Operation
48
EJU32860Stopping the engine
To stop the engine, release the throttle lever,
and then push the engine stop switch (red
button).
WARNING
EWJ00600
You need throttle to steer. Shutting the en-
gine off can cause you to hit an obstacle
you are attempting to avoid. A collision
could result in severe injury or death.
EJU32870Leaving the watercraft
If leaving the watercraft, remove the engine
shut-off cord to reduce the chance of acciden-
tal starting or unauthorized use by children or
others.
EJU32900
Operating your watercraft EJU32940Getting to know your watercraft
Operating your watercraft requires skills ac-
quired through practice over a period of time.
Take the time to learn the basic techniques
well before attempting more difficult maneu-
vers.
Operating your new watercraft can be a very
enjoyable activity, providing you with hours of
pleasure. However, it is essential to familiar-
ize yourself with the operation of the water-
craft to achieve the skill level necessary to
enjoy riding safely.
Before operating this watercraft, read this
owner’s/operator’s manual, the Riding Prac-
tice Guide, and all warning and caution labels
on the watercraft. Pay particular attention to
the safety information on pages 9. These ma-
terials should give you an understanding of
the watercraft and its operation.
Remember: This watercraft is designed to
carry the operator and 1 passenger. Never
exceed the maximum load limit or allow more
than 2 persons to ride the watercraft at any
time.
EJU36040Learning to operate your watercraft
Before operating the watercraft, always per-
form the pre-operation checks listed on page
38. The short time spent checking the water-
craft will reward you with added safety and re-
liability.
Check local laws before operating your water-
craft.
Operate defensively at safe speeds and keep
a safe distance away from people, objects,
Maximum load:
160 kg (353 lb)
Load is the total weight of cargo, oper-
ator, and passenger.
UF1G74E0.book Page 48 Monday, July 31, 2006 10:10 AM
Operation
49
and other watercraft. Select a wide area to
learn in, where there is good visibility and light
boat traffic.
Use the buddy system—operate with some-
one nearby. Scan constantly for people, ob-
jects, and other watercraft. Be alert for
conditions that limit your visibility or block your
vision of others.
Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist and keep it free from the handlebars so
that the engine stops if you, the operator, fall
off.
Wear a personal flotation device (PFD). All
riders must wear a PFD that is approved by
the appropriate authorities and is suitable for
personal watercraft use.
Wear protective clothing. Severe internal inju-
ries can occur if water is forced into body cav-
ities as a result of falling into the water or
being near the jet thrust nozzle. Normal swim-
wear does not adequately protect against
forceful water entry into the rectum and vagi-
na. All riders must wear a wetsuit bottom or
clothing that provides equivalent protection.
Such clothing includes thick, tightly woven,
sturdy and snug-fitting apparel such as den-
im, but does not include spandex or similar
fabrics, like those used in bicycle shorts. A full
wetsuit can also protect against hypothermia
(subnormal body temperature) and abra-
sions.Footwear and gloves are recommended.
Eye protection is recommended to keep wind,
water, and glare from the sun out of your eyes
while you operate your watercraft. Restraining
straps for eyewear are made which are de-
signed to float should your eyewear fall in the
water.
You should grip the handlebars firmly and
keep both feet on the floor of the footwell. Do
not attempt to ride with a passenger until your
operating skills are fully developed.
EJU33020Riding with a passenger
When a passenger is on board with the oper-
ator, the watercraft handles differently, and is
not as easy to maneuver, so operating it re-
quires a higher degree of skill. Before at-
tempting to operate the watercraft with a
passenger on board, the operator must prac-
tice operating the watercraft alone enough to
be able to acquire the necessary skills.
The passenger must always wear a PFD that
is approved by the appropriate authorities and
a wetsuit bottom or equivalent.
WARNING
EWJ00520
Do not apply throttle when anyone is at the
rear of the watercraft. Turn the engine off
or keep it at idle. Water and/or debris exit-
ing the jet thrust nozzle can cause severe
injury. The passenger should not attempt
to board the watercraft if the operator is
applying throttle.
Do not give a ride to a child whose feet cannot
reach the floor of the footwell. The passenger
should hold on firmly to the operator and keep
both feet on the floor of the footwell. Never al-
low a passenger to ride in front of the opera-
tor.
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Operation
50
WARNING
EWJ00530
When a passenger is on board, make sure
that the passenger is holding on firmly and
has both feet on the floor of the footwell
before you start to accelerate.
EJU33080Starting the watercraft
WARNING
EWJ00710
Scan constantly for people, objects, and
other watercraft. Be alert for conditions
that limit your visibility or block your vi-
sion of others.
Operate defensively at safe speeds and
keep a safe distance away from people,
objects, and other watercraft.
Do not follow directly behind watercraft
or other boats. Do not go near others to
spray or splash them with water. Avoid
sharp turns or other maneuvers that
make it hard for others to avoid you or
understand where you are going. Avoid
areas with submerged objects or shal-
low water.
Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes. Do not release the
throttle lever when trying to steer away
from objects—you need throttle to steer.
Practice reboarding in shallow water be-
fore riding in deep water.
EJU33090Boarding and starting in shallow water
(1) Launch the watercraft in water free from
weeds and debris and at least 60 cm (2 ft)
deep.
WARNING
EWJ00640
Never operate in water that is less than 60
cm (2 ft) deep, otherwise you increase
your chance of hitting a submerged ob-
ject, which could result in injury.
CAUTION:
ECJ00500
Never operate in water that is less than 60
cm (2 ft) deep, otherwise pebbles or sand
could be sucked into the jet intake, caus-
ing impeller damage and engine overheat-
ing.
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Operation
51
(2) Board the watercraft from the side or the
rear.
(3) Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist, and then attach the clip to the en-
gine shut-off switch.
(4) Grip the handlebars with both hands,
place both feet on the floor of the footwell,
start the engine, and then look in all direc-
tions before starting off.
EJU33110Boarding and starting from a dock
(1) Board the watercraft from the side.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist, and then attach the clip to the en-
gine shut-off switch.
(3) Push the watercraft away from the dock,
grip the handlebars with both hands,
place both feet on the floor of the footwell,
start the engine, and then look in all direc-
tions before starting off.
EJU33130Boarding and starting in deep water
WARNING
EWJ00620
The operator and passenger should
practice boarding in shallow water be-
fore riding in deep water. Boarding in
deep water requires more skill.
The fatigue and exposure that could re-
sult after unsuccessful attempts to get
back on the watercraft may increase the
risk of injuries and drowning.
EJU33140Boarding alone
(1) Swim to the rear of the watercraft and
place both hands on the boarding plat-
form, pull yourself up, and then grasp the
handgrip with one hand.
(2) Pull yourself up to a kneeling position on
the platform, and then move to the seat
and sit astride.
(3) Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist, and then attach the clip to the en-
gine shut-off switch.
(4) Grip the handlebars with both hands,
place both feet on the floor of the footwell,
UF1G74E0.book Page 51 Monday, July 31, 2006 10:10 AM
Operation
52
start the engine, and then look in all direc-
tions before starting off.
WARNING
EWJ00610
Before starting off, make sure that there
are no boats, swimmers, or obstacles
around you.
EJU33150Boarding with a passenger
WARNING
EWJ00650
Severe internal injuries can occur if water
is forced into body cavities as a result of
being near the jet thrust nozzle. Do not ap-
ply throttle until the passenger is seated
with both feet on the floor of the footwell
and is securely holding on to the operator.
(1) Climb on board as noted in the previous
section, and sit astride the seat.(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist, and then attach the clip to the en-
gine shut-off switch.
(3) Have the passenger move to the rear of
the watercraft.
(4) Have the passenger board and sit astride
the seat.NOTE:
When the passenger is boarding, both the
passenger and the operator should try to bal-
ance the watercraft.
(5) Check that the passenger has both feet
on the floor of the footwell and is securely
UF1G74E0.book Page 52 Monday, July 31, 2006 10:10 AM
Operation
53
holding on to the operator. Never allow a
passenger to ride in front of the operator.
(6) Start the engine, look in all directions, and
then accelerate to planing speed.
WARNING
EWJ00610
Before starting off, make sure that there
are no boats, swimmers, or obstacles
around you.
NOTE:
The heavier the total weight of the operator
and passenger, the more difficult it will be to
balance the watercraft. Do not operate the
watercraft when the total weight exceeds 160
kg (353 lb) including any cargo. If it is difficult
to balance the watercraft at a standstill, pro-
ceed as follows:
(1) While the passenger is steadying the wa-
tercraft, pull yourself up onto the boarding
platform into a kneeling position, andthen move to the seat and sit astride to
balance the watercraft.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord to your left
wrist, and then attach the clip to the en-
gine shut-off switch.
(3) Start the engine and keep it at idle.
(4) Have the passenger pull him or herself up
onto the boarding platform into a kneeling
position, then crawl onto the seat as the
watercraft accelerates.
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Operation
54
(5) Gradually increase the speed to balance
the watercraft.
EJU33210Capsized watercraft
If the watercraft capsizes, turn it over immedi-
ately.
Be sure to carefully follow the procedures be-
low to prevent injury, or damage to the water-
craft.
WARNING
EWJ00670
IMPROPER UPRIGHTING CAN CAUSE IN-
JURY:
Be sure to shut the engine off by pulling
on the engine shut-off cord to remove
the clip from the engine shut-off switch.
Do not put your hands in the intake
grate.
(1) Remove the clip from the engine shut-off
switch.
(2) Swim to the rear of the watercraft. Pull the
watercraft over with your left hand on theride plate while pushing down on the gun-
wale with your right hand or foot.
NOTE:
If the port (left) side of the capsized watercraft
is tilting up, push down on the gunwale so that
the port (left) side is down before turning the
watercraft clockwise.
CAUTION:
ECJ00540
Do not turn the watercraft over counter-
clockwise, otherwise water can enter the
engine, which can result in severe dam-
age.
(3) Start the engine and operate the water-
craft to discharge any water remaining in
the engine compartment. (If the engine
does not start, see “Towing the water-
craft” on page 78 or “Submerged water-
craft” on page 79.)
UF1G74E0.book Page 54 Monday, July 31, 2006 10:10 AM
Operation
55
CAUTION:
ECJ00550
Do not operate the engine at full throttle
for at least 1 minute after the engine has
been restarted. Excessive water in the
bilge can splash into the engine, which
can result in severe damage.
NOTE:
To efficiently discharge water from the engine
compartment, operate the watercraft as
straight as possible and above planing speed
for at least 2 minutes.
EJU36050Turning the watercraft
Steering control depends on the combination
of handlebar position and the amount of throt-
tle.
Water sucked in through the intake grate is
pressurized by the impeller in the jet pump. As
the pressurized water is expelled from the
pump through the jet thrust nozzle, it creates
thrust to move and steer the watercraft. The
higher the engine speed, the more thrust pro-
duced.
The amount of jet thrust, in addition to the po-
sition of the handlebars, determines how
sharply you turn.
A. More throttle produces higher thrust, so
the watercraft will turn more sharply.B. Less throttle produces lower thrust, so
the watercraft will turn more gradually.
C. Releasing the throttle lever completely
produces only minimum thrust. If you are
traveling at speeds above trolling, you will
have rapidly decreasing ability to steer
without throttle. You may still have some
turning ability immediately after releasing
the throttle lever, but once the engine
slows down, the watercraft will no longer
respond to handlebar input until you ap-
ply throttle again or you reach trolling
speed.
At trolling speed, the watercraft can be
turned gradually by handlebar position
alone using just the amount of thrust
available at idle.
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