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California Boating 

A Course for Safe Boating

Chapter 4

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Personal Watercraft

Dangerous Moves

(cont.)

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Operating your PWC in another boat’s wake—the water may be whipped to

a froth, which can affect how you steer.

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Chasing another PWC in small circles.

Bad Weather

If you’re caught in bad weather:

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Reduce speed.

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Proceed with caution.

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Head for the nearest safe shore landing area.

If the water becomes choppy, head into the waves at a slant, or about a

45-degree angle as shown to the left.

Rescue

The moving parts of a PWC are inside the craft, reducing your chances for

injury. If a rider falls off a personal watercraft, most of the craft have one of

the two following safety devices:

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A cutoff switch will stop the engine when the operator falls off.

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Or the engine will continue to idle and the steering mechanism will turn all

the way to port or starboard, making the PWC circle slowly nearby if the

operator falls off.

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In either case, the operator should carefully climb aboard the PWC. If the

vessel has a lanyard, remember to reconnect it in order to restart the engine.

If your PWC capsizes:

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Right the craft the way the manufacturer recommends. Look for the label

with this information on the stern of the PWC.

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Board and restart the engine after you have connected the lanyard to the

cut-off switch.

If your PWC has stalled and will not restart:

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Wait a few minutes before trying to restart. The engine may be “flooded” or

the fuel line may be clogged.

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Do not attempt to repair the engine while you’re on the water.

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If the watercraft will not restart, stay with the PWC until help comes.

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Wave your arms, or use a whistle, mirror or other signaling device stored

on board to attract attention.

WEBSITE

For information on a PWC Safety

Course, visit

www.dbw.ca.gov/

PWCsafety

45-DEGREE ANGLE