Sea-Doo wants you to be prepared on the water to ensure your ride is fun, safe, and worry free. They offer essential items as well as mandatory safety gear. Check your state’s regulations on safety gear and to make sure you are compliant with its laws on the water. The inexpensive Sea-Doo Safety Kit covers some of the basic gear you must have on your PWC. It comes with 50ft of floating line, whistle, and a watertight flashlight. The gear is packed in a bucket that doubles as a bailer.
A fire extinguisher is another requirement for all watercraft. The fire extinguisher from Sea-Doo will fit in any fire extinguisher holder. It is US and Canadian Coast Guard approved. The 4-Gallon LinQ Stackable Fuel Caddy makes a great addition for those long days on the water when you’re out towing or exploring. Fill it up before heading out so you can have peace of mind while having a good time. Tow longer and go farther with the extra fuel.
A Throwable Foam Cushion is another great item to have onboard. It comes in bright yellow, making it easy to spot on the water. Sea-Doo also recommends a D.E.S.S. Key, especially if you plan to be in high traffic areas. With its anti-theft technology, you can leave your watercraft at the dock or on the beach without being concerned about it being stolen. The Programmable Key is designed to only start the vehicle its key code matches. Check out these items on the Sea-Doo website for more information and to get yourself set up for the season!
International Female Ride Day took place on May 6th. Sea Doo played a big part in the day with a key ride out of New Smyrna Beach, FL led by Colleen Nieto. They had a great turnout with a group of almost 50 women. They gathered on Disappearing Island to enjoy a live DJ, partake in refreshments, and camaraderie courtesy of BRP.
The ladies had a blast and got to blow off some steam while owning the day and chatting it up with each other. Some of the women shared a few words during the highlight reel. One of them said that getting out on the water is a time to forget about everything that’s going on and focus on yourself, the jet ski, the waves, and the sunshine. She is not wrong. Florida Ski Riders hosted their first ever all ladies ride on Florida’s east and west coasts. How cool is that?
Sea-Doo Ambassadors and riding clubs across the world held group rides to mark the day and to celebrate the growing number of women riders participating in PWC riding. Though International Female Ride Day gives women an awesome reason to get out there on May 6th, Sea-Doo strives to make everyday a female ride day. The company is big on promoting inclusion and diversity and wants women of all backgrounds to get out and ride. Check out the lineup of Sea-Doo PWC for your next ride and get out there and create your own destiny.
The current Guinness World Record holder for the “Most wins of the IJSBA Pro Runabout 1200 World Championships” and boasting the longest continual career as a professional jet ski racer, Chris MacClugage announced his return to the water this P1 AquaX season.
Touting 25 career championships, MacClugage remains one of the most decorated and highest winning World Champion athlete across multiple classes, including Pro Freestyle, Pro Ski GP, Pro Runabout /GP & AquaX Pro Enduro – and seeks to add to that resume this year as well.
The 18-year Monster Energy athlete is teaming up with former Junior World Champion, Jay Finlinson for 2023 P1 AquaX US National Championship; the two riding supercharged 2023 Sea-Doo RXP-X 300’s from Broward Motorsports of Tequesta that have been given the Dean’s Team treatment, ensuring that these two athletes will have the power to bring them to the podium. Other sponsors include Ignite Racing Fuel, HPL Oil, and Jettribe.
Here’s the complete press release: MACC Racing, has officially joined forces with Monster Energy in a monumental partnership. This exciting collaboration brings together two powerhouses in their respective fields, setting the stage for an exhilarating journey towards victory and unparalleled achievements.
Renowned for their commitment to extreme sports and adrenaline-fueled action, Monster Energy has recognized the extraordinary talent of Chris MacClugage and potential of Jay Finlinson. By signing a contract with Monster Energy under MACC Racing, both Chris & Jay are poised to reach new heights in their already remarkable careers. This partnership marks a significant milestone for both the racers and the energy drink giant.
As part of this collaboration, MACC Racing – Powered by Dean’s Team & Broward Motorsports Of Tequesta will proudly display the iconic Monster Energy logo on their jet skis and race equipment, solidifying the partnership and showcasing the mutual respect and shared values between the two entities. The partnership will also extend off the track, with various joint initiatives planned to engage fans and promote the jet ski racing community.
“This year I’m really excited to be back racing the P1 Aqua X series,” Says Chris MacClugage, “I have made some big changes from the past years. I am now riding a Sea-Doo, RXP-X for Monster Energy and Deans Team. This will be my 18th year representing Monster and one of the biggest. Monster has stepped up their support for my self and Jay Finlinson. I am happy to be back working with Dean’s Team and excited to see what this new project will bring us. Thank you to all who are involved.”
I’m so excited to get the opportunity to partner up with Monster Energy, MACC Racing & Dean’s Team for the 2023 Season,” Says Jay Finlinson, “It’s so cool for these guys to believe in me. We are also bringing back our relationship for the 2023 season with Ignite Racing Fuel, HPL Oil, and Jet Tribe which helped me win a record setting 15 motos in a row winning the National Championship and World Championship in the Bahamas this past season. I think being invited to join the veteran leadership of Chris MacClugage and Dean’s Team along with the P1 AQUA X new title sponsor, Monster Energy will give us a huge advantage.”
Cycle Springs Powersports has several job openings with excellent benefits. Their Clearwater Location is looking for a full time Sales Consultant. You can earn up to $150,000 a year selling new and pre-owned inventory. You must be highly motivated and energetic to get in with this growing company. This is a great position for an experienced salesperson who is in it for the long haul and willing to work before and after the sale. You must be able to multi-task and the ability to work well with staff and customers. To check out all the requirements and benefits for the job, click here.
The group is also in search of a full time Lot Porter for their Oldsmar Location. This is a good entry level position for someone making their way into the powersports industry. There is plenty of opportunity for growth for the lot porter who is willing to work hard and follow company guidelines. You’re going to be transporting units, washing them down, cleaning, and doing other tasks as needed. The pay is $15-$17 an hour. To apply for the Lot Porter position, click here.
The Clearwater Cycle Springs location is looking for a Tag and Title Clerk. This is a full-time position in the accounting department. You will be responsible for preparing legal transfer documents for the DMV. You must be able to meet deadlines and have knowledge of DMV procedures regarding tag and title. Two years of experience is also required. This position pays $20-$24 an hour. Read the complete list of qualifications here and click apply at the bottom of the page.
Cycle Springs Powersports is now part of the Dimmitt Automotive Group, and the standards remain high, and the team is still tight. If you are in search of a job in the powersports industry, check out Cycle Springs. They offer some of the best benefits in the business!
We here at The Watercraft Journal have provided you with many articles and videos on intake grate manufacturers, installs and education. KSPEED makes their intake grates custom for the Kawasaki brand and Jamie Eade the owner himself released a video installing one on a 2022 Kawasaki Ultra 310 LX-S with a couple of extra tips.
In order to take off the stock intake grate, there are 6 bolts; 4 in the back and 1 in the front. Jamie recommends loosening them using a ratchet instead of electric tools so that you can feel the threads and then you can finish them off with your electric tools if you wish.
Open up your new install packet that includes installation instruction and hardware. Add a dab of blue locktite to each bolt. Slide your new KSPEED intake grate into place and insert your new Allen bolts into place. Do not reuse the stock bolts.
Just start each bolt so that it holds your intake grate, and then you can tighten the rest of the way with your electric tools. Be sure to check the tightness with your ratchet by hand to ensure everything is properly tight. If you haven’t picked up your KSPEED intake grate for the 2022+ Ultra platform, you can orders yours today HERE!
You’d think I would’ve planned for this a lot better, but as I scrambled to pack the truck after making the last minute decision to join the Tennessee Waterfall Adventure, I realized that I had left a few things off of my list. But hold on, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a little…
I had just returned the loaded-to-the-rafters 2022 Ultra 310LX back to Kawasaki a day earlier. In its stead, Kawasaki handed me the lanyard to a really orange 2023 Ultra 160LX-S. Although down significantly on horsepower from the golden LX, the 160LX-S promised demonstrably better fuel mileage with all of the comfort of the recent redesign.
Unlike the 310LX and its naturally-aspirated 160 counterpart, the 160LX-S doesn’t come standard with the quartet of speakers and dual USB ports in the waterproof glove box. Gone too is the short-but-surprisingly-effective wind screen of the LX. Rather, the LX-S is what I’d call the ideal tow-rig for the family.
It’s bright, it’s stable and seats three comfortably; comes equipped with the Ultra Deck (adding 200mm – or 7.9-inches – of length to the rear) and its Multi-Mount rail system as well as the reverse facing camera lens. This feature alone is a major draw, as it allows the driver to view the raft or towable behind them at three different zoom levels through the TFT dash.
The rear camera and the reinforced stainless tow eye are below the rear passenger’s seat, above the wet storage cubby pocket (ideal for a dock line or tow rope). Unfortunately, these are completely blocked when equipped with Kawasaki’s rear cargo rack. The rack is substantive, measuring 31-inches wide, 21-inches deep and 14-inches tall.
Ours came equipped with the optional Kawasaki Green-and-branded Orca 40-quart cooler, which had we packed it sufficiently, would’ve survived us a whole week. The rack’s supplied cargo net simply didn’t fit the cooler and the big Orca fit a little too loosely in the rack, but those are all notes for a later, more detailed review.
Rather, since I had just picked up the Ultra 160, I figured a good break-in would be joining the Great Lakes Ski Riders and Jetrider Nation for at least part of their weekend ride. Prior commitments meant I could only attend Friday, and since Tennessee lakes can quickly fill up on Saturdays and Sundays, only being free for Friday was a happy coincidence.
Thankfully, my oldest daughter was happy to come along for the day. She’s been tagging along for rides since she was 6 years old, so this is old hat territory. We loaded up sunscreen, water, towels…pretty much everything we’d need. Yet, somehow I forgot to set any waypoints on my GPS or bothered to bring it at all!
But hey, I had been on Center Hill Lake a couple of times, I rationalized. We’d be fine…
Setting in at Ramp #2 around 8am, we eyed license plates from as north as Michigan and as south as Dade County, Florida. It took a quick second to launch and tie up the Kawasaki, but by then, the cove was already packed with skis. I thought our group would be around 20 skis. It turns out that the head count was closer to 80.
Bassil Al-Rubaie runs a tight ship. Running lead and having Manny Arroyo take up the tail, he had the whole group ride single file through the winding lake all the way to Burgess Falls. It had rained in Central Tennessee for nearly a whole week, so all of the waterfalls were in full force, making for some impressive scenery.
Not one to fall in line or follow the leader, Morgan and I peeled off and shot the shoreline; speeding past cliff faces and the low hanging branches of waterside trees. I knew my way to the falls – more or less – and Bassil pointed southeast toward Fall Creek Falls first.
Fall Creek unique as its the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The water level was low, as I recall idling up to the falls previously; but we were able to tie up to a stump and walk over to the lagoon. Morgan and I were first to wade into the chilly pond and quickly discovered a natural shelf behind the cascade where we could sit and watch the thousands of gallons of fresh rain water tumble just in front of our knees.
Seeing our exploits a half dozen others swam out to join us. Only a couple of our thin-blooded Floridan friends braved the 50-something-degree water, but earned the experience of seeing the backside of water as Morgan and I had.
First in and first out, we loaded the Ultra back up and idled past the group into deeper water. The trail out is a winding track flanked by cliff sides that casts you in shadow throughout much of the day. We exited into wider water and waited for the larger group to fall into formation.
The cruise to Burgess Falls picked up some speed as the channel narrowed, allowing a few of us more daring types to enjoy some speed. The river shrank to a creek and the bottom quickly came into view. Burgess Falls’ water levels were down quite a bit, so had to get out and walk over the rocks to get to them.
A few played in the pond while the rest of us mingled and talked shop. A handful had sucked up a bit of waterlogged wood or grass and needed to clear their pumps – the usual fare for wilderness rides like these. The plan from here was to return the route we had come, passing beneath the Hurricane Bridge and to meet up for a late lunch at the Blue Water Grill in the Hurricane Marina.
Yet before then, we gathered at a small beach at the mouth’s T-intersection for a group photo. The patience of a few feeling the pangs from their empty stomachs began to gripe while some started goading the others with friendly ribbing and playful teasing all in good fun. Nevertheless, folks were hungry and we’re interested in waiting anymore.
Confident that I knew the way, we reboarded the Ultra and followed Will Winters aboard Joe Cornett’s warmed-over RXP-X and a couple of others. The lowly 160LX-S had no chance of hanging with Will and the other 80-plus-mile per hour Sea-Doos, but I could follow their wakes in the distance…until I couldn’t.
Navigating by memory, I idled up to the mouth of the Hurricane Marina. But the sight of distance wakes and three more skiers from our group passing nearby gave me pause. Had I screwed up and this wasn’t the right marina, I second guessed. One of the passing three waved at us to join them, and my doubts got the best of me.
Off we went. After a couple of minutes, my spidey-sense started to tingle. We’ve gone waaay too far. Something’s wrong, I thought. And sure to my instinct, we rounded the corner to Ramp #2. We were back where we started.
What the heck, I yelled, throwing my hands up. The answer back was disheartening. The trio were upset with the ride thus far and were calling it quits early. With the slightest of signals, my phone’s mapping showed us 30 minutes from the marina – the very same that I had stopped at minutes earlier.
Now too low on gas to return by water and without enough time to stop and eat had we had the fuel, I determined that my poor judgement had cost us the rest of the day’s ride. We loaded the Kawasaki up on the trailer, unpacked our cargo and proceeded the one-and-a-half hours’ drive home.
Once within cell signal range, I text both Joe and Bassil explaining my mistake and apologizing for our early departure. Thankfully, the group carried on throughout the afternoon and enjoyed themselves all weekend long, making me all the more resentful that I had doubted my own memory and hadn’t listened to my gut.
Had I the opportunity to do it all over again, I would’ve swallowed my pride and hung closer to the main group. There’s a good reason group leaders put in hours of preparation. Too often we take their leadership for granted and fail to appreciate the effort poured into making these rides happen. So for that, I owe Bassil a big, fat apology.
Guys, I really recommend joining these groups for their adventure rides. The good ones really put in their due diligence to make sure everyone is having a good time and more importantly, comes home safe. If you haven’t already, go check out Jetrider Nation and the Great Lakes Ski Riders. They’re super solid people and a blast to ride with.
There is a big announcement in the way of Broward Motorsports and Yamaha WaveRunner official factory racing effort!
Yamaha WaveRunner Racing has teamed up with Broward Motorsports rider Dustin Farthing and the Farthing Racing Team for the 2023 personal watercraft race season.
Dustin Farthing is a 23 times professional champion, his son Deven is a multi-time champion and Dustin’s younger son, Talan is racing in the Amateur Runabout class looking to start his own streak of championships.
Dustin began his relationship with Yamaha in 1993 when they became Farthing’s first OEM sponsor. The Farthing Racing team plans to compete in P1 AquaX, Liquid Moly International Cup, ISJBA World Cup and the IJSBA World Finals.
The Farthing Racing Team has acquired some impressive sponsors and partners for 2023 including Broward Motorsports, factory Yamaha Motor Corp. and Monster Energy just to name a few. See the full press release and event listing here!
Greenhulk is the industry standard for PWC forums and information. Interestingly and not well known, they also provide information, modifications and service for some outboard platforms.
They have licenses for you to choose what is best for you. The F50 – F130 + HPDI can tune these engines 70 HP – 120 HP. The F150 – F200 +HPDI can be tuned 185 HP – 200 HP. The F200 3.3L – F350 4.2L can tune to 275HP.
If you already have a RIVA MapTunerX Handheld Tuner, all you have to do is grab your cables and tuning license from Greenhulk and if you don’t have a MapTunerX, you can pick yours up from them also!
If you have a Yamaha outboard or know of someone that does, this is the chance to get top performance out of your boat, thanks to the hard work from the guys at Greenhulk.
Get your tuner, license and connection cables HERE!
Get more out of your Sea-Doo with LinQ accessories. LinQ accessories allow you to pack more gear, go further, and offer peace of mind while you enjoy the ride. They are easy to install and remove so you can switch them out as needed or stack certain ones. LinQ storage includes bags, boxes, coolers, and fuel caddies for both PWC and the Sea-Doo Switch Pontoon Boats.
LinQ components are versatile so you can set them up according to your activities. Say you’re going fishing for the day; you’ll want a cooler to keep drinks cold to chill any fish you catch. Attach a cargo box for extra gear and other items you might need while out for the day.
Stack a LinQ Dry Bag on a Fuel Caddy when you’re going for a long ride and want to take some extra gear. The LinQ system provides a clean and efficient way to carry gear. It’s a hassle-free way to take extra gear without using straps or other kinds of tie downs. You can ride knowing your bags and boxes are going to stay put.
You’ll need the LinQ base to get started and to carry even more LinQ accessories, Sea-doo has the LinQ Multi Cargo Rack addition. This is great for riders who like to take multi day trips or go for extremely long rides because it lets you carry up to three different LinQ accessories with the Multi Cargo Rack. Check out all the LinQ accessories on the Sea-Doo website and simplify your ride.
The Watercraft Journal partnered with Unlimited PWC and JD’s WaterWorld to equip the latest generation Kawasaki Ultra 310 LX-S JetSki with Unlimited’s full catalog of components and add-ons. Our exclusive build series stretches across four videos, and features step-by-step installation tutorials with an exclusive look at each Unlimited component installed on our JetSki
Custom colored anodized washers complement the high-end custom look while allowing riders to take advantage of 12 unique sponson positions, which includes 3 up and down positions and 4 forwards or backwards positions. The washers also are available in six different colors including green, red, silver, black, and gold.
Installation of the Billet X Sponsons only takes a few minutes with basic tools. We first unbolt the stock plastic sponsons, and remove the OEM hardware. We next mount our new anodized billet base using the Allen bolts included in the kit.
We then install silver Unlimited Billet 3-hole washers onto the sponson blade, and then mount the blade in the center hole using four button-head Allen bolts. We initially placed the blade directly in the center of the base, but after testing various configurations, moved the blade back to the 3/4 position.
For open ocean riding and high-speed tracking through chop and cross-wakes we found the sponsons to provide great results when kept in the center position, from top to bottom, and then biased slightly towards the rear of the JetSki. Once you find your ideal positioning, make sure to apply a small drop of blue Loctite to each of the bolts to ensure they don’t loosen.
If you missed them, make sure to check out the first three parts of out of our Unlimited PWC build-series here: Our first video in the series included a complete unboxing with a presentation of each component from Unlimited’s massive catalog for the new Kawasaki Ultra 160 and 310 JetSkis!
Our second video featured installation tips for many of Unlimited’s most popular billet anodized components including their signature valve/cam cover, flush ports, ball drain valves, type VI exhaust tip, oil cap, bypass nozzle, and Unlimited’s premium green/black brick-pattern laser-cut traction mats.
Our third video the Unlimited PWC Handlebar Package that included a full installation of their Low-Down Steering Mount, green billet Middle Handlebar, Unlimited Runabout Handlebar Pad, Logo Grips with billet green lock rings, black billet Type 2 locking End Caps, green billet throttle/KSRD block-off plate, and the Unlimited Stainless steel immobilizer relocation bracket!
Visit Unlimited PWC to check out these products, as well as Unlimited’s full catalog of parts and components for Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Sea-Doo personal watercraft.
There is a big announcement in the way of Broward Motorsports and Yamaha WaveRunner official factory racing effort!
