Top 10 tips to lay-up your PWC for winter

Unless you live in in the north of the country — or are prepared to brave the elements — with winter upon us most personal watercraft (PWCs) are parked up.

But it pays to take a few simple precautions. At least if you want your PWC to start up fresh and raring to go when the better weather arrives.

Here’s a beginner’s Top 10 guide on how to look after your personal watercraft while it’s not in use.

1. Get it serviced

This may seem obvious but there are good reasons to get your PWC serviced before parking it up. Aside from the fact that service costs can be a touch cheaper at this time of year as things in dealer land are a bit quiet.

If your PWC is a four-stroke, it’s a good idea to at least change the engine oil.

If you ride in salt water, the base of the oil filter can attract corrosion over time so it’s best to fit a new one after an oil change. The spark plugs may also need changing, depending on how many hours you’ve clocked up.

Most service centres lubricate key components with better stuff than you can buy over the counter. This is in addition to your own squirt of silicon spray on hose clamps and electrical connectors after each ride.

Yamaha sells Yamalube and Seadoo sells XPS, both of which have been tested on the plastics, rubber and metal parts used in their respective brand of PWC. Kawasaki dealers we spoke said they use silicon spray water repellents made by Inox, CRC or WD40.

Doing the above will help protect your PWC from the elements while it’s stored, and it’ll be ready to go as soon as it’s warm again.

2. Give it a decent flush

If you haven’t already done so give your Yamaha or Kawasaki PWC a good five- to 10-minute flush with fresh water before taking it in to get it serviced, especially if you ride mainly in salt water. (A reminder to start the engine before turning on the water supply, and to shut off the water supply before switching off the engine, so you don’t flood it).

Sea-Doo watercraft must not be flushed for more than 90 seconds, to protect the carbon seal (the seal on the driveshaft between the bellows and the driveshaft support ring).

Sea-Doo experts advise to start the engine, then turn on the tap, then run the engine for about 60 seconds.

This process flushes the exhaust box rather than the engine because Sea-Doos run on what is known as a closed-loop water-cooling system.

At the 60-second mark Seadoo experts say you should disconnect the hose and allow the engine to run for a further 30 seconds maximum (bringing the total running time out of the water to 90 seconds) to blast out any remaining water from the exhaust box.

When a Sea-Doo is being ridden, the external water in the driveshaft tunnel cools the carbon seal.

But when the engine is running is out of the water, the carbon seal can get too hot and warp. Once the carbon seal is damaged, the hull will take on water and eventually sink if the leak is not detected.

A new carbon seal costs about $600 including parts and labour.

At the time of publication, the only Sea-Doo models without a carbon seal are the Spark, Spark Trixx and GT190, which have a rubber seal. A carbon seal is not used because Sea-Doo's smaller, lighter and lower horsepower engines don’t have as much torque, which makes the engine shift slightly as you come on and off the throttle.

However, Sea-Doo dealers recommend the same 90-second maximum running time when the craft is out of the water to be on the safe side, and to avoid confusion among owners of other Sea-Doo models with carbon seals.

A winter lay-up is also a good time to ensure your Sea-Doo’s carbon seal doesn’t need replacing, as they are a maintenance item and not meant to last the life of the ski. Experts say the maximum lifespan of a well maintained craft with a carbon seal is about 150 hours.

Before then, however, Sea-Doo experts advise to check for signs of water leaking into the hull when it's in the water at the boat ramp, while it’s running in neutral.

Regardless of the PWC brand, some experts advise flushing with fresh water at first, then switching to “Salt Away” or similar (a salt inhibitor that dissolves salt and prevents corrosion) and then switching back to fresh water.

However, when we asked one of the busiest jet ski service centres in Australia they advised to save your money and insisted fresh water is best.

Some PWC owners use “Salt Away” to wash the deck and hull of their jet ski, and spray the trailer, but again several experts in the know said fresh water was fine as long as you’re thorough, including spraying around the pump to prevent a build-up of salt residue.

3. Hose out the engine bay

With a hose on fine mist give the engine bay a decent spray, being mindful not to directly target any electronics or modules. Getting connectors and modules wet is okay, just don’t aim at them.

The bottom of the hull will of course start to fill with water so tilt the front of the trailer as high as you can (wheel chocks are handy to stop it rolling) and undo the bungs on the PWC to let most of the water drain.

To get rid of the remaining water use a handheld air blower or air pressure hose. That will force more water to exit via the bung holes.

Portable battery-powered handheld blowers are expensive so I bought a cheap leaf blower and a long extension cord. It blows air at up to 100km/h so I’m careful where I point it in the engine bay. Be sure not to bump any connectors or hoses with the nose of the blower. This will get most of the water out. Leave the seat off afterwards to let the rest of the moisture evaporate.

4. Fuelling arguments

There are mixed opinions on this. Some riders prefer to store their PWC with a full tank of fuel to prevent condensation. This seems to be the preferred method for PWC kept on a jetty, pontoon or outdoors. Others leave the tank half full and then top it up with fresh fuel when summer arrives.

Fuel can go stale. Some owners advise using a fuel stabiliser if there is a tank of fuel remaining. I have not tried this, can’t vouch for its effectiveness, and would be concerned about any possible damage to the engine an additive may cause.

A leading PWC workshop we spoke to said they run their jet skis to almost empty before putting them away for winter. That way when they fill up at the start of summer there’s a fresh tankful of fuel on board.

5. Start the ski once a month or so

Whether you’ve decided to leave a small amount of fuel in the tank or kept it full, make sure there’s enough to run the PWC for about five minutes once a month (connected to a fresh water hose, of course). Those in the know say this helps keeps the internals of the engine lubricated.

6. Disconnect or trickle-charge the battery

Most batteries won’t stay charged all winter without regular use. So either disconnect it or buy a trickle charger (about $125 for a reputable brand) but make sure it’s designed to suit the battery in your PWC.

If you’re mechanically minded you may even want to pull the battery out and top it up with distilled water if necessary. Just be sure to refit it correctly, with the tie-down clamps and breather hose put back in place.

In my experience, most PWC batteries only last about two years -- even when fastidiously plugged into a trickle charger between rides over summer. My preference now is to change the battery at the two-year mark.

7. Service the trailer wheel bearings

Now is a good time to re-grease or replace the wheel bearings on your trailer, especially if it has been in and out of salt water over the warmer months.

If you don’t have the knowhow to do it yourself, most trailer places charge $100 to $150 including parts. Be sure they use marine grease (if not, buy your own and take it with you).

Getting your PWC trailer serviced somewhere with expertise in boat trailers rather than caravans is advised. Also give the trailer a decent spray with fresh water, to rid any salt residue.

If you really want the trailer to last, buy a spray can of fish oil and give the trailer a decent going over. Galvanised trailers will lose some of their shine when covered in a thin layer of this sticky slime, but trailer experts say it will extend the life of the trailer to 8-10 years if done annually.

8. Wash your riding gear

If you don’t do it regularly, now is a good time to wash your PWC lifejacket/vest and other riding gear as the salt’s not ideal for the buoyancy foam inside or the stitching that holds it together. Same goes for gloves, slip-on shoes etc. Do you really want to return to mouldy gear when you’re ready to ride?

9. Check your insurance

Some marine insurance companies will let you lay-up your PWC over the winter months, helping trim your monthly costs or your annual fee. In most cases, the ski will still be insured for fire and theft when stored at a designated address, and when being towed to get it serviced.

In some instances you can select the individual months you plan not to be on the water. If the weather suddenly comes good, most insurers who offer a lay-up will let you ‘buy’ back a month over the phone. One phone call and you’re back on the water.

10. Check your safety gear

If you carry flares, a personal locator beacon (PLB) or emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), check their expiry dates. On the beacons, test their battery life using the ‘test’ button. Also log-on to the AMSA.GOV.AU website and make sure your emergency contact details are up to date and your devices are registered correctly.