Prioritizing safety is one of the chief ways to ensure your continued enjoyment of your personal watercraft (PWC). There are many ways to protect yourself from harm, from acquiring the right Powersports F&I (Finance & Insurance) products that guarantee your financial security, to investing in the right gear to wear during your rides.
The life jacket: the most important gear
The life jacket is essential for water safety. Even experienced PWC riders and good swimmers should wear a life jacket during their rides. This is because falling off your PWC could lead to panic. A life jacket will keep a panicked swimmer afloat, thus preventing drowning.
Falling off a PWC could also cause injury, which can drastically impair your swimming ability. Thankfully, a life jacket will allow even someone in great pain to keep their head above the water.
The ideal life jacket
When it’s time to go shopping for a life jacket, pick one that’s a size up. If your T-Shirt size is Large, you should therefore buy a life jacket that’s Extra Large. This will ensure your life jacket is neither too tight nor loose but just right for you.
When trying on life jackets, make sure to buckle every belt, tighten every strap, and zip up every zipper. Then lift the life jacket up from the bottom; if the life jacket is a good fit, you won’t be able to raise its shoulders over your head. A well-fitting life jacket will stay as close to your body as possible when you’re submerged.
Other life jacket tips
Before using the life jacket during a PWC ride, test it in a shallow pool to make sure it works properly and that it’s an appropriate and comfortable fit.
Read and observe the life jacket’s instructions.
Only purchase life jackets approved by the Coast Guard and designed specifically for PWC riding.
Life jackets wear out over time. For this reason, they’re best replaced every 3 to 5 years.
Powersports F&I
While the life jacket offers protection against drowning, Powersports F&I products keep you safe from the steep financial repercussions of PWC damage, breakage, and loss. This way, such products also give you the peace of mind necessary for good mental well-being.
Powersports F&I products can protect you in a variety of ways. For instance, Total Loss Protection and GAP 150 offer financial aid should your PWC get stolen or irreparably damaged during an accident; Platinum Care Maintenance provides coverage for maintenance services; and Extended Service Contracts offers protection against costly repairs due to mechanical breakdowns.
If you’d like more information about Torque Group’s other Powersports F&I products, please visit our products page.
