Making my doo salt water prepared?

[FLKustom]

This might sound dumb but bare with me, I'm going on a 1 week beach vacation the end of August and taking the seadoos

my 99 GTX according to the owner had never been in salt water

2 mechanics have been through it and both said to the best of their knowledge that it looks like it has never been in salt water (one spent 20 minutes explaining what I would see if it had been and then lecturing me about how I should NEVER ride it in salt water )

I've only ridden it in fresh water since I have had it for a few weeks


So as I was checking out the closest boat ramp to our beach house today I started wondering if there is any procedure to ready/prepare my GTX for salt water for the first time?

I plan to purchase salt away and flush it after every use. I imagine we'll be riding at least 5 times at an hour to 3 hours each time while we're there


Anything else I should get? know? prepare?


Thanks guys!

 

[Spimothy Leary]

not that i know of,, meebe a coat of wax and spraying some fluid film (john deere store) or corrosion block (west marine) on the pump, outside of the carbs, and around the engine, electricals, carbs, etc.

as far as flushing it after every ride, well, thats up to you, i'll probably get flamed for saying just flush it maybe once mid week then flush it good after you're done at the end of the week, but its not like salt is going to eat your ski up overnight. I've done 4 day salt trips, and just flushed it when I got back, no ill effects

 

[FLKustom]

Thanks for your reply!

I got some fluid film last week (saw it on a waverunner post ride video) but haven't used it yet. I'll definitely take it

The one mechanic I talked to (who knew I was a noob and was trying to educate me) told me to NEVER ride it in salt water. I was thinking... how can you live in Florida and never consider taking your seadoo in salt water? I know fresh water is better, But I really wanna go play in the waves a little especially on vacation, But that guy had me a little nervous

 

[Spimothy Leary]

oh he's just a big puss... and he hates working on ski's that are frozen stuck from salt damage, i've seen it, its not pretty, but if proper flushing and cleaning are done after, no worries...

use the fluid film b4 you go, then when you return, use salt away, and rinse the entire ski inside and out with fresh water to get all salt out of there that you can.

where in SWFL are you ? i'm in Ft Myers.

 

[Chilmonty]

Yeah have to call BS on your mechanic!
Went to Destin on vacation a month ago and jetskis were everywhere in the salt water!

Think I will take mine next year!

 

[Spimothy Leary]

duly noted over the long haul a fresh water ski will last longer, a good flush and a good rinse will remove 99% of the salt damage. but can't remove it all, if you ride salt regular, expect motor mounts to break more frequently, pump issues more frequent, etc.. but don't worry about 5 days.. bugger that... have a great time !

i ride brackish water almost every weekend, and I have for the past 4 years

 

[FLKustom]

I'm in Naples,

I ride the Caloosahatchee river via Franklin locks boat ramp

 

[Spimothy Leary]

we ride the locks all the time ! looks for 3 gomers on 96 xp's and a guy on a new GTR, thats us ! virtually every sunday we have 4-5 skis doing something in the tri county area

tomorrow we're riding the peace river, about a half hour north of the exit your taking to get to the locks.
if interested: be at the wal-mart parking lot 8:45 tomorrow 1/2 mile east of I75 on exit 161, 4 skis' caravaning up from there to launch and ride the peace river. till about 2pm, lunch at the nav-i-gator. bring enough fuel (spare can) to travel 80 miles we do 40ish miles, return to the ramp top off then another 40ish, byob. Its a really nice ride,tight river, perfect water levels, some twisties.

we're also doing a ride at lovers key, ft myers beach next sunday, (bonita beach road exit) 6 ski's confirmed for that ride, we launch from the LK ramp, ride the bay, do a run up the estero river, a short twistie ride, tour the back bay again, eat lunch at flippers,, then a ride down the beach from LK Bridge up to barefoot beach and back.

that weekend also is the ski fest, i had planned on taking 4 guys up there on Saturday the 4th. however,
the ski fest is still an unknown, two of my group are doing Mt. Dora (orlandol) instead of heading to the fest so i'm considering cancelling the trip to clearwater.

we're also planning a naples/marco trip to the 10K islands the last weekend in August, 5 skis confirmed.

 

[bell99man]

It's name tell us why they were made! It's a "SEA" Doo! Yes, have fun on the waves.

The salt-a-way comes in a nice flush kit package...makes it real easy to use. I sprayed it on everything in and out with a stray bottle as well (probably overkill). I waxed mine after I got down there. The kids wanted to throttle me, but it really helped with the rinse down. I also sprayed the metal stuff on the outside with Lanolin but I think the white lithium grease in a spray can might be better. Good Luck

Kevin

 

[FLKustom]

I wish I could! My ski is still in the shop, has been since last Monday.

Carbs being rebuilt, new fuel lines, wear ring, getting the water out of the jet pump oil (fun), and last but not least a new accelerator pump diaphram. Bought it July 7th, ran good (have put about 6-7 hours on it on the river) but had a bogging issue from idle so I decided I might as well do an over haul now so I can have some fun the next few months.

My mom & step dad will be on the Caloosahatchee tomorrow with their Yamaha's. My mom has a house on the river about 2 miles from Franklin locks


Been a while since I have been to peace river, We use to go camping there a lot. I once did a 16 mile canoe trip down peace river (NEVER again! lol) But that would be a cool place to take the seadoo!



Ft Myers beach is where we're vacationing in August (I know, it's only a 45 minute away vacation how lame lol) But I work for a vacation home company on Bonita Beach so we got a great deal to get away for a week. This will be the first time we have the ski's out there so I am pretty excited. Lovers key is about 8 miles south of the house we're renting, But I think it's the closest public boat ramp that I know of to Fort Myers Beach


Where is the boat ramp you use at Peace River? do you ride/dock at Nav-I-Gator or drive?

 

[Spimothy Leary]

lol @ vacationing so close to home, i do the same
i've stayed at the santa maria, lovers key resort, pointe estero and the gull wing (all sunstream properties or affiliated) when you live in vacation paradise no harm in vacationing there !

i sent you info on a good mechanic (i remember that now) he obviously doesn't have yours or it would be ready to ride now. (cheap snub)

re: the peace, ya ! i've canoeed there back when i was young and dumb, it was hot and sweaty and worth trying once, but not twice..

but its a fantastic jet ski ride, and your parents would love it too if they have a trailer. its really not a challenging ride unless your running it full throttle and we generally cruise at 35-40 mph and enjoy the ride.

regarding peace river ramps.
we've used harbor heights mostly, (exit 167), navitagor (171) but tomorrow we're doing the 760 ramp off of I17 in arcadia, (164) (but about 19 miles north from there) and riding north to brownville, its a great ride, you'd love it.

the harbor heights ramp kinda sux, but honestly its better than navigator and 760, they have no dock, you have to tie off in the mud/muck and park your car.

if your beach vacation is in ft myers beach, then heck, when its rough riding on the beach, shoot into lovers key and take a run up the estero river (fresh water) and don't worry at all about flushing,

the LK ramp is a good one, and free, there is also a little known one about 3 miles south towards bonita, if you want that address, PM and remind me and i'll look it up, its kind of hidden but would save you a little time, but honestly, the LK ramp has a big dock, lots of parking, its free, has a bait/convenience shop and bathroom and security, everything you need. If the house is 8 miles south (towards bonita) then consider the Fish Eating Creek ramp off of coconut road where the hyatt is, its a crappy ramp but if I'm reading you right its probably about 2 miles from your house.

if your 8 miles north, towards ft myers, then the punta rassa ramp is probably closest, good ramp, $10 a day, but on a good day expect 1.5 ft chop, at best up to 3' even on light wind days no flat water near there.