Surfriding Killing the salt

H

Honda118

Location
United States
Hey Tanner - I agree there may be other products better than WD-40 but I don't think it harms rubber or plastic - see: http://wd40.com/faqs/

What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 Multi-Use Product on? WD-40 Multi-Use Product can be used on just about everything. It is safe to use on metal, rubber, wood and plastic. It can also be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40 Multi-Use Product.
 
H

Honda118

Location
United States
"According to the company that makes WD-40: WD-40 literally stands for water displacement 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who helped develop WD-40 back in 1953. Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion, a task which is done by displacing water."

"WD-40 was invented by the three founders of the Rocket Chemical Company of San Diego, California. The team of inventors were working on a line of industrial rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry."

Source: http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventions/a/WDFourty.htm
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
I use spray silicone on anything I touch (Odi brackets, bilge bracket, hood latch) and WD40 on everything else. I'd prefer to use spray silicone on everything, but I can buy WD40 by the gallon and apply it whatever way I please. I would love to know where I can buy the spray silicone by the gallon.
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
phreeride215 said:
We usually use dawn and fresh water right after coming out of the ocean, then stop at the delaware river on the way home and run em out of gas.
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Do you just use the hose mixer attachment like what they sell to wash your car with? Have you ever had any problems with it suds-ing too much and getting into anything it shouldn't? Soap is corrosive itself, how do you make sure all the soap is out? I think Dawn will eat the wax off the paint if you wash the ski with it.

Salt away is $50/ga. I usually flush liberally with clean water but am open to other options. None of them have seemed all that great to me, either expensive or just not any better than liberal use of fresh water (and by the time you flush with soap then flush out the soap, you've likely used the same amount of water anyway).

I am all about keeping my ski minty. I just prefer to spend my money on things that work more than marginally better.
 
yamaslut

yamaslut

kill it
Location
Daytona Beach, Florida
flushing your ski is optional... I ride surf just about every weekend for the last about 14 years and hardly ever flush anything any more, cause it makes no difference at all. I do rinse the engine compartment but flushing the internals of the ski is 100% optional. I really would like some to explain how salt crystals could clog anything, since salt will dissolve in water.

You guys keep buying 100$ a gallon products to coat your ski, I will stick to a 2$ can of cheap ass silicone. It does the same thing.

Now if you plan on not riding for a month then flushing might be a good plan, I guess...
 
S

StandupEd

Eddie would Tow
special fx said:
This might be controversial but.....i've been riding for 30 years and all of it in salt water. I've never flushed a ski and have never seen any impacts of not doing so. My original 701 is still together and running after 19 years of very heavy use in salt. I do rinse the exterior of the engine and ski with fresh water and then coat the engine with Dupont silicone with teflon after each use.

I'm not saying that flushing isn't a good thing, as I'm certain it is. However, I don't believe not flushing is quite as destructive as folks fear.
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There is a good reason for this. The open ocean has a relatively constant salinity level of about 3.5%, but the difference is in local sea surface salinity levels. I have learned this first had. I have been surf riding out west for about ten years and typically ridden two – three days straight in the surf and only briefly flushed and WD-40ed at the end of the weekend. I never had significant corrosion issues. Since I picked up this winter house in Daytona, over the last three years I have been shocked to see how different and aggressive the corrosion is on everything from cars, to skis, to riding bikes on the beach. After discussing this problem at a local marina I was informed about the very high local salinity levels on the eastern, central Florida coast. My guess is that where you are in Jersey is very similar to the west coast, that’s why you are not having any issues. Now I Salt-away, corrosion-x and engine fog after every ride. Here is a link to a 3-d map. There are some others of just the US but I lost the link.

http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/physical-ocean/salinity/


Sorry if the link goes to the wrong map, you have to close the current map that pops up and then click on salinity.
 
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AtomicPunk

AtomicPunk

Lifetime bans are AWESOME
Site Supporter
Location
Largo, Fl
some may think I am whacked but I can definitely tell the difference in salinity coming from the Gulf Coast to East coast FL....
 
98gti

98gti

C@R H@ul3R
Location
NW FL
I squirt a bunch of dishwashing soap into the end of the hose before attaching it to the faucet, it pushes it right through and I dont need to buy any special attachment, although the wife gets pissed when she cant find the soap to do her womanly duties. I dont flush anymore if I plan to ride again the next day, but if its more than a day or 2 I flush and wash thourouhly.
 
camojoe

camojoe

Location
In the surf
special fx said:
This might be controversial but.....i've been riding for 30 years and all of it in salt water. I've never flushed a ski and have never seen any impacts of not doing so. My original 701 is still together and running after 19 years of very heavy use in salt. I do rinse the exterior of the engine and ski with fresh water and then coat the engine with Dupont silicone with teflon after each use.

I'm not saying that flushing isn't a good thing, as I'm certain it is. However, I don't believe not flushing is quite as destructive as folks fear.
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I had an ex girlfriend back in high school, her mom told me a stiory that she bought an older VW bug. She owned it for 6 years and it was her daily driver. I poop you not she told me she didn't know you were supposed to change the oil in the motor, so she had never changed the oil for 6years!! My point being, I guess some people get lucky like she did that she never had any issues with her car but I wouldn't own a car and not change the oil for 6 years, but that's just me. A little bit of preventative maintenance goes a long way IMO
 
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StandupEd

Eddie would Tow
A quick check to see about salt in the engine is pull the hose off the top B-pipe. Then unscrew the top barb and shine an inspection light in there. Mine had crusty crystals growing in there after three years of florida "Salt Life" I think I'll buy the bumper sticker now!
 
227

227

Its all about the surf!
Location
Oceanside, CA
yamaslut said:
.......... I really would like some to explain how salt crystals could clog anything, since salt will dissolve in water.

You guys keep buying 100$ a gallon products........
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Best statement in the entire thread. Fresh water dissolves Salt 100% so why would anyone pay for a product that doesn't work any better? Some people just love to throw away there money I guess
 
S

SJ 701X

Location
In a hole
I run it salt water and flush after every ride, an when I dismantled my engine I had salt crystals in the cases and corrosion on the steering and engine bay, even though I washed down thoroughly after every ride. It may not be just the salt that screws it up, but a combination of the hard minerals in the water as well. They can crystallize and they won;t dissolve in freshwater.
 
jloria

jloria

Location
Jacksonville, Florida
AtomicPunk said:
some may think I am whacked but I can definitely tell the difference in salinity coming from the Gulf Coast to East coast FL....
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x2..for me

I used to surf the gulf when I lived in Tampa...

The water has more salinity from what I have read. The boards seemed more bouyant from my experience.


The Gulf is similar to a Mediterranean-type sea.
 
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