There’s nothing like zipping across the water at 60 Mph with the sun in your face and the wind in your hair. You own the lake when you’re on top of that Sea-Doo. You don’t miss the cold weather at all – you’ve got your “Croakies” on and you’re strutting on down to the dock. Just dust that beast off and let ‘er rip.

Not so fast.

Did you winterize your jet ski? If so, it’s time to de-winterize. If not, you need to bring it into the shop.

Before you do anything else, check the lines and clean the body. Run your fingers up and down the fuel line to make sure there are no cracks or thin, pre-cracking areas that wore down during winter storage. Don’t forget to check the cooling lines as well. Jet skis that have been in storage for several months will almost always require a thorough cleaning since they’ve likely gathered dust and cobwebs. Most importantly, make sure the exhaust is completely clear to avoid overheating and other engine problems.

Check spark plugs for rust and carburetors for dust – these substances are highly dangerous for their respective parts.

Hopefully you filled the gas tank with fuel and a stabilizer last fall when you winterized to prevent damage to the fuel system over the winter. If not, take your jet ski to a professional right away. The more prep work you did before the winter, the better shape you’ll be in when you take your baby out of storage. Empty the gas tank and run fresh fuel through the engine to find any clogged areas. Either new fuel or a fuel protecting agent such as STA-BIL can help.

Okay – now you can get out there and show the lake who’s boss.

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