Personal Watercraft - Your Jet Ski Primer
Just like ordinary vehicles like cars, vans, trucks, SUVs, etc. personal water craft (PWC) or jet skis are vehicles which emit substances into the air and onto the water. It is a natural process of burning fuel needed to convert energy for propulsion and movement.Personal water craft or the more brand name Kawasaki jet ski are small water vehicle capable of holding one or two riders at a time. The riders or boaters either sit or stand on it. It is designed for speed complimenting its sleek and aerodynamic design. It is powered by an in-board engine giving the vehicle thrusts for propulsion and steering.PWCs are high-powered vehicles used for recreation and racing. The US Coast Guard has classified personal watercraft as Class A in-board motor vehicles. And law enforcers are also into the usage of PWCs. They use these vehicles to implement laws and regulations on rivers, lakes, and on the shorelines. Sea rescuers are also using PWCs to secure and save lives. Scientists occasionally also use PWCs for their research trips and investigations. In short, PWCs are a popular choice of vehicle of everybody because of its flexibility, versatility and speed.But how do riders or operators reconcile the demand for owning a jet ski and enjoying its features against the widespread awareness of people nowadays to save and protect the environment by minimizing pollution?Manufacturers of today because of the Clean Air Act enacted in the US in the 1990’s and also elsewhere around the world have already stopped producing two-stroke engines for their vehicles. As verified by scientific studies, two-stroke engines cause more pollution because of the engine’s inability to efficiently burn fuel. Instead of using two-stroke engines a more reliable fuel burning four-stroke engine was developed. Recently manufactured PWCs now have four-stroke engines that reduce air and water pollution. Another factor that must be remembered by jet ski riders and operators is to keep their vehicle’s engines well-tuned and in tip-top shape always. Regular maintenance should be undertaken on the vehicle.Another concern is the force generated by the engine because strong jets of water are pushed out of the vehicle each time it moves. Personal watercraft can be operated even in shallow waters thus disturbance in wildlife like plant growths and sediments is possible. This strong jet can cause disturbances to sediments or increase in water turbidity in shallow water. One way a responsible Sea-Doo rider or operator can do is to stay away from wildlife protected areas or zones as much as he can. He should ride only in main channels or go to where the water is substantially deep.There are several cases in Florida, USA where manatees were accidentally killed because of pwc. The speed and impact of watercraft can injure and kill any animal even large ones like the manatees. One solution is to stay away from animals (if you know it is properly inhabited and populated), swimmers, divers, skiers and fishermen as the vehicle can definitely cause injuries if improperly used.Another issue is fuel spilling in the water. This can be avoided if riders and operators refrain from re-fueling while the vehicle is on the water. Re-fueling should be done while the vehicle is on land where accidental spillage can be controlled. And regular maintenance and check-up should also be done on land. At least maintenance should be done at a safe distance away from the shoreline.We all have the right to enjoy life to the fullest. Enjoying using your Sea Doo for recreation purposes is perfectly legal. However, we also have the responsibility to protect our environment from pollutants. Both right and responsibility can co-exist side by side. It only takes a matter of self-discipline to keep the world safe for everyone. Jet ski dealers and operators should work together for this purpose. We should remember that we only have one earth and we should do everything to keep it healthy at all times not only for this generation but for the generations that is still to come.
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