This is an area that I will try to answer some of those some times misunderstood technical questions.

The topics that I will cover at this time will have to do with:

1.) What grade gasoline is recommended for your personal watercraft.

2.) Is it Ok to operate your personal watercraft in salt water an what one should do after riding in those conditions.

A question that sometimes arises is what kind of unleaded gasoline to use regular or supreme. Some people feel the supreme fuel is the only fuel to use due to the higher octane. This is not always the best choice to get top performance. It is true that supreme does have higher octane, but today's manufactures may and will set there engines to run on regular unleaded through carburetor jetting. If supreme fuel is used, the engine may actually run sluggish and not rev up cleanly, this is due to the viscosity level of supreme fuel; therefore, regular unleaded fuel is the better choice. This is not always the case with all watercraft manufactures check with specific models for the recommended fuel to use and stay with it for the best performance, besides regular unleaded is less expensive.

Another question that arises is what kind of damage will I do to my watercraft if I operate it in salt water and what should I do after I ride in salt water. A lot of the issues that arise from the salt water is corrosion. Here are some steps to perform once the unit has been operated in salt water. First, flush the engine using fresh water flush attachment, now installed as standard equipment on most personal water craft. Second, wash down the complete watercraft inside and out with soapy water to remove all salt deposits rinse thoroughly. Let drain completely. Third, apply spray silicone lubricant to all exposed metal surfaces especially around the engine area and control cables, re-grease all factory installed grease zerk fittings. Fourth, dry and wax outer hull surface with a good grade wax. If all of these procedures are followed there is little to no chances any damage will occur due to you riding in salt water.

Contact me for your ideas or thoughts about other topics to cover. Thanks Randy, Woods Watercraft Repair.