Going Jetskiing, what could possibly go wrong?

[Midlake Crisis]

Drove to the lake on a sunshiney day, took one lap and broke the handlebar. Day over.

Drove 3 hrs. and spent the night to give the surf a try for the first time, square would not run in salt water longer than about 30 seconds. Changed boots, diel. greased everything, taped everything, still wouldn't run the next day.
Took her to the lake the following week and it ran great. Just doesn't like salt.

 

[tightithrash]

hey Chris you have 5,555 posts....kawinkidink.

lost my ski on a big day, ski went all the way to shore, I'm lookin for my buddy Devon to pull me out and hes on the beach mackin on his girl.....thank god Geoff was out there, i got smashed like 6 times and was getting exhausted. got the ski started and rode for a little bit until my coupler busted on my b-pipe and got water in my carbs, battery died out there and i got pulled in the middle of the set just to get trashed again.
had to tow my ski with Devon's ski for 3 miles.......

i was on my SJ and Devon and my buddy Ryan were on my dads brand new rxp & rxp-x. i went and got like 3 feet from Devon and roosted the poop out of him so hard it shot him off the doo. i was going parallel with him and when i shot him, my ski turned 90*s to the left. well at the same time Ryan came over and stops right in my path.... it all happened so fast, stars aligned or something, well my ski smashes in to the red rxp and goes right over it. my SJ was heading for his leg but he moved it just in time and fell off the back, it was crazy.........farked the rxp up pretty bad.:hitwithrock:
my first time riding surf i was so amped that i went to do a slide up to the group and stop right in time, lookin like a cool guy right......well my ski didn't slide and i almost hit Luke............ he was totally pissed and i looked like a retard in front of a new group of buds........thank god i didn't hit him.

Geoff's got a good story that involves his pelvis...........

 

[tnj4life]

Haha, these stories are great. You guys have made me feel better about myself! I wish I could have seen the sailboat of ppl coast off the trailer before they got in the water, I bet they had a funny look on their face. My wife seen a guy in a new chevy truck putting in a big pontoon. He took all of his straps and winch off before he put in in the water, when he got the boat in he kept backing it in too far and eventually the boat rammed his tailgate destroying it. Life is hard sometimes.

 

[tightithrash]

ive seen an old man in havasu back his boat in with a van........and just not stop.

and not get out either, people ran over and pulled him out of the van......

 

[tnj4life]

10PM Christmas day, I was driving over highway 17 in Cali, a site of many bad wrecks due to it being a twisty mountain road that everybody drives fast on. All of a sudden the nose of my trailer was dragging on the ground. Good thing I had fixed my safety chains that morning! There was no shoulder so I had to drag it for about 100 yards with sparks flying to get to a place with a grass shoulder so I could get off the road. I had been using a stupid ball that has threads inside and a bolt goes up through the receiver thing into the ball. Dumb design. Once it got loose it dropped out. One of the safety chains had been ground all the way through, if I hadn't fixed the other one that morning I would've lost the trailer. Of course being Christmas nothing was open that had trailer ball, and i didn't want to leave it all night on the side of a busy highway. I ended up taking a trailer ball of a random truck on the side of a road in the cover of darkness with adrenaline pumping. I went back got the trailer towed it to my sister in law's house. Then returned the trailer ball to the truck I took it off after midnight, with the adrenaline coming again since even though I was returning it, it looked like I was stealing it. Took about 3 hours altogether so not so bad.

I saw two boats get dropped and a truck roll into the water at the launch ramps this year.

Haha, at least your a honest thief :sneaky:! Thats a good idea. Most ppl that steal from me never bother bringing it back. I guess thats more like borrowing??

 

[vitalikol]

When I bought my first ski (97 seadoo XP) and went for first time on river I forgot to turn fuel selector from OFF to ON . Start ski, went 30' out and it died. tryed to start it - not a chance. get buck to dry land on a starter. completly discharged battery trying to start ski. and when all hope gone (I was cursing a guy I bought ski from) couple guys with jetski showup. I asked for help and when one of them ask me if I turn fuel ON I was ready to die from shame. but it was my first time.
I went home, recharge battery and next day come back for revenge. everything went fine------------------ but I forget to screew in drain plugs. so after 20 min of riding I start filling like riding a tank or submarine.when I get buck to ramp I had water inside level with almost top of carbs. couple more minuts and I'll be diving to find my ski.
but it was my second time.
after this was checking and rechecking everything.
this summer put Magnum pump on my SXR and new long nose prop, but didn't use enoufh force and prop unscreew from pump somehow on my last ride, grinded edges off, so now I need to send it to Impros to fixup

 

[jetskifreak]

Rode 8 miles down the lake (Pyramid Lake Reno, NV) and my 440 just stopped, had no spark. So I walked 2 hours back down the windy beach pushing my ski back to camp, and then my buddies asked "where'd you go" they never even came to look for me and they knew where I went. Those a$$holes ! So problem was the spring in the stop switch broke. I turned it down and it rode fine the rest of the weekend. At least I got my exercise in

 

[GReenANt]

you want scary i was riding with a friend on the lake just goofing around my brother stopped on our couch so i went up to slide out and spray him i slid to far and the ski went out from under me not a big deal. so the ski is on its side with me holding the bars and just when my head comes up from under water my friend who i didn't realize had been behind me ran over my ski at like 20+miles an hour this he was like a foot from nailing my head and definitely giving me a concussion if not killing me. i was so shaken up i could barely ride back to my house and it was a while before i felt safe riding with him again.

luckily only cosmetic damage to the ski since it sits lower in the water on its side he just scraped it.

another not so dangerous close call i was at the far end of the lake (4 miles) and almost shut my ski down to stop at a friends ( i was idling up to the dock) decided not to stop and when i got back by my house i killed it to talk to my dad and when i went to restart it nothing that was close (turned out the negative ground was corroded a little at the engine block.

and i have had the ski die on reserve 50 feet from my dock 2-3 times.

 

[nightrider05]

My best one was the first time I rode a Waveblaster.

I bought my first Blaster on word of forum members that said "They are so much fun, you will be hooked the first time you ride!". I had only been on 2 seaters up to this point and figured you would ride a WB like any other sitdown...take off sitting down.

I load the Blaster into the water, tie it up to the dock as I go and park my vehicle. I come back, sit on the blaster in the water and think "wow, this thing is tipsy". This was just the beginning....I hit the start button and all hell broke loose. The ski spun around and smacked the dock, and I fell off. I finally managed to pull myself back up and get the ski going(this time I started at least 10 feet from the dock)..it was in an idle zone so I had to go slow..nose kept diving and i kept falling off. I finally got out of the no wake zone, took off as fast as it would go..The first wave I hit somehow managed to throw me over the bars and I racked myself so badly. As I layed in the water a dad pulled up on a pontoon boat with his two hot daughters...I ended up getting to party with his daughters so it was all good :loser:


Then there was a time on the same lake (Lake Kinkaid for you Illinois guys) that a tornado was supposed to touch down pretty close..lake rangers came out and told everyone to get off the lake...of course it was a mad drunken rush to get boats loaded, being a holiday weekend. Right as I got my jetski loaded it started hailing marble size chunks of ice. It was pretty comical though because I saw at least 5 people jack knife their trailers. Luckily we got out of there before it got worse..supposedly a tornado was spotted within 7 miles of the lake. Crazy

 

[tnj4life]

My best one was the first time I rode a Waveblaster.

I bought my first Blaster on word of forum members that said "They are so much fun, you will be hooked the first time you ride!". I had only been on 2 seaters up to this point and figured you would ride a WB like any other sitdown...take off sitting down.

I load the Blaster into the water, tie it up to the dock as I go and park my vehicle. I come back, sit on the blaster in the water and think "wow, this thing is tipsy". This was just the beginning....I hit the start button and all hell broke loose. The ski spun around and smacked the dock, and I fell off. I finally managed to pull myself back up and get the ski going(this time I started at least 10 feet from the dock)..it was in an idle zone so I had to go slow..nose kept diving and i kept falling off. I finally got out of the no wake zone, took off as fast as it would go..The first wave I hit somehow managed to throw me over the bars and I racked myself so badly. As I layed in the water a dad pulled up on a pontoon boat with his two hot daughters...I ended up getting to party with his daughters so it was all good :loser:


Then there was a time on the same lake (Lake Kinkaid for you Illinois guys) that a tornado was supposed to touch down pretty close..lake rangers came out and told everyone to get off the lake...of course it was a mad drunken rush to get boats loaded, being a holiday weekend. Right as I got my jetski loaded it started hailing marble size chunks of ice. It was pretty comical though because I saw at least 5 people jack knife their trailers. Luckily we got out of there before it got worse..supposedly a tornado was spotted within 7 miles of the lake. Crazy

This story reminds me of our x2 we used to own. I bought one cause everyone on pwctoday said they are the best thing since microwave popcorn. Anyone with x2 experience knows how hard it is to first get on the thing cause its such a long reach for the bars and you can't just sit there cause it rolls over. I got it down after maybe an hour, but ive never laughed so hard at ppl trying to get on that thing. Mine had a off idle bog at the time which made it harder to get balanced. It would drag them a ways then just turn over. My wife done this so much it sunk, I found out that day what all that foam in the rear of the ski was for. I should have kept it just to laugh at ppl.

I was being stupid one day(well i am everyday) and come up flying on our 440/750 up to my wife that had her legs up on the x2 floating in the water. I was kinda playing chicken with her till I found out i was going too fast to stop. I threw myself off but still hanging on the bars to create a drag to try to slow it down b4 it strikes my wife. Well i hit her in her leg luckily not hurting her. I heard about it after that, "WHAT ARE YOU STUPID? SLOW DOWN BEFORE YOU KILL ME!" I wish I would have hit a riding buddie, I think he would have taken it better

 

[infamy]

hey Chris you have 5,555 posts....kawinkidink.

lost my ski on a big day, ski went all the way to shore, I'm lookin for my buddy Devon to pull me out and hes on the beach mackin on his girl.....thank god Geoff was out there, i got smashed like 6 times and was getting exhausted. got the ski started and rode for a little bit until my coupler busted on my b-pipe and got water in my carbs, battery died out there and i got pulled in the middle of the set just to get trashed again.
had to tow my ski with Devon's ski for 3 miles.......

i was on my SJ and Devon and my buddy Ryan were on my dads brand new rxp & rxp-x. i went and got like 3 feet from Devon and roosted the poop out of him so hard it shot him off the doo. i was going parallel with him and when i shot him, my ski turned 90*s to the left. well at the same time Ryan came over and stops right in my path.... it all happened so fast, stars aligned or something, well my ski smashes in to the red rxp and goes right over it. my SJ was heading for his leg but he moved it just in time and fell off the back, it was crazy.........farked the rxp up pretty bad.:hitwithrock:
my first time riding surf i was so amped that i went to do a slide up to the group and stop right in time, lookin like a cool guy right......well my ski didn't slide and i almost hit Luke............ he was totally pissed and i looked like a retard in front of a new group of buds........thank god i didn't hit him.

Geoff's got a good story that involves his pelvis...........

please dont ever roost me:ugh2:

 

[bimmerboy570]

I had 3 faulty spark plugs on my old 650 that the tops came loose then the carb came loose and send fuel and oil EVERYWHERE then another bad plug that the washer was bad and it blew out.

 

[aranka]

i spent an entire summer of weekends (and a small fortune) tracking down what turned out to be a slightly bent crank on a 750 sx. i diagnosed every part of that ski and learned a lot about them but it freaking sucked. my savior..... the X and its members. i would be out of skiing for ever if not for the adivce i got here. thanks.

since then i have moved to a RN and have not had any issues (nothing major at least) thus far (knocking on my desk as i type).

 

[Idok]

Lost one rider out to sea for 30 mins as he lost his boat on the way into the ramp..he was last in line so noone noticed at first..

figured out we were a man short at the beach and had to go searching...Found the ski running on the beach billowing smoke from the pissers and exhaust..Found the rider 20 mins later posing as shark bait about 1/4--1/2 mile from shore....

the motor survived...Ewok bore FTW!!!


Another instance found us with a broken starter wire out in the surf...Luckily we had met a random stranger who was riding a SJ at our local break...We were able to pick the ski up with the hood open (conversin ski), hold the wire to the starter to fire it off....carried it right to the water and launched it running...made it home no problem



One time someone dropped the town rope and it sunk in 20' of water..


throttle cables seem to like to come loose in the surf as well....


Clogged up cooling systems from riding in shallow breaks..



and then you have the whole swalled by a wave/sunk ski, dead battery, wet plugs almost drowning incidents....:jester:

 

[tnj4life]

I would imagine things can get a little wild in the surf with the big waves smashing you as your trying to get to your ski (never been in surf). Anyone have any shark storys? How bout jellyfish? I've been on the lake riding and had a few close calls with big fish jumping in front of me, look the size of carp. They would probably knock me out if they ever come in contact running 40+mph! Crazy fish.

 

[Idok]

jellyfish are out there and they'll get you from time to time.....


Ewok swears a shark swam right up his ass one time as he was rear boarding his blaster.....Its kinda trippy to throw up a big stab, look down and see a school of rays beneath you

Ive heard stories of people munching jellyfish thru the pump and having the water gush over your hands while running hand warmers..never happened to me personally though although I have seen jellyfish on a ride with handwarmers in use..




the most vicious animal attack is one time a seagull pooped on my AND my ski all in one shot......:laugh2:

 

[tnj4life]

Its amazing the accuracy of pooping birds, I got hit at a softball game when I was like 15 right on the head.

 

[Mike W]

Lost one rider out to sea for 30 mins as he lost his boat on the way into the ramp..he was last in line so noone noticed at first..

figured out we were a man short at the beach and had to go searching...Found the ski running on the beach billowing smoke from the pissers and exhaust..Found the rider 20 mins later posing as shark bait about 1/4--1/2 mile from shore....

the motor survived...Ewok bore FTW!!!


Another instance found us with a broken starter wire out in the surf...Luckily we had met a random stranger who was riding a SJ at our local break...We were able to pick the ski up with the hood open (conversin ski), hold the wire to the starter to fire it off....carried it right to the water and launched it running...made it home no problem



One time someone dropped the town rope and it sunk in 20' of water..


throttle cables seem to like to come loose in the surf as well....


Clogged up cooling systems from riding in shallow breaks..



and then you have the whole swalled by a wave/sunk ski, dead battery, wet plugs almost drowning incidents....:jester:

I remember that. That was my first time in the surf and I learned a valuable lesson that day.

 

[tnj4life]

I remember that. That was my first time in the surf and I learned a valuable lesson that day.

What was the lesson so I won't do it when I get to the surf? Dont be last in line?

 

[Idok]

I remember that. That was my first time in the surf and I learned a valuable lesson that day.

yep....

that day for me was when I lost my GP12 in the inlet in december about 5pm...It was getting dark, the ski was upside down and took me about 30 mins to swim 50 feet

flipped her over and she started right up..funny thing, I never even considered that it woudlnt start as I was swimming.....Never learned about water ingestion until i had a standup :biggthumpup: