Starting motor on the ramp

[skyking897]

Someone else posted here that they had seen people starting their boat motors while on the ramp before they put in the water. I'd never seen anyone doing anything like that unless hooked to a hose with muffs on, that is until this past weekend. We went to a ramp about 25 miles away, been there numberous times and only been small fishing boats or small pleasure crafts around. When we pulled out there had to be 30-40 PWC's waiting to launch and as if on command one after another they started their motors but only for about 5 seconds. Weird or what?

[BamaCharlie]

PWC can be started out of the water.
I do it all the time. Most older PWC's do not have a netural so when you start it, it GOES! SO its best to make sure that it will start on the trailer and then be ready to go once its in the water.

[relocyo]

That is weird, must have been some sort of pwc club and/or get together... But I read somewhere that some pwcs dont have to be in the water to run their motors... Like I said, I READ that, I have very little experience working on them, rode em plenty worked on them not so much... But thats alot of pwcs, I would have turned around and launched elsewhere or would run the risk of 40 wake jumpers behind you and I would assume none wants that... Lol...

[smokingcrater]

That is weird, must have been some sort of pwc club and/or get together... But I read somewhere that some pwcs dont have to be in the water to run their motors... Like I said, I READ that, I have very little experience working on them.

i think all pwc's are safe to be run at least for a short period. PWC's don't have water pumps/impellers, they just have a line tapped into a high pressure area of the jet pump. I personally start mine every time before it hits the water also.