“They say that money can’t buy happiness, but they’re wrong. Because money can buy you a waverunner!”
-Nick Swardson, comedian-
You sight them when you’re on vacation. Fast-moving water-toys, ridden by people with wide smiles plastered to their faces. They radiate excitement, fun, and adventure. “Man! I’ve got to have one of those!” you think. “I could be blasting across the water, wind in my hair, free to go wherever I want! Sexy women will swoon as I blast past!”
That’s exactly what I thought, and I acted on those thoughts. Here are the lessons I learned.
What is a waverunner?
Actually, I’m referring to a general family of watercraft that includes any small vehicle where the rider and passenger(s) sit or stand on top of the craft, rather than sitting down in it. Kawasaki started this field with the Jet-Ski® in 1973. This model required the rider to stand up, holding onto handlebars, and riding the craft more or less like a slalom ski. It was invented by a former motorcycle racer (Clayton Jacobson II) to emulate water-skiing without the boat. Unfortunately, the coordination required to stay fair exceeded the ability of many would-be riders, and the Jet-Ski® has become the domain of well-coordinated athletes.
In 1978, the Arctic snowmobile company got in on the game with a “sit-down” version, called the Wet-Bike®. Made and marketed to copy the experience of riding a motorcycle on the water, the Wet-Bike® was popular, but eventually overtaken by a more “water-oriented” version of personal watercraft (PWC).
Yamaha introduced the Waverunner® in 1986, and it has gone on to dominate the style for PWC’s since the mid 1990′s. Based more on standard boat-hull designs, the Waverunner was stable and easy to prance, while still giving you the “wind-in-the-hair” feeling of a motorcycle. Beginners can sit right down on one, and with brief safety and equipment instructions; recall right off. There are many manufacturers of this type of craft now, and they’re often referred to generically as waverunners (lower case). Even Kawasaki sells waverunner-style craft (though they still utilize the name Jet-Ski!). http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Watercraft.aspx
There’s a new (2007) game in town that looks like fun, called the Deckjet (http://www.deckjetwatercraft.com/). Made to emulate a surfboard with an engine, it may be relegated to the “athletes-only” category, but nonetheless looks like an absolute blast!
Here are links to manufacturers of waverunners.
Bombardier (Sea-Doo): http://www.sea-doo.com/en-US/
Honda: http://powersports.honda.com/watercraft/
Kawasaki: http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Watercraft.aspx
Yamaha: http://www.yamaha-motor.com/waverunner/products/lifestylehome/home.aspx
How does it work?
Waverunners use a jet-propulsion system to suck water in and blow it out, forcing the craft to move forward. The system consists of a gasoline engine, which drives a propeller that’s housed in a tube (an “impeller”), which has an inlet in the front lower half of the craft, and an outlet at the rear. A small rudder controls the direction of the jet of water, thus controlling the direction of the craft. The rudder is connected to the handlebars, and takes very exiguous effort to turn.
Traditionally, engines in waverunners have been of the “two-stroke” variety (like chainsaws, and old lawn mowers). These engines were simpler, and lighter weight than more modern “four-stroke” motors, but make more noise and pollution. Today, most manufacturers are moving toward four-stroke engines, for better fuel economy and emission-control. They’re also a LOT quieter.
What’s it like?
You approach before your date. Carrying the gas can down the pier, you status down supplies, and climb into water to assign in the gas. After putting your emergency supplies in the stowage areas, you don a life vest, lower the waverunner into the water from the lift, and climb aboard. The seat is wider than a motorcycle, and very soft. You fasten the safety tether to your wrist, tie your hat down securely, and punch the starter button. Beneath you, the engine roars to life. You put the drive into reverse, and back off the bewitch, then head out the inlet to the lake. Once past the “no wake zone” buoy, you grip the lever in front of your right index finger, and start the throttle. The engine roars to full run, and the waverunner digs into the water, coming quickly “on plane”, that state where most of the craft is out of the water, skimming along with little anguish. The craft accelerates like a big motorcycle, pulling your arms out straight. Wind blasts your face, and the straps of your hat tug against your chin. You’re glad for the sunglasses, which help you guage the height of waves, and presence of debris on the water. You slalom back and forth, enjoying the g-forces, as you slice long, graceful arcs through the water, then you hunker down low, and go as fast as you can in a straight line. Nothing on the lake will keep up with you today! The air is definite, and the engine is pulling well. With smooth water, you’ll cruise at over 50 mph.
Heading support to the pier, you remove up your girlfriend, and put in your earplugs. (She screams like a banshee at full throttle! Of course you’ll be at full throttle most of the time…) Together, you sail up the lake, exploring inlets, and watching other boaters. Finally, you pull up at your destination; a restaurant with lake frontage. You let off your girlfriend, and tie up the waverunner like a horse, at a western saloon. Slinging your lifejackets into stowage, and removing your hat, you notice people looking at you, your date, and the waverunner as you enter the restaurant. You know what they’re thinking…. “Man! I gotta have one of those!” Yep, you judge… you’ve gotta….
Which waverunner should I recall?
All the manufacturers make good, reliable waverunners today. Some are better for particular purposes. Often, the choice comes down to personal taste, or the proximity of a particular marina.
If you’re planning family fun, you’ll want a larger unit, capable of carrying passengers and pulling floats. You usually have to get a 3-person pwc to pull a float, and a great engine (800 cc or larger). If you will be spending a LOT of time on the water, assume a newer four-stroke unit, for increased reliability, and decreased fuel use. They’re also easier on the ears (though most people on a waverunner for the first time narrate not even noticing the sound!)
If you’re planning to rush, your best bet is to attend some races, and view what people in your area are using. A big factor will be the availability of support in your dwelling, for whatever brand you choose. Racing involves repairing, so find one people know how to work on!
Big, comfortable waverunners are still remarkably fast, so don’t think that you have to buy a “sport” version to get substantial thrills. My astronomical, comfy family cruiser will occasionally hit 54 mph on smooth water, which feels much faster yet! The big ones like this are a bit more of a handful for turning and maneuvering, but they are nice and stable.
My own waverunner is a 1200cc two stroke, with about 120 horsepower, and feels like a rocket. (I’ve raced cars and motorcycles; the waverunner experience is a lot like a big sport bike.) Newer models go all the way up to turbocharged four cylinder, four stroke versions, with over 200 horsepower!
A significant feature in choosing a waverunner is “where will I be using it? ” Scope out the body of water you judge you’ll be on most frequently, and choose a model supported by a local marina. Having the support of a local marina will ease your mind, and your workload tremendously.
My good friends at Immense Timbers Marina, in Monticello, Indiana (http://www.talltimbers.com/) have been a tremendous help to me.
Beside the waverunner itself, what else will I need, and how much will it cost?
Good question! This is where people often underestimate the cost of any hobby, but especially anything that involves water. Some ancient wisdom is in order here. I cannot properly attribute these quotes, because they most likely originated in ancient times….
“A boat is a hole in the water, through which you pour money….”
“The two happiest days of a boater’s life are the day he buys his first boat…and the day he sells his first boat….”
In addition to the waverunner itself, you’ll need:
Gas & oil : Depending on how hard you ride, and whether you get a two or four stroke, you may need a lot. My own 1200 cc two-stroke waverunner will burn about 10 gallons of fuel per hour, with two people aboard, and riding hard enough to have fun. Figure at least $30.00/hr.
Floatation: Each passenger (and anyone you pull on a float) will have to have an accepted floatation device. Of course, you’ll be too cool to wear the basic orange ones, so figure at least $40.00 per person.
Region to ride: Do you live on the water? Great. No additional expense, assuming you can come by in and out of the water without expense. If you have to use a ramp that charges a fee, figure at least $10.00 per visit. If you have to rent a place to halt on the water, of course, the sky’s the limit.
Boat lift: If you live on the water, you’ll want the waverunner OUT of the water between uses. (I didn’t do this the first year, and you wouldn’t believe the SCUM that’ll grow on perfectly smooth fiberglass!) A small boat lift trustworthy for a pwc will run from $1,000-$3,000 new. I found a used one for $500.00.
Storage: During the winter, you’ll want to store your pwc, preferably indoors, and someplace friendly. If you have to rent storage station, this can bustle from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on where you’re located.
Transport: If you don’t live on water, or rent a slip on the water, you’ll have to transport the pwc to and from the water. Hopefully, you don’t have to buy a new vehicle to pull your modern trailer. Figure on anywhere between $500.00 to $5,000.00, depending on your taste.
Misc.: The boat will net a device to spend your money. Cleaning supplies, line to tie up to shore, anchors, repair equipment, waterproof containers to carry your stuff, maintenance costs, registration, insurance… I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.
How much do waverunners cost?
I lived on a cop’s salary for 18 years, so I’ve learned to find bargains, and live cheap. I don’t buy new vehicles. New waverunners can be bought anywhere from the high $3,000 range up to nearly $20,000. Used waverunners are available down to around $500.00, if you’re willing to have an older, smaller, slower unit. (Prepare for repair and maintenance bills if you go to the extreme outrageous end.) I ended up with a used, 1998 Yamaha XL1200 Waverunner for $3400. It’s been on the water for 2 years now, with no major failures or expenses, beyond those mentioned above. I love it. (But then, I race cars, so I’m used to throwing away money on a hobby…)
So…. IS it cheaper to rent it??
Yes, probably. Unless you have access to water most of the time, and like to be able to go out on the spur of the moment, and do so frequently. This is the case for me, and I like the freedom of “owning my gain”, so that I don’t have to meet somebody else’s schedule, etc. I don’t have any transportation, storage, or access fees.
Maybe even for me, it would be cheaper, but I prefer to have control…
Even if a spot charges $100/hour, and you rented for 20 hours a year, 3 years in a row, you’d just advance the point of having the investment in an inexpensive waverunner, trailer, storage, license, insurance, and in/out ramp fees. And you wouldn’t have any of the hassles, headaches, and liability.
Safety considerations.
If it’s been a while since your high school “Boater’s safety” class, mediate taking a refresher course. Learn the rules of the water, and your State’s laws, regarding legal operation. Your marina can help you out with this.
Although waverunners are simple enough for children to operate, they should not do so alone. Each state has specific laws regarding the operation of these watercraft by children. If you operate a pwc with a child aboard, make sure they know what to do if thrown off the vehicle. Choose brightly colored floatation devices, so dismounted passengers can be easily seen and avoided by other boaters.
Remember that water is hard when you hit it at high hurry. Hitting the water when thrown from a fast-moving pwc or pull-behind can knock you unconscious or cause injury (including drowning, or being hit by another boat).
Pulling a tube or other floatation “toy” behind the waverunner changes it’s handling dramatically. Start slowly to learn the feel. Know that on the object being pulled, speeds seem exponentially higher. 20-25 mph is blindingly fast when you’re skating along close to the water!
Waverunners suck water in from beneath the craft, and blow it forcefully out the rear. Avoid getting body parts or water debris (floating logs, wood, LINES, etc.) near the inlet or outlet of the pwc.
Learn the proper blueprint for uprighting an overturned pwc, and always wear the safety tether that attaches to your wrist and turns the motor off if you’re thrown overboard.
You’ll want polarized sunglasses (with a strap) or goggles, because wind will blind you at the speeds you can attain. I like a hat for ogle (and head) shade, but they’re difficult to retain on.
Dealing with emergencies.
Before you go out, learn the layout of the lake, including the location of marinas that might be able to help in an emergency. Keep the phone numbers of the marina (and maybe any rescue workers) on a cell phone, put the cell phone in a waterproof box, (with a credit card, and some cash!) and put the box in the waverunner’s storage region. Throw in a small, emergency paddle, in the rare case the waverunner conks out on you in the middle of the lake, and nobody’s around to offer abet. You’ll feel a lot more secure if you take these precautions.
Final thoughts.
My waverunner purchase took a lot of self-education and shopping around. In the end, I paid more for the whole package than I really wanted to, but got off about as well as I could hope for. If I didn’t have people to share the experience with, I’d have sold it after the first year, because you can only blast up and down the lake so many times before it loses it’s appeal. Having family and friends visit and laugh themselves senseless, though, has made it all worthwhile. There’s nothing like the exhaustion that comes from shrieking and laughing with your children. I’m going to keep it.
Filed under Automotive Liability Insurance by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment. 
Dear President B.H. Obama:
Let me first congratulate you on behalf of all former small town Mayors (Round Hill, VA, 1996-2000) on being elected to the most remarkable office in the world with the most miniscule set of credentials since Senator Warren Gamaliel Harding in 1920.
But then again, that would be a disservice to Senator Harding as he at least served a complete Senate term (being the first sitting Senator elected President) and had experience in the business world where he, with the support and collaboration of his wife Florence, turned the Marion Daily Star into a successful, revenue-generating, job-creating enterprise. And all of this was achieved in a competitive market, without any type of government bailout or subsidy whatsoever. Who knew such things could be done? But I digress.
Further, I believe I also speak on behalf of all former Mayors when I say that I fervently hope that your time in office turns out better than dreadful Warren’s.
As a broken-down elected official with infinitely more executive experience than you currently posses, let me offer some advice that I’ve accumulated.
1. Taxes – Everyone Is In This Together
Taxes are high (at least for people who actually pay them!) – powerful higher and on a far more intrusive level than ever before. Considerable worse, even, than at the time of our separation from England … see Jefferson, Thomas; Declaration of Independence.
Either everyone should pay something or nobody should pay anything. Given your tax strategy appears to be to free as many people as possible from having any federal tax liability whatsoever, I would suggest you go all out and recommend that the 16th Amendment be repealed and that some other type of tax, such as a consumption tax, be implemented in its place. Given your previous comments that you “… want to make sure … that our tax system is fair …”, I would relate you to Representative John Linder’s proposed Fair Tax Act (HR-25).
2. Lead By Example
Congress has put pressure on the automotive executives to forgo bonuses and to work, essentially, for free. This is a improbable opportunity for you to lead by example by showing that in these hard times that the federal government, too, can tighten its belt. As such, if I were President, I would immediately decree that, like the automotive executives, I would work for a salary of $1/year as would the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries, and all heads of the other executive agencies. I would send legislation to Congress decreeing that Representatives and Senators would also receive no more than $1/year.
3. There Are Limitations
Each Town in Virginia is granted a Charter by the Virginia legislature. This Charter enumerates (i.e., explicitly lists) the things the Town Government is authorized to do. The Federal Government has a similar construct – the US Constitution. But rather than being “granted” by some legislative authority, the authority comes from “We, the People …” Nowhere in this document does it say that the federal government should provide insurance coverage, health care procedures, or low-interest loans to its citizens or businesses. Nor does it say that Congress has the authority to mandate that private institutions do these things at their gain risk or on their absorb dime. Sadly, this is where we are now. And this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So, my recommendation, stick to what you’re suppose to be doing and let the States do the rest … search for Hamilton, et. al., The Federalist Papers.
4. Everyone Should Be Mad About Something – But Nobody Should Be Mad About Everything
At every Town Council meeting I presided over there was an opportunity – some said too much opportunity – for citizens to address the Council. If we went more than two or three meetings without somebody getting up and ripping us a new one, I became concerned that I wasn’t doing my job. There’s no way that an elected politician – even one elected in non-partisan elections – can develop everyone happy. There are too many constituencies with too many conflicting goals and objectives to make this possible.
So, my advice to you, listen to your critics more than you listen to your supporters. Ask yourself which of these – critics or supporters – have the best interest of the country in mind and which group is advocating policies that promote the founding American ideals of freedom, liberty, independence, and self-sufficiency. When in doubt, side with these ideals.
5. Be Decisive, Be Consistent
There is no voting “present” when you’re the President. There are very few issues that are “above your pay grade.” If there are issues that are outside your authority, see #3, above. If this is the case, say so and let it stand at that. Speak out when support or condemnation on behalf of the people of the United States is warranted. Slit out a policy and stick with it. If you need to change policy, the reasons should be clearly enumerated. Make decisions. And, please, pick up a role model for this characteristic other than John Kerry.
6. Take Responsibility for Your Actions
When you screw up, admit it. When a policy doesn’t have the intended result, change it. When a program doesn’t have the intended result, assassinate it. Nobody likes a finger pointer – especially when the finger is pointed at the American people. Nobody likes wasting their hard-earned money. Even less people like having someone else waste their hard-earned money. If someone acting on your behalf steps out of bounds, send them packing. You’ve promised transparency, let’s hope it happens.
This country has prospered as it has because of the unlimited opportunity it has afforded and the constraint, for the most part, of the government (federal, station, and local) from infringing on the individual rights, liberties, and freedoms of its citizens. I pray that your administration, however long it may be, will continue to uphold this tradition.
Stephen Kuehm, Mayor, Town of Round Hill, VA, 1996-2000
Filed under Automotive Liability Insurance by on Jan 24th, 2011. Comment.
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Filed under Automotive Liability Insurance by on Nov 8th, 2010. Comment.
