With the temperatures rising, people all over are going to be heading to the lakes and rivers near them. And while cooling off by soaking in the water is fun, what can be even more fun is playing on the water with a personal watercraft. Keep in mind, however, that while personal watercraft are fun, they can also be dangerous.
To help ensure that you’re safe when on the water this summer, here are three safety tips for using personal watercraft in the summertime.
Make Sure You And The Personal Watercraft Are In Good Condition
The first thing that you should do before going out on the water in a personal watercraft is to ensure that both you and your watercraft are in good condition.
Ideally, you shouldn’t use a personal watercraft that has any broken parts. So if you notice that your personal watercraft could use some maintenance, make sure you get the replacement parts you need and get the work done before you take it out. Additionally, if you’re not fit to be using a piece of machinery like this, like if you’ve been drinking while out at the lake today, it’s best to stay away from your personal watercraft, as you could easily hurt yourself or others when you’re not in your right mind.
Keep Your Key Connected To You
For many people, part of the fun of being on a personal watercraft is going fast and doing tricks. However, if you happen to get thrown from your personal watercraft in the process, you’ll want to be sure that it doesn’t go too far without you being on it.
To do this, you’ll always want to make sure that you keep the key connected to you. So before you take off, attach the key to your person so that if you get thrown, the key will come out of the ignition and the machine will automatically shut off.
Always Wear A Life Jacket
Even if you’ve been swimming for years and have been riding personal watercraft for just about as long, every person out on a personal watercraft should have their own life jacket that they wear each and every time they’re out on the water.
While you might know that you could swim by yourself in the water, if something should happen that incapacitates you and you fall from the personal watercraft, you’ll be glad that you had a life jacket to keep your head out of the water until help arrives.
If you’re planning to log some hours on your personal watercraft during the coming summer months, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe when you’re out on the water.
