Section 15: Personal Watercraft Operation 167
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Section 15: Personal Watercraft Operation
Operating personal watercraft (PWC)
requires training, experience and knowledge
of local, state, and Federal regulations.
• The owner is responsible for ensuring
that a personal watercraft is operated
responsibly and safely.
• The owner must instruct anyone operating
or riding on one in its proper operation.
• In order to “ride safe and ride smart,” an
operator must develop skills and knowledge
to avoid accidents.
A PWC is not a toy! Regardless of its size and
appearance a PWC is a full-fledged boat!
• When you operate a PWC you are a skipper
with the same responsibilities as the
operator of any boat.
• Operators must adhere to many of the
same rules and regulations as larger boats.
• The Coast Guard classifies a PWC as a
boat under 16 feet (Class A).
• The Personal Watercraft Industry Association
further defines a PWC as an inboard
vessel less than 13 feet in length that uses
an internal combustion engine powering a
water-jet pump as its primary source of
propulsion.
• It has no open load-carrying area that
could retain water.
The PWC is designed much like a motorcycle
with a single operator position and differing
capacities for seating passengers. If your
use includes towing water skiers, you will
need seating for the operator, an observer
as required in most states, and the skier for
transport to and from ski areas. (Figure 15-1).
• Some states consider PWCs to be a special
type of boat because of their different
operating characteristics; they have
special and/or additional regulations for
them.
• Remember, a PWC is designed for speed
and using one means you can get into
some extremely risky situations.
This section highlights some special characteristics
and features of PWCs, but the
rules presented elsewhere in this course
apply to a PWC because it is a boat.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF A PWC
PWCs share some characteristics that make
them a bit different from other boats. You
must understand these characteristics in
order to operate a PWC safely.
• Open, sit-on design.
• Propelled by an internal water-jet that
sucks in water through a grate under the
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Figure 15-1. Sit-down model PWC (top); Stand-up model PWC (bottom)