Cavorting with the enemy?

[Rowroy]

This is not a stuipd trick, but rather something that happened to me yesterday on the lake; a learning experience, if you will.

First, let me make an unfair generalization: All jetskiers are A55E5. They buzz up and down the lake, through no wake zones, and next to anglers with total disregard to anything but themselves.

Yesterday, my 4 year old son and I headed to one of the nearby lakes for an afternoon of fishing. While I was preparing the boat for launch, I noticed a young gent working on his jetski about 50 yards from the ramp. After I put the boat in the water, for whatever reason, I trolled over to the guy and offered him the use of my tools and help. For some reason, I was feeling more charitable than usual.

For the next 30 minutes, we worked on his machine and talked about everything from politics to women. His name is Chris and he has a 2 year old daughter that lives with her mother in Virginia. Chirs is trying to fix up his old jetski to sell so he can move up there to be close to his duaghter. He was genuinely interested in learning how to troubleshoot engine-related issues because he plans to attend an ASE-accredited school to become an auto mechanic; although, he admitted to me that he knew nothing about PWC.

When it was all said and done, his ski was fixed, we shook hands, then went on our seperate ways.

That really got me thinking about the generalization to which I alluded earlier in this post. Could I have been wrong all this time? I guess there's a first time for everything.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I think they only act up when they are in the water lol.
About two months ago I pulled up to the ramp to launch but had to wait on a PWC. This was one of your typical cases of the guy not having anything ready before approaching the ramp. He was pulling the cover off of it, opening up the hatch and pulling things out of it going back and forth to his truck for what ever reason. There was another guy in front of me that was just taking it. Well at one point when he made a fourth trip to the cab of his truck I had to say something. I?m 5' 7" and 145lbs and this guy is 6' plus and over 200lbs so I was very polite (I?m always nice) when I asked him if he knew he was suppose to prep his ski in the parking lot. He quickly became embarrassed and said this was only his second time in the water. He apologized to me and the other guy waiting. He managed to get in the water and move his truck with no further delay. Three weeks later I?m at the same marina getting some ice for my cooler and the same jet ski guy approaches me. He apologized again and told me he appreciated my politeness three weeks ago. He put a six pack of beer in my cooler and said good bye. A real gentleman as far as I?m concerned.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I have two boats...and a PWC.

So...I have experienced both sides of this issue. And I ride my ski, just like I would like to see it ridden from a boater's viewpoint.

My guess is that the majority of PWC owners, have never owned a boat. The above two stories demonstrate the best solution...a little dialogue can go a long way!

 

[ThePerchik]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I had a boat for the past two years, just sold it and got a PWC since its more practical for what i need. I just use it as method of transport from shore to a sandbar about 3 miles out and then anchor. From there we kitesurf. The boat was overkill for this so I got a PWC since its lets me get super close to the island while on plane. This is in Barnegat Bay NJ.

I kitesurf off a local beach here in Brooklyn NY as well. One day i was about 3/4 of a mile offshore with winds at 20 knots and blowing directly onshore. I was messed up a trick and crashed, BAD. Ended up getting dragged about 1/2 towards shore. I lost my kiteboard a the crash. I would need to spend about 15 minutes of dragging and tacking upwind to get back to my board. Some jetskiiers saw i was in a bad situation and asked if i needed help, then went and brought my board to me.

I am new to PWC's but I ride and treat everyone as I did when i was a boater, with respect.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

For the next 30 minutes, we worked on his machine and talked about everything from politics to women. His name is Chris and he has a 2 year old daughter that lives with her mother in Virginia. Chirs is trying to fix up his old jetski to sell so he can move up there to be close to his duaghter. He was genuinely interested in learning how to troubleshoot engine-related issues because he plans to attend an ASE-accredited school to become an auto mechanic; although, he admitted to me that he knew nothing about PWC.

Did you teach him the trick of running lean to save gas?

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Did you teach him the trick of running lean to save gas?

Running lean on oil? What?s my feeble mind not grasping here?

 

[Splat]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Running lean on oil? What’s my feeble mind not grasping here?

Well that's good too. But I think he was refering to tightening down the high idle screw a turn or two to lean up the fuel air mix. Less fuel means more air, higher combustion temps, thus higher running temp meaning more wear on the engine, possiable detonation in the cylinder, and premature expiration of the engine.

Its a polite way of saying sabatoge...... Its almost as good as telling them they need to replace the piston return spring using a left handed monkey wrench, or if that won't work using a ratcheting crescent wrench, those always work. Next they'll need to verify the flux capacitor is working in tune with the muffler bearings.
granted if they would just change the blinker fluid they never eould have had this problem.

Bill

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Well that's good too. But I think he was refering to tightening down the high idle screw a turn or two to lean up the fuel air mix. Less fuel means more air, higher combustion temps, thus higher running temp meaning more wear on the engine, possiable detonation in the cylinder, and premature expiration of the engine.

Its a polite way of saying sabatoge...... Its almost as good as telling them they need to replace the piston return spring using a left handed monkey wrench, or if that won't work using a ratcheting crescent wrench, those always work. Next they'll need to verify the flux capacitor is working in tune with the muffler bearings.
granted if they would just change the blinker fluid they never eould have had this problem.

Bill

Don't forget the gangle pin that most likely needs to be re - gongronised to save wearing out his billabong clips.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Summer air in the tires.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

**deleted**

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Splat,
Thanks I forgot that those things use scooter engines.

Yall forgot about the sky hooks and headlight fluid.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

jet ski's, i can handle those. GENERALLY they aren't too much of an issue. (disclaimer, i own a boat, AND a jetski) Want to see a big problem group? New owners of pontoons, they will happily run over a rafting jetski before turning. I've been floating before with one other jetski, and had pontoons come close enough to reach over and touch it.

Could these pontoon boats be the modern day Titanic's...take 5 miles to make a turn?

Or is this how SUV owners will treat the rest of us, in our Smart Cars....

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Splat,
Thanks I forgot that those things use scooter engines.

Yall forgot about the sky hooks and headlight fluid.

I resemble that remark...!

Besides...my "scooter engine" is turbo charged...and check the speed gauge in my picture!

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I've been a member here for a while and I've watched this battle rage the whole time. Boaters vs jetski owners.

I have this take on it.

When on the river most folks are friendly and will help ya out if you have a problem. The Rock river is generally a friendly place. Doesn't matter if your a boater or you own a pwc.

But, you take these same people off the river and put them on the road, they generally aren't so nice and friendly. They will drive right by sombody stranded on the road, but they will tow a disabled boater to the dock.

go figure

 

[z284u2try]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

These posts always crack me up. I have boats and jet skis. More than not I find that I am always helping people when I am out on my ski.
Last Summer we pulled one of those nice twin engine 30+' bajas off a soft beaching. The guy was not very grateful. He was lucky that we stopped.
I am a boater and I would say we as a whole have worse etiquette.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I am a boater and I would say we as a whole have worse etiquette.

I suppose this goes back to the days of wooden ships. Months at sea, no land in sight - the Captain becomes the only authority. Its not like you can do much besides living with their decisions - no appeal, no real way of escaping.

This tended to give the Captain a god complex. Now it's ingrained itself into the whole package of being a boat captain - we still say "goes down with the ship" etc. It's still the case in the Navy where the captain can be charged/investigated/held accountable for the mistakes of their crew.

Some of this seems to bleed over into the civilian world. It's not the only place this sort of thing happens - it can be found with motorcyling, motorcross, and even skateboarding (not sure how the whole "death/skull/black" thing got associated with skateboarding. Doesn't seem to match, but I don't set the trends).

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I resemble that remark...!

Besides...my "scooter engine" is turbo charged...and check the speed gauge in my picture!

Dang, thats a peppy little scooter.

 

[David Greer]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

used to be, the scraps were between the windbags and stinkpots. Jet Skis added a new class to the mix. I suppose if there were enough of them in an area, the toons would be another, as someone noted.
To make a class generalization/observation of my own, a problem group around here is the "cigarette" boats--loud, recklessly fast, out of control, smelly and useless for anything but blowing the lice out of a mullet.*
OK OK I'm half serious. I think it's thrilling to see one go by occasionally, and I love the start of a Poker Run. A day in a Scarab looks like a lot of fun (as long as someone else is buynig the gas). But I have also seen a pack of dangerous ones, up river near the swamps, who run rough-shod over anyone in the river. You can tell they spent their extra money on chrome pipes instead of dental work.
*not the fish.

 

[Tippin on 44's]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

Splat,
Thanks I forgot that those things use scooter engines.

Yall forgot about the sky hooks and headlight fluid.

Scooter engines? Well actually mine uses a 1800cc 4 cylinder fuel injected supercharged 4 stroke developing around 225 horsepower and modded to bring my ski to around 77mph GPS speeds not BS dream-ometer speeds. I own both a super air nautique and multiple jet skis so i come from both sides of the stories too not biased. And this "scooter engine" is alot more powerful then both of the engines you have run.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Cavorting with the enemy?

I see many more dumb boaters on the water than I do jetskis... sure there are just simply more boats but wow. had a guy in a 40 footer almost run me over while i was anchored a week ago on my first outing on my 20 footer.