Jet Skier & Personal Watercraft Magazine
T S E G G BI E VER
www.jetskier.co.uk
E U ISS
BURGESS GOES
MAR/APR 2010 £3.50
BIG IN DAYTONA TAYLOR CURTIS chases giants off the coast of California www.jetskier.co.uk
AN FXHO GETS ITS BOTTOM SMACKED
WIN
A JET SKI SAFARI FOR TWO BECOME THE NEXT BRITISH CHAMPION
Beginner’s guide to the podium
WIN
AY FOR A JET SKI HOLIDIZA TWO IN IB AT JET BOU
RICK ROY
Mar/Apr 2010
IN THE MALDIVES NEWS • COOL STUFF • FREERIDE • TECH ADVICE • SKIS FOR SALE
RXT -X 260 RS ™
™
ROTAX® ENGINE Equipped with a 260-hp SCIC Rotax 4-TEC ™ engine, it sets a new standard for high-performance while being fuel-efficient.
X-STEERING with A.E.S.™
(Advanced Ergonomic Steering) Featuring fully adjustable handlebar width and grip angle for a fully customized ride.
TECHNOLOGY WILL IMPRESS YOU PERFORMANCE WILL AMAZE YOU iCONTROL™ TECHNOLOGY iBR™ Intelligent Brake and Reverse for a whole new level of safety and control.
iTC™ Intelligent Throttle Control, which includes cruise control, neutral, slow mode and a High-Performance Variable Trim System (V.T.S.™).
S3 Hull™ Stepped hull for improved handling and stability and higher top end speed.
X-GAUGE 29-function digital information centre with 130 km/h (80 MPH) speedometer, easy-to-read gauges, including lap timer, distance to empty and engine temperature.
brp.com © 2010 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. BRP reserves the right at any time to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. This picture depicts professional drivers or wakeboarders executing manoeuvres under ideal and/or controlled conditions. Do not attempt any of these, or any other risky manoeuvres, if they’re beyond your level of driving or wakeboarding ability, as well as your understanding and respect for the performance of your personal watercraft.
BRP is also the manufacturer of:
SKI-DOO® SEA-DOO® EVINRUDE® JOHNSON® CAN-AM™ ROTAX® JS1003-04 BRP Seadoo
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Editorial Designer:
Sarah Garland
Advertising Manager:
John Baggaley
Editor: Baggers Contributors: Brian Lee, Paul Guinness, Karim Nemouchi, Pete Burgess, Dana Curtis, Marcel Diner, Nick Dyer, Alex Smith. Managing Director: Sue Baggaley Advertising Manager: John Baggaley Studio Manager: Sal Law Production Controller: Anthony Gibbons Editorial Designer: Sarah Garland Advertising Design: Flo Terentjev Subscription Manager: Lucia Leader Cover photograph: Warren Brown CSL PUBLISHING LTD Alliance House, 49 Sidney Street, Cambridge CB2 3HX Tel: (01223) 460490 Fax: (01223) 315960
Email: editor@jetskier.co.uk Jet Skier & PW magazine is copyright of CSL Publishing 2010 and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Every care is taken in compiling the contents, but the proprietors assume no responsibility for any effect rising there from. We welcome unsolicited manuscripts and photographs, but accept no responsibility for their loss, damage or total disappearance. CSL Publishing also publishes Sports Boat & RIB, All at Sea and Boat Mart.
IF YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING A COPY OF JET SKIER & PW MAGAZINE, PLEASE CONTACT MARK SWAN, COMAG SPECIALIST, 01895 433800 OR EMAIL: mark.swan@comag.co.uk
GET IT REGULARLY As part of JS&PW’s continuing policy of improving its service to our readers we have made changes in the way our subscriptions are handled. All orders and enquiries will now be handled by magazine staff. Any queries regarding ordering, renewal, change of address or delivery problems can be dealt with by calling the JS&PW Subs Hotline on 01442 879097.
Love it or hate it, I’m back in the saddle. It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, and best of all, it’s leather. Yes, I admit that I thought I’d moved on, but Spicer got wanderlust early last year when he ventured to India on a three-month sabbatical, and now he’s fled the office for good, to Australia to find fame and fortune. It is quieter and more fragrant since he left, which is nice, but I seem to have a lot more work to do now. Until recently we had a thriving sport which was fuelled by the manufacturer’s desire to build watercraft that were faster, bigger and better than the previous year’s models. And we loved it. In days gone by we were all excited by iconic images of Chris Fischetti, Jeff Jacobs and the delicious Christy Carlson. The rainbow colours of wetsuits and skis were yellow, pink and Kwaka green and the pages of this magazine were full of those colours and those famous faces. And we loved it. As watercraft became faster and, as a result, more complex and expensive they became the toys of a cash-rich generation, and sometimes the subject of public debate in an increasingly risk-averse society. And still we loved it. But worldwide sales of PW have been badly affected by the recent economic downturn, in the same way that cars and bikes have been affected, with the consequence that the three remaining manufacturers have had no option but to cut back their marketing budgets, their model ranges and their production. And the EU has put paid to the two-stroke machines that we all loved to rebuild, and rebuild, and rebuild. Many of us might wish for a 21st Century Kawasaki 440, but like it or not, those days are gone. But this is 2010. The new model ranges have been launched and the finance deals from the manufacturers are looking very attractive. Money has never been so cheap. The industry has got together to hold the largest PW event that the UK has ever seen. And to cap it all this is the biggest issue of the magazine we have ever had in 21 years. And we love it. We have given you more pages than ever before, and we want to give you even more. Bigger, better pictures of beautiful people, beautiful skis, big seas and even bigger air. That’s what our sport is all about. This month we have pictures from all around the world; the Maldives, Daytona, Brazil and California. Stunning, stunning pictures taken by the best photographers the sport has to offer. We have prizes like never before as well. A holiday for two in Ibiza, for goodness sake, and a PW safari that will take you to pastures new. We will continue to bring you the very best tests and reports and as always will be pleased to hear from any of you that have tinkered with, painted, customised your craft, been anywhere exciting on your ski and would like to see your photos in the magazine. So, shake off the winter doom and gloom, shake off the overcoat of recession, get out on the water and don’t be shy — get writing, snapping, emailing and texting.
SUBSCRIBE AT www.jetskier.co.uk or call 01442 879097
BAGGERS, EDITOR e d i t o r @ j e t s k i e r. c o . u k
TO ADVERTISE WITH US Call John on 01223 460490 or email john.baggaley@cslpublishing.com
www.jetskier.co.uk / www.jetskierforum.co.uk Sell your ski now at www.jetskier.co.uk
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NITROJET ACTION SPORTS TEST WEEKEND Nitrojet Action Sports and 158 performance are holding a product demo weekend on the 20th and 21st Feb where customers will be able to demo the Kawasaki Ultra 260X, the Sea Doo RXT-X 260RS, the Kawasaski Ultra LX and the Sea Doo RXP-X 255RS. As well as action on the water the BRP Spyder, which is powered by a Rotax® 990 V-Twin engine, will also be available for trial. Day launch will be available at £25 and camping at £5 per vehicle per night. The demo will be at Nitrojet Action Sports near Oxford. www.nitrojet.co.uk Tel 01865 341115 for more details
PARTY TIME Fancy a week of skiing all day and partying all night? Like the idea of shipping your ski somewhere warm and sunny for a bit of fun in the sun? Of course you do, and you’d be mad not to. And the good news is that Xtreme Action are hosting their Jet Bou on the party island of Ibiza this summer. Running from October 1st to 11th, in association with the Cala de Bou town council, the event is an established part of the PWC calendar, and for the relatively modest sum of £350 for a solo and £575 for a sit-down, Xtreme Action will ship your ski out to the resort for you. All you have to do is turn up and ski around some of the nicest coastline in the Med. Go to www.xtremeaction.co.uk for more details.
BUSHELL YAMAHA OPEN FOR BUSINESS WAVERUNNER
Three times World Champion PWC racer James Bushell has opened 158 Performance in Tallington, Peterborough, selling Sea-Doo PWCs and those mentalist threewheeled Spyder trikes. 158 Performance are authorised dealers for Sea-Doo PWCs and Can-Am Spyders. The Spyder, in case you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years, is a kind of trike, but with two wheels at the front and one in the rear. Powered by a 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, the Spyder looks like a lot of fun. Bushell, 25, has been racing PWCs since 2000 and has numerous titles under his belt including British, European and World Champion. He is currently competing in both the British and United Emirates Championships. Bushell and his team have a wealth of experience with performance, handling and maintenance of both PWCs and Spyder Roadsters. “Having spent the last 10 years as a customer of Sea-Doo, I feel that they are the best products on the market with regard to performance, reliability and value for money, and that is why I’ve focused my new business on these products,” he said. “I am looking forward to being able to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm gained from racing all around the world to my customers.” 158 Performance’s showroom is at Unit 1/2, Tallington Services, Main Road, Tallington, Lincs. Or you can call them on (01778) 341144. Or you can visit their web site at www.158performance.co.uk.
FINANCE
Yamaha has announced that it has a new finance offer available on its whole range of WaveRunner models. You can now purchase any new WaveRunner model on 0% APR Typical finance over two years, with a minimum 30% deposit. In addition to this impressive finance deal, every WaveRunner comes with a two year warranty . For details on the full line-up of Yamaha WaveRunner models, including the terms and conditions of this offer, log onto their website (www.yamaha-motor.co.uk). Alternatively, contact your nearest authorised participating Yamaha dealer. Offer is for a limited period only.
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Now available with 2 Years 0% APR Typical finance with a 30% minimum deposit Contact your local Authorised Yamaha WaveRunner dealer for more details
FX SHO
Be prepared to love it. Hampshire
London
Suffolk
Bridgend
Guernsey
Rock Marine Services 01208 863396 www.rockmarineservices.co.uk
Watercraft World Superstore 01329 826622 www.watercraftworld.co.uk
The Boat Harbour Ltd 020 854 25857 www.theboatharbour.com
Bob Spalding Marine 01473 659674 www.bobspalding.com
Worldwide Watersports 01656 723889 www.worldwidewatersports.co.uk
Sunsport Marine Ltd 01481 248466 www.sunsportmarine.co.uk
Devon
Kent
Merseyside
Tyne & Wear
Renfrewshire
Gliddon Marine 01803 842245 www.gliddonmarine.com
Power Products Marine 01634 711267 www.powerproductsmarine.com
N & C Performance Jet Ski 01516 910006 www.ncjetski.co.uk
Powerhouse Marine 01914 140065 www.powerhouse-marine.co.uk
Stirling's Jet-Ski Services 01505 382222 www.stirlingsmarine.co.uk
Dorset
Lancashire
Norfolk
Yorkshire
County Tyrone
Offshore Performance 01202 722632 www.offshoretoys.co.uk
Avos Watersports Den 01772 811866 www.avoswatersportsden.com
Beach Rock Leisure 01692 598000 www.beachrockleisure.com
Fosse Hill Jet Ski Centre 01964 542608 www.fossehill.co.uk
Jet Products 028 816 58668 www.jetproducts.co.uk
Essex
Leicestershire
Staffordshire
Gwynedd
The Boat Shop 01708 523016 www.the-boat-shop.com
Six Hills Jet Ski Centre Ltd 01664 434080 www.sixhills-jetski.co.uk
Jetcraft Performance Ltd 01782 768511 www.jetcraft.co.uk
Blue Water Marine 01758 614600 www.bluewatermarine.co.uk
Cornwall
England
WaveRunner
www.yamaha-motor.co.uk
Wales
Jersey
Scotland
N. Ireland
Channel Islands
Gallichan Marine 01534 746387 www.gallichanmarine.co.uk
PRO SERIES IMPELLER AND HOUSING The X-Charger Impeller and Housing delivers a claimed 20 percent increase in boost pressure at 8,000rpm, producing arm wrenching acceleration and increased top speed for 255hp Sea-Doo RXP-X and RXT-X models. The high performance impeller and housing combo increase horsepower through superior impeller blade design and larger interior housing volume. The impeller features a sophisticated Vortech blade design that is precision balanced to deliver smooth operation. The housing and impeller install easily onto a stock supercharger base plate with no additional modifications required. Includes installation instructions. And the price is £559.
Line One Distributors Ltd Tel: (01285) 713888 www.lineonedist.co.uk
PIMP YOUR HOSE
Line One Distributors Ltd are now distributing SamcoSport Cooling Hoses specifically for the PWC market. For the past 12 years UK company SamcoSport have been manufacturing top end cooling and exhaust hoses for many of the top race teams within F1 and also British Superbike (McClaren and MMS Kawasaki, to name but a few). SamcoSport hoses are specifically designed to directly replace your Original Equipment hoses. These premium quality, hand crafted, high performance silicone hoses work to higher temperature and pressures, which is essential when you’re upgrading your engine’s performance. On top of this, SamcoSport hoses further enhance the look of your engine bay over standard organic rubber hoses, as they are available in any one of the seven standard SamcoSport colours: Blue, Black, Red, Green, Purple, Yellow, and Orange. Available in either 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4”. Prices start from £24.95 per metre.
Line One Distributors Ltd Tel: (01285) 713888 www.lineonedist.co.uk
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YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BUYING PW INSURANCE Buying PW insurance has never been simpler. You search online, find the cheapest quote and buy the cover. It works with car and home insurance, so why not PW insurance?
A
ll PW insurance policies are very different. Small differences in the price of a policy may reflect significant differences in the cover. Before buying cover, JS&PW would recommend you consider some of the following points:-
1. Do you require full risk or just third party only cover? What do you want your insurance to cover? 2. Check the policy has a limit of liability of £3,000,000. If you require cover for liabilities for towing toys or water-skiers, make sure these are covered also.
Photos: Yacht Claims Ltd
3. Check what security requirements are needed for the theft of your PW. If you cannot meet the policy requirements, it could make your policy worthless. 4. Check the policy excesses. Policies vary greatly in what excesses are charged and can differ depending on what type of claim you wish to make. This is particularly so in regard to theft claims. 5. Check who can drive your PW. Find out what the minimum age is of the drivers and whether all drivers need to be named on the policy.
Finally and most importantly, give the company who you choose to use a call and check to see if they specialise in PW insurance. if they do, it will probably make the process of making a claim much simpler and enable you to get back on the water much sooner following an accident. Don’t forget when buying PW insurance you usually get what you pay for. If you take some care, it will ensure you are getting the best value for money.
Don’t put your hard-earned cash at risk –
be safe, be MarineSafe Specialists in Marine Insurance
For an instant quotation call 01843 603 441 For online quotations go to www.marinesafe.co.uk Marinesafe Direct is a brand name of Euromarine Insurance Services Ltd. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Sell Sell your your ski ski now now at at www.jetskier.co.uk www.jetskier.co.uk
JS&PW JS&PW 45
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Chasing
Giants
The time had arrived, winter in California. That means one thing to Freerider Taylor Curtis “big storms equal big waves.� That was just the case last December when a massive swell was forecast to hit the Central Coast and we were not going to miss it. By Dana Curtis >
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J
ust offshore about 10 miles from Taylor’s home is a special wave that is down right knarly with the right conditions. This wave needs a least a 12-foot swell to break and as predicted they were calling for an 18ft plus swell, Taylor was pumped. Anxiously awaiting the morning to come so we could get out there at first light. The alarm went off at 5am. We headed down to the marina and had a chilling ride out; it was about 32 degrees that morning. Arriving on the spot there were about 4 tow teams already they’re scoping the scene, just watching the wave. The barrel was spitting and looking pretty cold, heavy and mean, but that is just what Taylor’s driving force is. Taylor has been watching and riding this wave for years and has wanted to get in that barrel but has thought the penalty of a mistake would be too dangerous. Getting tube time in this wave meant putting yourself on the line and he was going to push the limit further than he has gone before. No one else was surfing yet so Taylor took the chance to ride the beast. His thought on the day was to do no jumping and just try and surf ride and get as close to inside of the barrel as possible. Well, as is his nature, he had to just try one back flip out on this giant, knowing
Taylor was pumped. Anxiously awaiting the morning to come so we could get out there at first light. The alarm went off at 5am. We headed down to the marina and had a chilling ride out; it was about 32 degrees that morning.
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CHASING GIANTS
Taylor went backwards over the falls of this wave and got thrown around like a rag doll. “It was the worst wipeout of my life”
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that jumping out of this wave is never a good idea because if you wipe out the next wave is fast approaching right behind you. Taylor did do a few huge back flips and was landing them just fine. But if you are Taylor Curtis you always have to push it just a little more each time and he got set up for a big flip and launched off. The wind was cranking offshore to the point that he was not going to make it mid rotation and he pushed the ski away from him to land but the wind blew the ski right back on him, landing on his leg. Disoriented, he realized the next wave was right behind him and there was no chance of getting out of its way. Taylor went backwards over the falls of this wave and got thrown around like a rag doll. “It was the worst wipeout of my life” Taylor said. As any big wave rider will say, “If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen.” Taylor knows this lesson well, and has now officially taken the good with the bad. He has survived his worst wipe out to date, but as we all know, riding giants is all about the chase of the next big swell and putting your life on the line for that thrill.
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PIMP YOUR SKI
Steve Robinson and Sandy Riley at Ski Pimp are producing some of the hottest custom graphics for personal watercraft that we’ve seen in a long time. The Hull-based company sells standard ‘off the peg’ graphics as well as some awesome custom ones. They will even take on whole race team graphics. Sue Baggaley needed to know more…
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PIMP YOUR SKI
Q: How did you get involved in the business of custom graphics? Steve: I started wrapping graphics onto Formula 1 cars some 25 years ago. I have wrapped cars for Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli. I started riding personal watercraft five years ago and couldn’t believe there was such a gap in the market for this kind of customisation. We have been wrapping skis now for about three years.
Q: How does the production process work? Steve: First off we design them on a computer in Photoshop and then print
them out here in our workshop. After the graphics are applied to the craft using a special heat process another laminate layer is added which is what gives the graphics their durability. The 3D imagery in available in both matt and gloss finishes, and it’s the laminate that determines that.
Above Left: Aerial view of the Ski Pimp workshop
Above Right: The design is created on a computer in Photoshop
Q: How many staff do you have at Ski Pimp? Steve: Six at present. We have a few skis in progress right now. One is for Jack Moule, we are just waiting for him to decide on his boat for the new season, and are also designing a wrap for Paul Attiwell’s Blaster at Nitrojet. >
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Below: The massive colour ress means any ski can be wrapped
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IMPELLERS
AND JET PUMPS Nick Dyer shares his secrets with us to improve performance and save cash.
W
orking in the Jet ski trade for a long as I have gives you a good understanding of problems that arise for customers, but two of the most common things they say when they call me are: 1. How can I make my ski go faster without messing up the reliability Or
Use a feeler gauge to check the clearance between the edge of the impeller and the wear ring. Any more than 1mm will start to see a drop off in performance.
2. I let my mate have a go on my ski and he’s sucked up some stones and I think he’s damaged the impeller, what can I do? Well, the answer to both is to fit a stainless steel impeller; this will give you better performance and is also good as a replacement for a damaged impeller. Running a ski with a damaged impeller is not only bad for performance but can also have a detrimental effect on handling and the cooling can be effected
HOW IT WORKS: The impeller draws water through the intake grate on the underside of your ski, it then forces the water through the vein guide which straightens out the twisting action from the impeller. The water is then compressed through the venturi (the tapered part at the back), which then exits via the steering nozzle. All sounds pretty simple but if you have a damaged impeller or debris (rocks, rope etc) stuck in the jet pump the first sign is that you get the kind of symptoms experienced from a slipping clutch on a car, we call this cavitation. Other issues, which will give these symptoms, are excessive clearance between the impeller and the jet pump housing, damaged/bent impeller blades or a damaged jet pump or vein guide.
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