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Christian Van H · 20-10-2009, 16:29

Hi all, I thought I would post a fun poll for cruisers, live-aboards and sailors everywhere who've had some experience around Personal Watercraft (Jet Skis, Seadoos, Wave Runners, etc.) Wondering how you all feel about them...

Therapy · 20-10-2009, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

for cruisers and live-aboards who've had some experience
...

I don't qualify then I guess.

OK then.

I put over 250,000 miles on motorcycles in 15 years - no car for most of that. They are like flying in two dimensions. Fantastic. Dangerous.

Add water and you have a PWC. Same thing.

I was never the dare devil on the bike and would not be that on the PWC either but I seem to be the minority.

If I won the lotto, yea I would have one to play with - or just rent one here and there.

Not very economical in the dingy sense though.

Christian Van H · 20-10-2009, 16:41

Sure you do Therapy! I'll change the way I put that...

Rvrratt · 20-10-2009, 16:48

I would have one instead of a dingy if it were legal to run them at night (with lights, of course) Probably a stand-up with seat due to weight. It would also take less room on deck. Hook up a floating towable trailer behind and you could haul whatever was needed. Yeah I know they are louder, but I wake up every time any motorized skiff comes by anyway and the interuption is longer due to the lower speeds. Wakes would be similar or less with a ski.

stevensc · 20-10-2009, 16:50

We were at a nice quiet anchorage one afternoon (Ingram Bayou) when two guys on one of them started buzzing around making lots of noise and wake. Finally it stopped, then the driver swam up to my boat asking if I had a ratchet and socket set he could borrow, something was stuck in his impeller, "sorry I don't have any tools" I lied.
He had a phone in a waterproof case of some sort about an hour later some of his buddies showed up and towed him away. After Labor Day most but by no means all of them go into hibernation.
I agree there are lots of inconsiderate boaters around no matter what craft they are driving.
Steve

Therapy · 20-10-2009, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevensc

We were at a nice quiet anchorage one afternoon (Ingram Bayou) when two guys on one of them started buzzing around making lots of noise and wake. Finally it stopped, then the driver swam up to my boat asking if I had a ratchet and socket set he could borrow, something was stuck in his impeller, "sorry I don't have any tools" I lied.
He had a phone in a waterproof case of some sort about an hour later some of his buddies showed up and towed him away. After Labor Day most but by no means all of them go into hibernation.
I agree there are lots of inconsiderate boaters around no matter what craft they are driving.
Steve

I wudda helped him anyway.........and he would have to have listened to me lecture him the whole time.

But then I will help anyone, just a sucker I guess.

**bstreep** · 20-10-2009, 17:03

A bit of a problem... As long as I'm not riding them, I absolutely hate them. They are, however, a TON of fun for an hour or so.

Bash · 20-10-2009, 17:14

Back in my scuba instructor days I was teaching an advanced certification class in underwater navigation, and had set out a string of buoys with diver-down flags that the students were to use as a course to solve nav problems. Shallow water, of course. After the class descended a herd of jet skis came along and decided to use my buoys for a slalom course. We were only in ten feet of water, and it was terrifying for some of the students to realize that surfacing could cost them their lives.

I guess my only beef with PWCs is that they don't seem to attract knowledgeable operators.

dana-tenacity · 20-10-2009, 18:55

I want to k now what it was that stuck in the impeller, so I can order more of them.

Christian Van H · 20-10-2009, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by bstreep

A bit of a problem... As long as I'm not riding them, I absolutely hate them. They are, however, a TON of fun for an hour or so.

Wait...what are we talking about here?

Well, 18 votes so far. NOBODY loves them. I hope they don't develop a complex...

AK_sailor · 20-10-2009, 20:09

I absolutely loathe them! Here in Alaska, some are carrying extra gas and camping gear and taking them on long trips into isolated bays, where previously only sailors, kayakers, and cruising powerboats went. It wouldn't be so bad except that that those who drive the things are usually inconsiderate morons.