There has been very few models of personal watercraft to have made such an impact both on the sport and the industry as Sea-Doo’s Spark. The lightweight, athletic runabout has personally accounted for no less than a 10-percent increase in total unit sales in 2015 alone, and has, according to certain sources, single-handedly eclipsed the total market share of Kawasaki alone. With a purported 48 different configurations, the Spark is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
As demand for the nimble two- and three-seaters continues, so does the demand for greater performance. With that comes RIVA Racing, and it’s new Power Filter. This cold air element feeds the Spark’s engine with a steady supply of cool, dense air delivering significant gains to both throttle response and overall power. The intake duct has been precision-formed to channel outside ambient air from original hull vents to the OEM airbox. There, the cool air is pulled into the ACE 900’s throttle body through a industry-leading K&N filter element.
The molded air duct not only provides the engine a greater volume of air, but also at an increased velocity, acting as a “ram induction” inlet. This, of course adds greatly to the ACE motor’s efficiency, delivering added power and acceleration. Designed as a direct replacement to the factory air induction system, the RIVA Racing Power Filter installs quickly and easily with the included instructions. And priced at $215, it’s the easiest (and most affordable) horsepower you can bolt onto your Spark.
When you think Fly Racing, you probably think of the motocross racers, sporting Fly gear from head to toe. That’s understandable, as Fly is a prominent figure in the motocross world, selling a wide range of top-notch gear for the riders on two wheels. Don’t be mislead, though. They do have plenty of gear for other extreme sports as well, including PWC racing.
Thanks to Fly Racing, we were able to get our hands on their top of the line F2 Carbon Dubstep helmet, designed with watersports in mind. When we first received the helmet, we noticed it was considerably lighter than other competitors’ helmets we’ve tried. This is mostly due to it’s durable, yet extremely light shell, constructed with state-of-the-art aircraft grade woven carbon fiber and Kevlar composite. It is also held together with lightweight aluminum screws and rivets, which also cuts down on weight and stands up to even the toughest conditions watercraft racing has to offer.
It’s not hard to tell that Fly Racing has put a lot of effort into making this helmet as racer friendly as possible. When you’re out there on the race course, midway through a moto, the last thing you want is for your head to be baking inside your helmet. Some helmets are designed with as little as two intake and exhaust vents, which doesn’t properly allow air to flow through. Fly racing has equipped the F2 series helmets with eleven intake and four exhaust vents, which kept us plenty cool when out on the water. As if the fifteen air vents aren’t enough, the inside of the helmet is also designed with COOLMAX comfort liner and cheek pads, which as well as protecting you, it helps with the ventilation and absorbs sweat.
Also, a common problem with helmets and goggles is the goggles fogging up. This can obstruct your vision, which can put the rider in a dangerous situation, especially if you’re fighting for position or surrounded by other riders. The F2 helmets are designed with four vents above the goggle eye port to draw air away from the goggles, thus helping prevent them from fogging up. This doesn’t necessarily mean your goggles can’t fog up, it just makes them less likely to.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to rely on this helmet to protect us in an impact. We are confident, though, that if we did, it would have protected us sufficiently. With a durable shell that is sure to be among the strongest on the market, dual density EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) liner to provide more progressive impact absorption, and the COOLMAX cheek pads provide plenty of cushion to protect you in a collision as well as making this one comfortable helmet. This helmet met or exceeded all of the toughest safety standards on the market.
So it’s got some cool features and a lot of engineering work in it, but how does it fair in real world use? In a closed course racing environment, we put it through the ultimate test, and think it passed with flying colors. Approaching the line for the first moto, we were curious to find out how the F2 Carbon helmet would perform. Our goggles did fog up while waiting at the line, but we believe that was just because the anti-fog vents can’t draw air when not in motion. After they were wiped clean and the race started, the issue never reoccurred.
The low weight of this helmet allowed for easy and quick movement of our head with no problem, which is crucial, especially when in technical sections of the course. The excessive number of ventilation slots and the COOLMAX liner kept us cool, comfortable, and complaint free throughout the entire race. Lining up for the next race, we had one final test to put it through. One we would’ve rather not tested during a race, but ended up doing it anyways. We went for a swim at 60-plus-mph, and it actually went better than we had anticipated. The helmet was very hydrodynamic, and didn’t jerk our head much at all.
Once back above the surface, it didn’t become waterlogged as we had expected. It may have held some water, but it didn’t become unbearably heavy. Overall, we were very impressed with this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a top-tier helmet for any kind of racing or just aggressive recreational fun. You can find all the variations of the Fly Racing F2 Carbon helmets along with more info about them here. The F2 Carbon series helmets are all basically the same, just offered in different colors and styles. While they do come at a price of $399.95, we believe the quality of this helmet is well worth the extra coin.
Earlier this year, in the wake of a terrible tragedy caused by a Ritalin-addled sociopath, the nanny-state sought to not address the status of our nation’s treatment of its mentally ill, but rather, to outlaw the last remaining remnant of southern identity, the Confederate Flag.
While this was a ridiculous reaction, what pushed it into the realm of sublimely moronic is the subsequent retaliation against of all things, a 30-year-old television serial, “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Y’know, the show about two fun-loving Georgian cousins who drive a tangerine ’69 Dodge Charger through the backwoods of the Los Angeles Mountains mascaraing as Georgia’s rolling hills.
Yup, ‘dem good ol’ boys got themselves in a heap o’ trouble with the swelling PC culture and there wasn’t much that CBS/Warner Brothers could do but outright outlaw any future merchandising of the eponymous “General Lee,” the single-most recognizable television/movie car in film history.
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Funny enough, the backlash was so strong, so over-the-top that sales of Confederate flags exploded, and demand for “General Lee” merchandise skyrocketed on eBay. Several of the show’s stars – including former Senator Ben Jones who played “Cooter Davenport” and the immortally handsome Jonathan Schneider, “Bo Duke” both spoke out against the ban calling it both moronic and depressing.
While most of us have seen the Seabreacher in action before, and therefore are familiar with its agility, we do think making it honor “The Dukes” and their famous race car makes it all the more entertaining. Now if only there was room to store a few dozen mason jars of “white lightning” in the back…
The 2015 X Dubai Flyboard World Cup is in the books and with an all new champion in Hunter Verlander. The 16-year-old known as the “Poison Dart Frog” took the top spot with an array of technical tricks from layout triple flips to the first-ever quad flip. Not a perfect quad, but enough to drop the jaws of the judges.
Hunter became the kid to watch in Dubai last year with a fifth place finish and everyone took notice of the then 15-year-old prodigy. This summer he showed up to the North American Flyboard Championship and nailed the first triple flip on the legend board in competition, and took third. Now, going into 2016 the Dart Frog is the best in the world and the boy is now the man to beat.
The 42 Men’s division was quickly narrowed down to 32 on qualifying day and the bracket was on. Defending world champion Suksan Tongthai, and current North American champ Damone Rippy both suffered injuries with trips to the hospital. Verlander worked his way past the likes of Caleb Gavic, Damone Rippy, and Jake Orel in the final to take the golden board. Your podium in Dubai was Hunter Verlander, Jake Orel in second, and Cooper Riggs in third.
With any young sport progression is accelerated, and serious contenders seemingly come from nowhere. This was truly the case in the Women’s division. Defending champ Da-Yeob Kim was beat in the first round by Gemma Weston who had to be convinced to even compete in Dubai, went on to win it all in the final against Haruka Asano with the first triple flip by a woman. Florida’s Kristen Smoyer rounded out the podium.
The Veteran division (old guys that can rip) has an all new champion: Todd Sawisch of Florida. Todd won convincingly with triple flips and 1080 doubles over a tough field of riders, Dong-Won Yang, Ali Komsusu, and Simon Desira. In the end, Franky Zapata and wife Krystel outdid themselves again. The growth of flyboarding and the X Dubai World Cup continues to impress. We cant wait to see what Franky and the Flyboard family has in store for 2016.
X Dubai Flyboard World Cup Results
PRO DIVISION: 1) Hunter Verlander USA; 2) Jake Orel USA, 3) Cooper Riggs USA, 4) Damone Rippy USA, 5) Jason Gauthier USA, 6) Caleb Gavic USA, 7) Ben Merrell USA, 8) Steve Palma France, 9) Suksan Tongthai Thailand, 10) Brody Wells Canada; WOMEN DIVISION: 1) Gemma Weston New Zeland, 2) Haruka Asano Japan, 3) Kristen Smoyer USA, 4) Valentine Cambron Canada, 5) Solene Pandeles France, 6) Fernanda Villeneuve Mexico, 7) Megan Malone USA, 8) Da-Yeob Kim Korea, 9) Oceane Corbet France, 10) Yolanda Baker USA; VETERAN DIVISION: 1) Todd Sawisch USA, 2) Dong-Won Yang Korea, 3) Ali Komsusu Turkey, 4) Simon Desira Malte, 5) Vladimir Belov Russia, 6) Brandon Samuels USA, 7) Marc Baxter USA, 8) Robert Jaszczold Poland, 9) Bruce Haglund USA, 10) Antonio Martinez Spain
With Christmas soon approaching many couch potatoes know it as the season for mid-season finales for their favorite shows. With that in mind, CBS’ ongoing reality TV adventure series “Amazing Race” pits contestants in a globe-trotting quest to find clues, solve puzzles and exert themselves all in an effort to win $1 million dollars.
Believe it or not, this year marks the conclusion of season 27 of the series, and to really send it off with a bang, Sea-Doo has supplied the show several Sparks to be featured in one of the final quests for the contestants seeking that grand prize. Below we’ve included the official press release as well as the teaser promo:
Valcourt, Québec, December 11, 2015 – The Sea-Doo SPARK will play a key role in determining which couple will win the grand prize of $1 million on the finale of CBS’s Amazing Race. The final three teams of two will be face a challenge of navigating a Sea-Doo SPARK through a charted path of obstacles on their way to the finish line. The Amazing Race 27 finale ends in New York City following 12 weeks of adventure and competition around the world and will air Friday, December 11th at 8PM EST.
The acclaimed Sea-Doo SPARK has re-sparked the marine industry and has contributed to double-digit growth in PWC industry sales. The SPARK is the most accessible modern watercraft on the market and is attracting the next generation of boaters as well as the perfect, “add to fleet” unit for veteran boaters. The SPARK is perfect for the family looking for amazing experiences revolving around boating fun in the most extraordinary locations around the world.
With the week over and the racers, teammates, sponsors and vendors finally returning home, the news coming from the Kings Cup in Thailand is starting to trickle out (at least to those of you who did not click on the event’s website 1.4 million times). Obviously, one company in particular makes no bones about their love for racing, especially in the Southeast Asia, and that would be Jettribe. Not only did the riding apparel and gear manufacturer pull out all the stops to put up a huge presence in Thailand, but also their media and racing team as well.
Of those, Jettribe Team Rider James Bushell made history yet again, as he returned to the top of the podium for the Pro GP Runabout class for his second year in a row. Bushell’s domination aboard his 158 Performance, Les Cooke Sea-Doo Centre-built boat bested a field very similar to those at this past quakysense IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Except this time, Bushell held off Hungary’s György Kasza and a field of equally-talent riders to pass the checkers first and claim the championship (and prize money).
Jettribe wrote, “James Bushell has done it again! He has won the Pro Runabout GP Championship for a second year in a row. He defended this title using a borrowed ski! Luckily it happened to be a great boat! James also raced in the Pro 800 class taking a 3rd after a problem with the ski. We are proud to have James as part of the Jettribe Team and wish him the best of luck in the upcoming race season. Congratulations James!”
It doesn’t seem possible, but for those building up their 4-tec 1503 Rotax engines to produce some serious power, or for those pushing their Sea-Doos to the ultimate limits imaginable, the press-in coil-over-plug ignition boots have been known to sometimes back out enough to interrupt the ignition cycle, or in very rare instances, completely kill the cylinder!
For 2016, Rotax’s engineers truly pulled out all the stops when it came to improving upon the previous 1503 3-cylinder engines in development for the ACE 300 plant. While a whole bevy of improvements were made both inside and out, one small feature that didn’t go unnoticed by PWCPerformance.com and Greenhulk.net’s Jerry Gaddis was the addition of a new bolt-in ignition coils.
The new coils are secured to the redesigned valve cover to ensure that the ignition coil will never back out, even when the engine is running its hardest. And now, thanks to Gaddis and Sea-Doo, PWCPerformance.com is now offering a complete conversion kit to apply the new 2016 ACE 300 valve cover and bolt-on coils to your 1503 Rotax! This upgrade includes all original Sea-Doo OEM components; namely (3) Ignition Coils, (3) Coil Cap/Seal, (3) Coil Bolts, (1) Valve Cover, (1) Oil Fill Cap, (1) Oil Cap Pin, (1) Oil Cap Band and (1) Oil Pump Housing.
Although the kit doesn’t improve or interfere with your current engine’s performance, it does add some additional security to your machine. Priced at $386.95, the kit also will fool your friends into thinking you’ve got a new ACE 300 under your seat!
Two years ago, Michigan experienced some torrential flooding, with nearly every river spilling over its banks throughout the Great Lakes region. Of that, the Grand Rapids area saw excessive flooding swelling the Grand River over its Army Corp. of Engineers’ man-made berms and pouring over into roadways, neighborhoods and municipal parks. While the damage to personal and government property was extensive, there were a few intrepid jet skiers who chose to see the silver lining in an otherwise dark situation.
In a bit of a “wayback Wednesday” we picked up on a fun video filmed in April of 2013 of three friends riding a trio of standups – a 10-year-old Yamaha SuperJet, a 20-year-old Yamaha squarenose and a really old school Kawasaki 550 – who roll out of the corner of Belmont, Michigan’s Jupiter and West River Drive before braap’ing through a nearby playground, sports park and even a few remnants of a skate park complex. Shooting through barren trees and around a kids’ jungle gym, it makes for some new riding scenery.
Interestingly enough, it appears that these riders were given a pass by local police as at the beginning of the video, you’ll see a local sheriff waving on the three as they pull away from their trailers. Normally being in Michigan, we’d think these riders would be sitting on the ground lined up in a row with their hands cuffed behind their backs, but somehow they manage to ride away from a friendly officer and come back to their trucks without a single patrol car in sight.
Trailers are not the sexy part of our sport but they remain a necessity to get to and from the water without any headaches. All too often we see ocean / salt water riders buy standard (non-galvanized) trailers. A year later the trailer is high maintenance, rusted and has depreciated dramatically. Save yourself time, money and a few headaches, spend the additional money and buy a galvanized trailer and then fortify it.
Tired of breaking bunks? So were we. The manufacturers usually use cheap bunks that break, therefore we upgrade to six inch treated wood. The majority of the items we used to fortify our trailers can all be purchased at a Home Depot or Lowes hardware store. Follow the pictures and it will be self explanatory. (*Note that since upgrading our trailer, we have gone from breaking 1-3 bunks a season to zero broken bunks.)
Above: Buy galvanized connectors, nuts, bolts, washers, lock washers and support strips (pictured on the right), & spray with primer and Rust-Oleum paint or Cold Galvanizing Compound Spray Paint. We do this to provide an extra layer of protection from the salt.
Above left: Upgrade your bunks from the cheap 4 to 6-inch treated wood bunks – Paint the bunks with a few coats of oil based paint. Above right: Align with your old bunk to ensure the hardware aligns with the mounting bracket on the trailer (obviously the new bunk is on the left and the old bunk is on the right – use blue lock tight when tightening the bolts to the trailer).
Above: To further avoid cracking the bunks when loading or unloading the craft, fortify the bunks in the rear area and pressure points on the bunk with metal galvanized support that can be purchased in the deck building section of Home Depot.
Above: This is what the bunks should look like prior to attaching bunk carpet to the bunks.
Above: Trailer Bunk Carpet is available at many locations including Amazon.com. Use heavy duty glue and stainless steel staples to attach the carpet.
Above: Remember to use stainless steel staples to attach the carpet to the bunks!
Above left: Install Bunk-slicks available via Amazon.com. Above right: Install treated wood/painted running boards between both sets of bunks for ease of mounting and cleaning the craft. Use non-skid tape or Hydro-Turf on top of wood.
Top left: Place Hydro-Turf non skid on all upper deck components of the trailer – you can buy large sheets from Hydro-Turf. This will make the trailer much safer when climbing aboard or mounting the craft to work on the engine etc. Top right: Look for “dead-space” areas on your trailer and attach additional boxes for additional storage area (*Do not exceed trailer weight or tongue weight). Bottom left: Use bearing buddies and grease often. Bottom right: This is what a relatively inexpensive grease gun looks like.
Some final notes: Buy the appropriate length stainless or galvanized chain and stainless hook and attach per below. This will provide peace of mind when backing down steep ramps or on those long rides home. Also, remember to place Dielectric Grease on all electric connections. And lastly, remember to keep a serviceable, inflated spare on the trailer at all times. Replace as needed – going in and out of the salt water for a few years will break it down so make sure your spare is in good shape. Now go ride hard and have some fun!
We who ride PWC are fortunate that they allow us to enjoy various water and riding conditions. From crystal clear waters to twisty exhilarating creeks, our skis allow us the versatility to take in new sights and whatever adventures that we can think of. In special cases, they also allow us the opportunities to see our dreams come true.
Many years ago before PWC riding was such a crazy part of my life, we were in the Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head, South Carolina area. We would sit in downtown Savannah and gaze at the river as various types of boats would go by and thought how cool is that. As we drove over to Hilton Head, we would see sailboats and would think, what a life. Those were fond memories that never really faded and were kept in the back of my mind.
Now fast forward to present day, with its organized PWC ride groups, online forums and a wealth of information on tap, I was scrolling through the Greenhulk forum, and came across a post of a local Georgia rider named Mike who was talking about riding the same waters that so many years ago was only an imagination. With a quick PM and the many informative replies, that got the ball rolling. With a few hours of getting a suitable ramp, fuel stops, points of interest and destination, the ride plan was finished. We were able to put together a ride between two ride groups in different states on waters seldom traveled by most watercraft enthusiasts. Fittingly the ride was called, “Georgia Still on My Mind.”
If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy or experience the Georgia waters and coast, a quick Google view shows vast areas almost untouched by development. In fact, some islands remain uninhabited and others are still only accessible by boat or watercraft. From seeing the wild horses on Cumberland Island to the former Puerto Rican monkey colony of rhesus monkeys located on Morgan Island, SC, there are lots of water and scenic sights to take in.
On this trip, we decided to focus on the Savannah/Hilton Head area. We would launch from the Diamond Causeway ramp and head north on our way to Harbour Town Yacht Basin on Hilton Head, South Carolina. This was the first Georgia ride that far north for most of the Jacksonville group and many noticed the change in water quality. The weather was a bit on the windy side, so we chose the Intracoastal route that took us up the Skidaway, Wilmington, Savannah and Harbor rivers on our way to Hilton Head.
The ride group comprised of two groups, the Jacksonville Jet Riders with myself and Brandon Ford as ride leaders and the Coastal Empire Jet Riders with ride leaders Demian Kelly and David Gross. We had a few riders who rode two up with one being a very excited junior passenger. There was also a rider who rides with us quite often and many don’t know that he doesn’t have the use of his lower body. Turbo Todd isn’t one to let a disability define him and rides with the best of them. He is a Sea-Doo guru and overall great guy.
After a pre-ride greet and chat where the riders were brought up to speed on the days route, the group headed north on the Skidaway River. We continued north past Isle of Hope and up to the Wilmington River. We had a quick head count and rider break before turning west and headed past Thunderbolt Marine. Thunderbolt Marine houses many mega yachts in various phases of repair and refitting. It is also a full scale marina with a tradition of bringing fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts to your vessel each morning. How’s that for service!
While passing under the US 80 bridge, we came up on Sea Ray of Savannah and picked up another CEJR rider who was smart enough to avoid the wake zones! With most of the wake zones behind us, it was go time and the group jetted north on the Wilmington River and up to the Savannah River that serves as a border between Georgia and South Carolina. A turn west would have taken us to downtown Savannah, but that was for another time and trip. At this point the wind was picking up and with more open water, it was becoming more choppy.
A couple of the two-up riders reluctantly turned around with their passengers comfort in mind while the rest of the group turned east on the Savannah River jogging the borderline and then north on the Harbor River and in to South Carolina. We passed west of Daufuskie Island which is a great hang out spot for locals with its east side beaches and its west side hang out spots. As we rounded the northern tip of Daufuskie, Hilton Head lay in view.
Upon approach, there was a sailboat regatta in full racing form which goes to show that the wind was good for somebody! The Coast Guard was also doing exercises which also made for some unplanned entertainment. We could see the Harbour Town lighthouse at this point and with just a little more riding, we would be there. We had the first hiccup of the day with one ski going down due to engine problems. With a quick assessment, it would have to be towed in. Many riders had hungry bellies growling at this point, so the group doubled down and made the last push to Harbour Town.
Harbour Town is a unique circular shaped marina with lots and lots of expensive boats at almost every slip. The 90 foot tall Harbour Town lighthouse greets seafarers to the Sea Pines Resort area which is also home to the Harbour Town Golf Link with the annually televised Heritage golf tournament and the equally famous 18th hole. As we idled in to Harbour Town we were greeted by staff and directed to our docking. Some of the boaters and passers by took pictures of the ride group who by this time was focused on docking and getting to lunch! Lunch was jet ski style at the Harbour Town Burgers and Brews. If you enjoy a gut busting, good time having burger joint with friends, then this is the place for you.
With food flying off the plates and drinks going down, the group chatted up the days events and took in the scenery. For many, we started the morning in Florida, drove to Georgia and rode to South Carolina. That made for quite a day so far! After relaxing and catching our breathe, it was time for some sight seeing and tee shirt buying before the ride back. A few riders fielded questions from fellow boaters who couldn’t believe that a group of people with some being from Jacksonville would ride jet skis from Savannah to Hilton Head. A few more were looking at the downed ski and decided it was time to get it towed back. The rider had tow insurance and was able to call and have it towed back to the departing ramp. How’s that for service!
After lunch, the winds settled down and that made for even better riding back. The group made great time riding three or more wide at some points, as we rounded Daufuskie Island and down the Harbor River to the Savannah River. We crossed back in to Georgia and made the turn south on the Wilmington River. Stopping for another rider break, the group chatted it up on supercharged fuel economy, future mod plans which ranged from fishing rigs to fuel racks and whatever else was one the menu. With the winds settled down a bit, everyone was able to appreciate the Coastal Empire waters and the wheels started turning on future ride plans.
Another sprint put us back to the US 80 bridge and the CEJR riders who turned in to home dock waved the rest of the group by as we continued on. It was time for some to take those mega yacht selfies and with a little more wake zone action and final head count, we were free to fly back to the ramp. Everyone who group rides can relate to this part where conditions line up without effort, riders are cruising hard and carving corners with that jet ski grin plastered across their faces. It’s jet ski riding at its best folks! It’s a mad dash back to the ramp where fuel economy is tossed out the window and bragging rights are on the line! Winners get the first come first served placement at the dock and others get to listen to the friendly banter.
This day the tide revealed a small sandy area near the ramp and some were able to jump out and beach their skis without having to dock. A few “Well played sir, well played” and “Wish I had seen it first” laughs as some jokingly stuck it to the fast guys. Everyone is helpful to lend a hand holding skis, backing in trailers or whatever a fellow rider may need until the last rider is in. This is also where we realized a can of bug repellent is a must have on any Georgia ride. Those little guys pack quite a bite! Hats off to the riders of JJR and CEJR who were willing to try something different and to the planners of a ride 9 months in the making and years in the dreaming. One dream down and many more to go. Lets Ride!
