The Fundamentals of a Boat Or PWC

Personal watercraft (PWC, Jet Ski, or Waverunner) and boats both have safety lanyards. On a PWC/Boat THE PURPOSE OF THE SAFETY LANYARD IS TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IF THE OPERATOR FALLS OVERBOARD. IT IS ALSO REQUIRED BY LAW THAT THE OPERATOR BE WEARING THIS LANYARD AT ALL TIMES. PWC do not have brakes. It is imperative that you use the throttle to turn and steer. IF YOU LET GO OF THE THROTTLE YOU WILL LOSE ALL STEERING. For example, if another person is out in front of you and stops abruptly you will crash into him unless you USE THE THROTTLE TO TURN AND AVOID HITTING THEM.

You will also notice that attached to your Safety Lanyard is A WHISTLE. This is Florida law. Should you fall overboard and not be able to make it back to your PWC you can alert other boaters that you are in distress.

ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE JACKET when riding a PWC. The rule is “ANY AND ALL RIDERS, PASSENGERS, TUBERS OR SKIERS MUST WEAR A LIFE JACKET AT ALL TIMES!!!“

All makes and models of PWC have their own unique set of characteristics, therefore if a Jet Ski has rolled over there is A LABEL ON THE BACK THAT SHOWS HOW TO ROLL THE SKI back over. When mounting the PWC always make sure to mount from the rear and not the side as it will cause the ski to flip over.

PWC or extremely fast, and small. An accident can happen in a heartbeat, and oftentimes do. If you are a first time rider of a PWC please keep  a safe distance from EVERYTHING; especially other operators who also may be operating their first boat or PWC. At a minimum you want to keep a safe distance from other riders and use extreme judgement, and caution when operating near docks or anything else you don’t want to hit. 

If you are a part of a tour it is of the utmost importance that you listen to your guides instructions and make sure you understand all hand signals, and commands before you leave the dock. Keep your head on a swivel at all times, and pay attention to your surroundings and other PWC operators, or boats. Not paying attention could result in death or serious injury. It happens every year.