PWC Maintenance

Few aquatic activities are more exciting and freeing than a ride on a personal watercraft. These great machines are like marine motorcycles, capable of giving riders high speeds, nimble handling and a memorable experience they’ll want to recreate at the next possible opportunity. But just like a motorcycle or any other land-based vehicle, your personal watercraft needs a little tender loving care to stay in good shape and continue to perform well when you’re out on the lake or the ocean.

Because PWC maintenance is so important, we have assembled this list of tasks you should perform on a regular basis to keep your personal watercraft in great working order. If, while you work on your PWC, you find something amiss that you can’t address yourself or you need a part ordered, feel free to call our service department. We can get your PWC looked at by our professional mechanics who can quickly and easily address any problems you have and get you back on the water in no time.

Breaking In The Engine

Before you can ride your brand-new PWC at full throttle, you’ll need to run it at partial speed for a while to avoid harming the engine. Ride for a while at a quarter speed, then move up near half speed for about half an hour. After this, you can ride for an hour at three-quarters speed, then finally move up to full throttle and take off. Your patience will ensure that your personal watercraft runs well for a long time.

Flushing The Engine

After an ocean ride, you should flush out your PWC engine with clean, fresh water to prevent salt buildup that can cause corrosion. Even after a fresh water ride, it’s still good to flush out your engine with clean water to get out debris that might have been sucked up from the river or lake. In order to do this, start up your personal watercraft’s engine, hook it up to a freshwater source and turn on the water. Engaging your throttle as the water runs through your PWC will help to push everything out and get your engine squeaky clean. Your PWC will run longer and perform better if you clean it out often.

Refreshing Fuel

Storing your personal watercraft with a full tank of fuel will keep condensation from forming in the tank. You should add fuel stabilizer, too, and avoid using fuels containing ethanol at all costs. Ethanol can damage your PWC, so try to use pure gasoline. Also make sure you have a full fuel tank before you head out so you’re not stranded out on the water without any gas.

Waxing The Hull

Keeping your hull in good shape means protecting it from damaging UV rays. Cleaning your PWC thoroughly and applying a coat of wax will keep your paint and your PWC’s exterior intact. Wax at the start of every water sports season and wash your PWC regularly to remove debris and salt.

Checking The Battery

Whenever you store your PWC for a long period of time during the off-season, you should remove the battery and put it on a tender. After removing your PWC from storage, check the charge of your battery to ensure it’s in good order. Doing this will increase your battery’s lifespan by preventing it from uncharging in storage. Having a strong battery means you’re less likely to suffer a breakdown out on the water, which can be embarrassing, time-consuming and expensive.

Looking for a great new or used personal watercraft? Richardson's Boat Yard has a variety of models both new and used of Sea-Doo personal water crafts. Our capable staff can answer any questions you have about PWC maintenance, and if your current model needs some professional love and care, you can drop it off with our mechanics to get it looked over. Richardson's Boat Yard has locations in both Windham and Standish Maine.