You’ve heard the term used over and over again, but what exactly is “cavitation” and why does it sap power from your supercharged runabout? In an excellent essay, the eggheads at Hydronautics Incorporated properly explain the phenomenon that causes these gorgeous helices.

While the image above might look like poetry in motion, it’s actually exactly the moment when your prop looses pressure. Briefly explained by io9, “As water slips around the propellers of a boat, there are places where it experiences sudden, extreme loss of pressure. The propeller is making a ‘hole'” in the water, and the more powerful that propeller is the more water it clears away. Water appears – for the most part – as a liquid on Earth because the atmosphere on Earth keeps it under pressure. Drop the pressure and the individual molecules of water come apart. The water boils, even at very low temperatures. When propellers lower the pressure on certain areas of the water, the water boils, and we see these bubbles.”

In its worst form, and when pushed to a saturation point, cavitation can cause severe harmonics. As the bubbles collapse, they can create powerful reverberating shockwaves, which can not only disrupt the flow of water around the propeller, but actually stress, weaken and break the prop itself. This effect has been commonly attributed to a loss of acceleration, traction and thrust in PWC.

We at The Watercraft Journal are very excited to announce the return of New Zealand’s awesome Yamaha NZ Festival of Freeride. Scheduled for the weekend of April 4-5, 2014, the Festival of Freeride promises to deliver on the same level of hardcore freeride action that all of us have come to expect.

Welcoming the world’s best freeriders from across the Kiwi Nation, the Southern Hemisphere and across the globe, the Festival of Freeride is already bringing in some serious attention from sponsors and riders alike. Below is the official announcement and a cool teaser trailer for next year’s event:

It’s back! The Yamaha NZ Festival of Freeride is happening again in early April 2014. After the success of the inaugural event earlier this year there was no doubt that this would become an annual fixture in the freeride calendar. The Auckland Jet Sport Association (AJSA) is proud to be hosting this event once again.

Big news also is that Yamaha NZ have once again stepped up and will be title sponsors of this years event. It is fantastic to have them on board once again as their support plays a key part in ensuring that we have a successful event. We simply could not do it without them.

The 2014 event will be held in early April next year at Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku on Friday April 4th and Saturday April 5th (with Sunday April 6th as a backup for horrendous conditions). We have moved north from the original Port Waikato location to a section of west coast beach that will better suit the event. This is the last weekend before the clocks are turned back and daylight savings ends for summer/autumn 2014. So make sure you get this into your diaries asap and organize your leave early.

The format of the event will remain unchanged. The emphasis is on ensuring that everyone enjoys themselves in a non-competitive and festival atmosphere. Karioitahi Beach is 10mins from Waiuku, a rural town that services the Franklin area and Awhitu Peninsular. Not only are there a variety of accommodation options but a supermarket, numerous takeaway outlets, and a couple of local watering holes that will give you a lot more choice than previously.

There is plenty more information to come, and over the next month or two we will release it as it becomes available. Entries will be available to anyone and everyone and we hope to see more people entered than last year. We encourage anyone participating, or interested, in freeride to come along and enjoy riding with others of all experience levels.

We can’t wait to see everyone back again for the Yamaha NZ Festival of Freeride 2 in April 2014.

The AJSA

Below is the great teaser for next April’s Festival of Freeride:

It’s hard to argue that no other US-based apparel company has put up a better effort to get their brand name on the backs of more racers and personal watercraft enthusiasts than Jettribe. Helmed by standup rider and hardcore racing lover Tony Vo, Jettribe has really hit its stride the in past four-to-five years.

Nowhere was this more evident that throughout the UWP-IJSBA Watercross National Tour and at the 2013 Hot Products IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City Arizona. Jettribe was literally everywhere. Even in other manufacturers’ booths (even if they didn’t know it). Heck, the Jettribe Team was the only team to represent the USA at this year’s events in China and the lauded Kings Cup in Thailand.

Recently Jettribe put out this great little video recapping the World Finals experience. Beginning the first week of October, the world’s best jet ski racers converge on Lake Havasu, AZ to battle for a World Title. Jettribe highlights some personal interviews with a couple of this year’s top racers.

For many, this Christmas might be a little lean. Times can feel pretty tight and that is why we’re in full support of Yamaha’s all-new Certified Pre-Owned Program. The first of its kind in the personal watercraft industry, all “pre-owned” Yamaha WaveRunners are thoroughly inspected, serviced and prepped prior to being wheeled out onto the showroom floor. All of this is to make owning a Yamaha WaveRunner as easy as possible.

Part of owning a Certified Pre-Owned WaveRunner is picking up a unit that has not only passed a 35-point inspection that qualifies it for special financing and an exclusive one year warranty.

As Yamaha explains, all Pre-Owned WaveRunners are “required to pass a rigid 35-point inspection performed by a skilled, Yamaha-trained WaterCraft technician. From above the waterline and below, to the engine, hull and deck, no detail is overlooked.”

Once OK’ed according to Factory Yamaha specs, the Certified Pre-Owned WaveRunner is given “the best [limited] warranty coverage in the industry” providing a level of confidence in ownership unmatched by other manufacturers. Best of all, these WaveRunners qualify for Yamaha’s special financing offers, finally making purchasing a Pre-Owned PWC an affordable and fun option for those who otherwise might not be able to enjoy the water!

Why we didn’t see this months ago is really the big question here. How we could let news of an insanely-awesome Chevrolet LS1 V8-powered custom jet ski slip our radar for the better part of a year is nearly as baffling as the geniuses who thought a 450-horsepower all-aluminum pushrod V8 powering a Berkeley jet pump-pushing a very conspicuously-looking WaveBlaster on a custom Daytona-style hull was a good idea.

Because the idea of this machine is actually more appealing than the actual machine itself, the ride is less than stellar. The ski cavitates, and we mean badly, and the weight distribution is equally suspect, as you’ll see in later videos (and above), the LS1-powered ski bobbles and porpoises in the rough to the point that the rider really never lets the V8 stretch its legs all the way.

Nevertheless, this thing had got to be a ton of fun on some seriously glassy water – once they figure out the trim. We’d like to see this creation taken all the way and see what the final product can do. Until then, we’ve got the makings of a very wild ride. Enjoy!

It’s been a while coming but the complete and completely awesome full video documenting this year’s stellar Cronulla Rip ‘N Ride 6 is now out and embedded below. For those who don’t know, the Cronulla Rip ‘N Ride is possibly the most hardcore freeride event in the Southern Hemisphere, welcoming the world’s best surf riders from across the globe to compete, ride and just have a great time.

As part of the event’s big finish was a giveaway grand prize of THREE brand-new Yamaha SuperJets! According to the crew at the Rip ‘N Ride, the final “Yamaha Superjet went to a entrant who was having micro surgery at the time the WaveRunner was drawn. Could not have created better script if we tried.”

Presented by High Roller Energy Drinks, Yamaha, 701 Industries and JetPilot, the Cronulla Rip N’ Ride – hosted on the shores of Cronulla, Australia – started back in 2008, and is only growing stronger with each year it continues.

If you haven’t heard of the epic PWC adventure show, “Dangerous Waters” you owe it to yourself to catch up quickly. Starting off in June of 2011, expedition leader Steven Moll and a crew of five launched aboard their specially-outfitted personal watercraft from Seattle, Washington, across the Bering Strait towards the Russian coastline.

The first seasons document 65 days and 4500 miles of hair-raising adventure that’ll make you rethink what you consider “endurance riding” all the way to Russia, the crew of “Dangerous Waters” are taking a page from the epic “Long Way Round” series, and are attempting to circumnavigate the globe aboard PWC.

Now nearing into its fourth season, the daring riders of the “Dangerous Waters” crew are returning on a quartet of custom-equipped Kawasaki Ultra LX JetSkis (naturally-aspirated units of course, as they’re needing as much fuel mileage as possible).

For 2014, Kawasaki has provided another handful of powerful Ultra LXs for the expedition (above). The crew learned quickly that the big Ultras are a master of rough water, sluicing through chop like a hot knife through butter. Stable and turnkey reliable, the Ultras have proven themselves as much as an equal member of the crew.

Only two seasons into their seven-season long adventure, “Dangerous Waters” is available only on MavTV. Below is the promo for Season 3: