Jet Ski Best Practices: A Guide for New Riders

By Mandy Brown

Welcome to the most exhilarating water sport in the world!
Jet Ski Best Practices is a guide for new riders. It covers an in depth explanation of everything you’ll need to know to make the most of your Jet skiing FUN!
With over 100 pages of full cover photographs this book cover subjects such as which Jet Ski to buy right through to riding and maintaining your Jet Ski like new.
Designed and written to make your entry into this wonderful sport as safe and easy as possible.
Authored by Mandy Brown for JetSki.XXX the information has been compiled over the last decade with the result of a complete A to Z of best practices for new riders.
No more being dependent on the people who are in it for business reasons only!
“Jet Ski best Practices” is a lifetime of experience rolled into an easy to read, flowing summary of decades of testing, teaching, consulting, measuring and analysis.

Chapter One - Which Jet Ski should I buy? - All the pros and cons for you to consider
Chapter Two - What Riding Gear do I need? - Everything you need to wear for all conditions
Chapter Three - General Equipment - All the equipment you'll need to manage your Jet Ski in all occasions
Chapter Four - Taking the Jet Ski out on the water - How to pack, launch and pre ride checks. Here comes the FUN!
Chapter Five - Social Group Riding Best Practices - Social riding is amazing fun. Here's hoe to remain "social" & safe
Chapter Six - After Ride Cleaning & Maintenance - Keep your Jet Ski like new in 20 minutes flat!
Chapter Seven - Where to from here? - The future looks bright but how far can we go?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mandy Brown
• Release date: Nov 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463374900

Mandy Brown

I started riding Jet Skis in 1981 and became serious about riding Jet Skis in 2007 when I began to ride professionally. I went on to compete in and win many races, I run my own Jet Ski workshop, administer a very large community Jet Ski Club with thousands of global members, produce JetSki TV, have run numerous Jet Ski Racing, Social and Fundraising events, created a range of Jet Ski products under the JetSki.XXX brand, co-founded the Australian Jet Ski Association, of which I’m President and I sit as Vice Chair of the Queensland Recreational Boating Council.Over the years I have studied, tested, taught, consulted and determined factual Jet Skiing best practices in many different scenarios. I am yet however to go for a ride and not learn something new!I’m often consulted as a subject matter expert by agencies around the world where I have influenced and negotiated legislative changes for the safety and continued freedom of Jet Skiers.

Book preview

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COPYRIGHT

JET SKI BEST PRACTICES

A Guide for New Riders

2nd Edition

All of the Author, Photographer and Publishers moral rights are hereby asserted in accordance

with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.

All rights are reserved. Copyright © 2019 Mandy Brown.

First Published in Australia Edition 1 – October 2018

Second Edition - 2019

No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature. In the event you use any of the information in the book the author assumes no responsibility for your actions.

Please ensure you check with your health practitioner prior to undertaking any new form of exercise.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COPYRIGHT

PREFACE

CHAPTER ONE: Which Jet Ski should I buy?

CHAPTER TWO: What Riding Gear do I need?

CHAPTER THREE: General Equipment, Safety Gear, and Tools

CHAPTER FOUR: Taking the Jet Ski out for a ride

CHAPTER FIVE: Social Group Riding Best Practices

CHAPTER SIX: After Ride Cleaning and General Maintenance

CHAPTER SEVEN: Where to from here?

About JetSki.XXX

PREFACE

Congratulations on your decision to join the most exhilarating water sport in the world. You may not know it yet but life truly begins when you get yourself a Jet Ski!

The purpose of the book is to fast track you out onto the water safely with as much knowledge as possible. Not everything in this book is essential to know for a newbie to enjoy a day out on the water but the information is here for when you start to venture out and explore our waterways further.

We want nothing to hold you back from having the ride of your life.

Always remember safety first and nothing beats experience.

My name is Mandy Brown and I first rode a Jet Ski way back in 1981. At the time jet skis were, at best, unreliable so they posed very little threat to the popularity of the water ski designed speed boats, with the dual V8’s, that dominated our waterways.

Moving forward about another decade and we began to see the emergence of a Jet Ski that you could sit down on. This became known as the runabout.

Whilst they still suffered from the early day’s lack of technology and reliability, they were paving the way towards a very versatile and popular future.

Back then the Jet Ski market was fiercely competitive between the manufactures and the emerging sit down runabouts were soon fitted out with a four stroke motor to replace the unreliable, smoky and noisy two strokes.

Very soon thereafter we saw the introduction of the boosted supercharged or turbocharged technology. With these larger more reliable and seaworthy competent Jet Skis it wasn’t long until what we now call adventure riding began to make an impact on the sport.

These days we think nothing but excitement of packing our Jet Skis on a Friday night to set out on a 200 km (107 nautical miles or 124 Miles) adventure ride the next morning, perhaps with an overnight stay and a return ride home on Sunday.

Riding 20 nautical miles or more into open water to Fish from a reef is a typical way to spend your day off.

Even the need to carry your passport is not unheard of with people setting out to travel the world!

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I became serious about riding Jet Skis in 2007 when I began to ride professionally. I went on to compete in and win many races, I run my own Jet Ski workshop, administer a very large community Jet Ski Club with thousands of global members, produce JetSki TV, have run numerous Jet Ski Racing, Social and Fundraising events, created a range of Jet Ski products under the JetSki.XXX brand, co-founded the Australian Jet Ski Association, of which I’m President and I sit as Vice Chair of the Queensland Recreational Boating Council.

Over the years I have studied, tested, taught, consulted and determined factual Jet Skiing best practices in many different scenarios. I am yet however to go for a ride and not learn something new!

I’m often consulted as a subject matter expert by agencies around the world where I have influenced and negotiated legislative changes for the safety and continued freedom of Jet Skiers.

I have done my best to address the differences between unit measurements and different local laws and customs. Please always make sure you check your particular area for these details.

I hope that by sharing the information I’ve learned over so many years with you, our wonderful sport will continue to grow in the right direction and gain the reputation it deserves and preserve our future.

So let’s get YOU started on the right path to the most awesome FUN on the water you’ve ever dreamed off!

In memory of our much missed Jet Skiing Legends

Milton Brunton, Bruce Jet Ski Buddy Thomson & Joey 201 Scaturchio

WE WILL RIDE AND RACE AGAIN WITH YOU ALL ONE DAY!

CHAPTER ONE:

Which Jet Ski should I buy?

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What’s in a name?

Jet Ski, Personal Watercraft, Runabout, Waverunner, Kwaka and Seadoo! So what exactly are these really cool multi colored, shiny floating bubbles of watercraft called?

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Well the name Amanda Water Scooter which was released in 1956 and in upgraded 1957 with a 200cc 5.6HP motor may have been the beginning of all the fun but the name didn’t last.

Jet Ski was the label Kawasaki gave them, Waverunner comes from Yamaha, Seadoo comes from BRP and Personal Watercraft is technically what they all are (along with all other forms of powered small craft).

Whilst Rescue Watercraft is the undisputed name for water safety functioning, rescue board equipped Jet Skis, for the purpose of this book we will refer to them by what has clearly evolved as the most popular and well know cultural name, Jet Ski.

So let’s go Jet Skiing!

Which Jet Ski is for me?

At the start of every season this is the question that every newcomer wants to know. With an array of striking new models released by the manufacturers each year the choices can be overwhelming and somewhat confusing.

The first thing you need to do is to work out which activities you think you will be doing the most and then in order of preference.

This will make it clear what choice of Ski is the most appropriate for your needs.

Following are some of the activities we see people enjoying the most.

Social Riding

This involves groups of people, between two to thirty or more that set out to enjoy a day of riding together. They often leave first thing in the morning from various ports, meet up along the way at pre determined locations en route and travel onwards to their chosen destination.

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They will have breakfast or lunch together, enjoy some friendly social Jet Ski banter and then make the return journey home afterwards.

This is an excellent way to get to know your way around your local waterways. There’s a degree of safety in numbers for the inexperienced and you’ll pick up plenty of tips along the way. This may be the start of a whole new group of like minded friends.

Read the section on social riding etiquette to prepare yourself for the do’s and don’ts.

Quick Tip: Just about all of the different models of Skis can do this competently. Even modern smaller Jet Skis circumnavigate Islands easily.

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Comfort is another thing though and nothing beats a three seater for ability to handle choppy or rough water, stability for passengers and room