Florida from sun up to sun down… We chased the sun over 250 miles on 300HP Sea-Doos! Couldn’t ask for more perfect day and adventure on the water!”
While the YouTube post writes the following description: “Your free time is valuable. You want to make the most from the time you have. You want to live every moment between sunrise and sunset. Making the most of every minute is what the Sea-Doo Life is all about. It’s a challenge to Race the Sun for maximum fun. Having 300 horsepower puts the odds in your favor too.
“This challenge was accepted by several Sea-Doo enthusiasts and captured on video over one single day, a true race against the sun…and slow speed zones, and locks, and snack breaks, and bathroom breaks, and rope swings, and… watch the full version.”
Two weeks ago, the morning of Sunday, May 22 was calling for cooler temperatures and a day full of rain. There was no Plan B. Why should there be one, we asked our members to do the “rain dance” and pray for sunshine. With over a hundred riders longing for a favorable forecast on this fun filled day, the heavens must have listened! We awoke to sunshine, warm weather and glassy waters; a promising start to what would become one of Canada’s largest PWC enthusiast meet ups ever.
Up by 8AM at the Port Credit’s Lakefront Promenade, the boat launch was packed solid with eager participants who were ready to ride. Smiles beaming from everyone and positive excitement set the tone for the day ahead. After registration, riders launched their PWC into Lake Ontario meeting the balmy +9C (49′ F) water, and awaited the start of a perfect ride. Peel Regional Police were nice enough to keep an eye on the boat launch area to ensure everything went smoothly and safely.
By 9:30AM, we commenced riding. With a couple pace boats leading the pack, we set off towards the city, pausing at the Toronto Inner Harbour western gap. With a background filled with Toronto’s downtown skyline, Billy Bishop Airport, Hanlan’s Point and Ontario Place it was a natural scene to take some great group photos. On any other day, it is a requirement to obtain a Ports Toronto Powered Vessel Operator’s Permit to ride within the inner harbour.
Thanks to Toronto Port Authority, TorontoPWC was able to obtain a 1 hour permit allowing our group of participating riders to enter. For the first time in Canadian history, about 100 PWC entered the Inner harbour at the same time with the Toronto Police Marine Unit present to ensure everyone was on their best behaviour. We cannot express how thankful we are to receive support from the Toronto Marine Police Unit, Toronto Port Authority & Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation.
With the sun shining, the jets pumping, and the city of Toronto looking spectacular, we proceeded responsibly through the harbour. After 20 minutes of No Wake Zones, the riders were quick and eager to get back to ripping through the water in unison en route to the Scarborough Bluffs. It was quite a sight to be seen; a brigade of enthusiasts whose wake mimicked rolling whitecaps decorated the water like a synchronized swim team.
With toes in the best sand of the best beach in the city, TorontoPWC riders proceeded to fill the waterline with their beloved BRP, Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki watercraft. It was time to enjoy the line up of activities, including Ski Wake Foot School Parasailing, FlyOntario, Flyboard/905 Rentals and Jetovator Tricks.
Thanks to @ghotsriderto, Got Ass Girls Canada showed up to support the cause. Alex from Big Boys With Cool Toys provided some awesome remote control boat demonstrations. DJ Twister was pumpin’ out the tunes as participants shred the water, exchanged jet ski banter and made new friends. Pickering Auxiliary Rescue Association (PARA) administered first aid to three cut toes and towed two skis to safety and their vessel. PARU performed a few figure 8’s giving riders a little extra wake to play in.
Our only hiccup was with the food truck. The rough terrain of the path made it impossible for the food truck to get to the beach, which meant a 5 minute walk for food. However, it proved worth the walk! Our monster truck thankfully was able to haul the gear for all the sponsors to the beach with no issues. TorontoPWC will be sure to make up for the food situation next time.
The support from the community, sponsors, the City of Toronto, and RideforDad.ca was mind blowing to say the least. TorontoPWC thanks every single person that participated; from permit providers to PWC riders. Thanks to our sponsors, we had much more to offer to our devoted attendees. T-shirts, decals, a raffle including Blue Jays tickets, hundreds of dollars worth of Jet Tribe apparel and even awards that ranged from farthest traveled to best in show. They were announced on the beach at the end of the day:
Congratulations to the following Awards Recipients
Loudest Sound System: @GHOSTRIDERTO (Sea-Doo RXP-X 260 + JL Audio System)
Farthest Distance Traveled: Courtney Guido Sea-Doo GTR 215 (Maryland, USA)
Most Modified: Justin Taylor from Maryland USA (Sea-Doo RXP-X Turbo)
Cleanest Classic: Scott Mancer (Sea-Doo XP)
Best in Show: Ski-Mazing Ski Wake Foot School (Parasailing)
Most Dedicated: Kyrill (Honda Aquatrax)
Our focus was not only to grow the jet ski community but to raise money for the Ride for Dad Foundation to fight prostate cancer. With the help of our generous sponsors – St. Onge Recreation, Northstar Marine Insurance, EZ Dock, Rocket Fireworks, 2BWired, 905Rentals, GTA Motorcars, Big Boys With Cool Toys, PARA Search and Rescue, Jettribe Racing and Big Butcher BBQ and all the proceeds from the raffle, T-shirt and food sales donated towards Ride for Dad – TorontoPWC managed to raise over $8000 this weekend.
Another year, another annual Toronto PWC season opener. A huge thank you to everyone who came out and the riders that keep our growing community alive! Summer, here we come!
If you’ve ever been grateful for your ski’s built-in depth gauge, you’ll definitely appreciate this video. Mick Corbett of Perth, WA, Australia, threads a very narrow “tubular pathway between a massive slabbing lip and a potentially very deadly patch of dry reef at The Right, Western Australia” this past June 27, 2016.
In the video, you’ll see Mick drop into the wave only seconds before the retreating tide draws over the exposed reef directly before him. Onlookers are audible recorded gasping as Mick not only maneuvers around the reef but rides the massive wave to safety.
The video was recorded by Jay Hardaker and was recently submitted as an entry in the Billabong “Ride of the Year” category of the 2016 WSL Big Wave Awards. Professional surfers are continually pushing the boundaries of the sport and pursuing bigger, larger and more hollow waves that the sport’s predecessors could never imagine riding previously.
But thanks to the inclusion of big, stable and powerful runabouts, surfers can now access these waves, and more importantly, rescue personnel can better reach them if things so south, which happens more often than not.
Normally, PWC fishermen have been forced to drill into their runabout’s fiberglass hull to mount a rod holder or two. These are typically plastic affairs with flimsy hardware that if it doesn’t break, will likely corrode after a salt water session or two. That’s why we’re excited about Kool PWC Stuff’s latest addition to their long list of PWC fishing tools, their new non-invasive tow hook-mounted fishing rod holders.
The new Kool PWC Stuff’s tow hook-mounted fishing rod holder features a unique design that sets it apart from others: of which being that it features a pivot that allows the pole holder to move fore and aft to a desired position (not side-to-side) and bolts tightly into place. Of course, it easily installs in minutes to your personal water craft by replacing your rear tow hook – requiring zero drilling or cutting. Built from high quality saltwater-safe aluminum, the rod holder is also powder coated for maximum protection against the elements.
The PWC Eye Hook-Mounted Rod Holder is available in either white or black powder coating, and can be purchased either as a single rod holder, or as a trio (shown above). If you’re like one of the tens of thousands who love their personal watercraft, or one of the tens of millions of recreational fishermen, this is the next purchase for you. And priced between $179.99 and $299, this is, as Kool PWC Stuff states, “the only option for the those older jet ski’s with little to no platform!”
