Learning About PWC Personal Watercraft Driving
As previously noted, many of the high-performance design characteristics that make PWC appealing to ride also make them relatively dangerous and difficult to control. For example, PWC can accelerate rapidly and can travel across the water at very high speeds.
They can also turn abruptly and weave through heavily congested boat traffic. Despite this maneuverability, PWC can be difficult to slow, stop or reverse. In fact, the only way to stop most PWC is to lay off the throttle and coast, which can be precarious when operating a PWC near other vessels or obstacles (Bluewater Network 1998; NPCA 1999).
Stability can also be problematic for PWC operators. Older, smaller PWC models may be less stable than other vessels and may capsize when the operator falls off, thereby putting the operator at risk of drowning or being hit by a passing vessel (NPCA 1999). Finally, many PWC lack “off-throttle steering” so the vessel can only be turned if the engine is receiving sufficient power. This power-dependent steering mechanism is counterintuitive to most boaters and may contribute to PWC collisions (Bluewater Network 1998; NPCA 1999; NTSB 1998).
