Jetski Safety Tips

Jet skiing may be fun. But just like any other motor vehicle on water, it can impose great danger if used improperly. So to assure that you will get a 100% fun while eliminating the possible danger, here are some safety tips you should follow:

Life jackets, helmets and other gear: An approved PFD is required by law for each person on board. Since there is no room to store it, you must wear it! Besides approved PFDs and a sound-signalling device (like a whistle), it is prudent to carry a tow rope and, when operating on a large body of water and some small type-B flares in a watertight container. Try to get your hands on a helmet also. Nothing fancy as salt water will see to removing all your nice decals in a short space of time. A downhill mountain bike or moto cross helmet is ideal, especially if it has full facial protection. Helmets are important for wave jumping as you are in danger of your mountain of fibre glass falling on you knocking you out without one! Goggles are also a good investment, especially for salt water riding. Neoprene gloves make for a more comfortable ride also but sometimes gloves that are too thick cause major cramp in the throttle finger.

Don't drink and ride a ski: Alcohol impairs your ability to make good quick decisions. This is critical when operating such a fast and maneuverable personal watercraft. Besides its against the law.

Read about it: Study the manufacture's manual and practice handling of your craft under experienced supervision and in open water well away from other boaters.

Lanyard: If the PWC is equipped with a lanyard type engine cutoff switch, the lanyard must be attached to the operator's body, clothing, pr personal flotation device

Defensive riding: Collisions with other boats or stationary objects like rafts or docks are the number one cause of personal watercraft injuries.

Weather and dangers of hypothermia: Check the weather forecast before starting out. Be alert for the wave, wind, cloud changes that signal bad weather approaches. Try not to ski alone, especially in the sea. If you fall off remember that cold water robs body heat 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. If you fall off your craft into cold water, immediately reboard. Immersion in cold water can result in a real life-threatening drop in body temperature (hypothermia). Hypothermia can also be caused by chilling wind, rain and perspiration. To avoid danger: Prepare for cold air and water by dressing properly - including wearing your Personal Flotation Device. With a whistle fastened to your PFD or lifejacket you can signal for help. If you end up in cold water, get out of the water as soon as possible. Cold water robs body heat 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Climb back on your craft. Stay with your craft. Do not try to swim to shore in cold water unless you are very close to safety and you have no expectation of speedy assistance. Swimming, treading water and survival floating (drownproofing) all use up valuable energy and produce rapid heat loss. If you can't get out of the water, wearing your PFD will help increase your survival time by keeping your head out of the water.

Try to know the area: That's where this site, PWCIreland.com should prove useful as you will know some of what to expect when you get there. Do not assume the water is clear of obstructions. Rocks, sand bars, submerged pilings can seriously damage the craft or those on board. Check marine charts and stay in marked channels.

Night time: Most personal watercraft are not made with the lights which the law requires for night riding.

Control and steering: The most important thing to remember about steering most PWC is that you must always have power in order to maintain control. You must use the throttle to accelerate in order to steer. If the jet pump is not pushing water through the machine, it will not steer If you allow the engine to return to idle or shut-off during operation you lose all steering control. The PWC will continue in the direction it was headed before the throttle was released or the engine was shut-off, no matter which way the steering control is turned. If you want to stop, leave plenty of room, line yourself up in a parallel position,( like this l l )shut the engine and glide to a stop. Always allow plenty of room for stopping. Just because you release the throttle or shut-off the engine does not mean you will stop immediately.

Speed: A PWC is very maneuverable and is responsive to slight turns of the steering control. At high speeds, a quick turn can make the PWC unstable causing the operator and passengers to fall off. Because falling and taking spills is all part of the fun, everyone onboard a PWC must wear a PFD and should know how to swim. Keep hands, feet, and hair away from the pump intake. When cleaning debris away from the pump intake, always shut the engine off. Never exceed the manufacturer's recommended capacity for your PWC. Know your limits and ride according to your abilities.

Capsized: If the PWC should turn over, the machine has a sticker to remind you which way to roll it. Rolling the vessel over the wrong way will let water into the engine, causing serious damage to it

General Courtesy: Jumping the wake (waves left behind a moving boat) of a passing boat, or riding too close to another boat, creates special risks and is restricted or even prohibited in some parts of the boating world. Here's why: Visibility around the boat making the wake may be blocked, both for the PWC operator and for oncoming traffic. It can be very stressful for boat operators to have PWC continually in close proximity to their boats. Wake jumping and riding too close to other boats are common complaints boaters have against PWC operators. Excessive noise from personal watercraft often makes them unwelcome with other boat operators, as well as with people onshore. Try to be a courteous PWC operator. This will avoid people trying to ban our craft from the waters. Avoid congregating with other PWC operators near shore as this can increase annoying noise levels. Share the waterways responsibly with other boaters, fishermen, swimmers, surfers or skiers. Respect their right to use the waterways safely and enjoyably. While these rules of courteous operation are especially important for PWC operators, they apply to all other boat operators as well.

Entering or leaving a harbour: Stuart McNamara, a National Powerboat, Motorboat and PWC Trainer from www.powerboat.org added the following: One of the main problems that many main stream boaters have with new PWC users is their lack of wash awareness especially around other craft and when entering or leaving harbours . Here in Lough Ree Power Boat School in Athlone , we teach Powerboat , Motorboat and PWC users the " 50 Metre Stop " where the driver drops from planing mode transitioning quickly through semi displacement mode to Full Displacement mode while still 50 to 100 metres out from harbour and visa versa when leaving harbour i.e. waiting until 100 metres from harbour before opening up. Result ? no nasty waves or wash rocking boats against the quayside.

Enjoy: Just get out in the open water where there are no swimmers, no other boats and a nice swell and then give it full throttle!