Personal Watercraft Maintenance

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, then one of the best ways you can enjoy the lake this summer is to hop on board your own . These aquatic motorcycles give you all the thrills of a powersports machine, but instead of coasting over pavement or dirt, you’re gliding across the surface of the water!

In order to have a craft that’s ready to ride all the time, you’ll need to focus on some basic maintenance concerns to prevent breakdowns and ensure it performs well during every ride. Family Powersports Lubbock, serving Texas, is here to help you determine what exactly you need to repair on your personal watercraft to keep it in peak condition so you can ride it for years to come.

Consult Your Owner’s Manual

The most important step is to peruse your PWC’s owner’s manual to make sure you know where all the parts are and what the suggested maintenance recommendations are for your particular model. Every style of personal watercraft is different, so it’s important to know how yours functions and what you’ll need to do to fix any issues you have with it. Make sure you can always access the manual to note replacement parts or record any repairs made. Your owner’s manual is a vital resource for personal watercraft maintenance!

Use The Correct Fuel

Whenever you store your PWC for a period of time, it’s important to fill up the fuel tank completely and use a fuel stabilizer to prevent the gasoline from separating. You don’t want moisture to condense inside the tank and corrode it, after all.

Using a pure gasoline without ethanol is the best fuel for your watercraft, as marine engines aren’t designed to run on ethanol. Ethanol gas might be cheaper, but you should avoid using it in your personal watercraft. Older two-stroke PWC engines will need a mixture of gasoline and oil to function properly. If you’re not sure what fuel to use in your particular model, consult a mechanic like those at Family Powersports Lubbock!

Break In The Engine

You may be tempted to launch your brand-new PWC and ride at top speed instantly, but this isn’t advisable. The engine needs to be broken in over a few hours of riding first. Start out riding at ¼ of its full speed for about twenty minutes, then move up to half speed for thirty minutes before going to ¾ speed for another hour. After this, you can twist the throttle and coast at full speed. This process will reward you with an engine that performs well and lasts!

Flush After Riding

No matter whether you’re riding in saltwater or freshwater, it’s advisable to flush out your personal watercraft after every ride. Salt, algae, sand and other debris from the water can corrode your internal parts, so hook up the engine to a source of clean water and allow it to run for a while, engaging the throttle every so often to push water out.

You don’t want to do this process with saltwater as it will not be effective, and you shouldn’t twist the throttle directly after removing your PWC from saltwater as this could cook the salt into the engine.

Keep Your PWC Protected

To further protect your personal watercraft, wax it thoroughly at the beginning of every riding season. This will protect the hull from sun and weather damage and keep it from cracking or fading over time.

When you’re not using your PWC, it’s also wise to cover it up, even if it’s stored indoors. You can keep it safe from debris build-up as well as sun damage this way.

Ready to see some PWCs for yourself? Our Lubbock location has a great selection of new and used personal watercraft for sale. Family Powersports Lubbock welcomes our customers coming from Lake Tanglewood, Plainview and Seminole, Texas.