Best PWC Riding Gear Weather Protection For Jet Ski Rides…
Photo by Allan Glanfield for Ontario Tourism
Related: Best Weather Advice
Let’s talk weather protection PWC riding gear for Sea Doo Tours for experienced jet ski riders and beginners on PWC adventures. While riding your Sea-Doo watercraft, there’s no escaping constant exposure to the elements. Yet there’s no windshield, no helmet and no protective accessories on my Sea Doo like when riding a motorcycle or snowmobile. So all those PWC riders clad only in swimsuits and PFDs shown in manufacturers’ ads and catalogues would quickly burn to a crisp or freeze their buns.
Equipping with PWC riding gear for Sea-Doo riding isn’t about making a fashion statement. It’s about being totally comfortable to enjoy your Sea Doo ride. So think practical, not pretty. I found much of what I needed for Sea Doo, jet ski or waverunner personal watercraft riding in Ontario and throughout Canada at my Sea-Doo dealer. You can also check out my PWC riding gear product reviews.
Weather Protection Cover Up Accessories For Sea Doo Tours…
Even on sunny days, I’ve found that Sea Doo riding at any temperature 22˚C (72˚F) or below may not be warm enough for bathing suit only. This is thanks to constant wind chill from my fast-moving ski. And, believe me, Sea Doo riding in the rain brings its own exquisite pain. The drops hitting your skin at 40+ mph sting like hell. So covering up all skin is a must while Sea Doo riding in precipitation.
That’s why I strongly recommend protecting or covering up all exposed skin. This includes face, neck, ears, backs of hands, arms, shoulder tops, thighs, calves, ankles and tops of feet on a long Sea Doo ride. Nothing can spoil a day trip quicker than being uncomfortable or getting severe sunburn. So my PWC riding gear suggestions for being out on the water all day for a Sea Doo tour follow below. One final note: please be as colourful as possible while on the water. That’s because as a Sea Doo rider, you want to be highly visible to others.
Most of this PWC riding gear can be found in one form or another at the Sea-Doo online store or in the watersports sections at Mountain Coop, Sail or Watercraft Superstore. Also check out Royal Distributing and Bass Pro Shops.
Weather Protection for Head…
For Sea Doo tours, I wear a peaked hat with stiff brim. It has a special snap fastener on the back that allows it to be tightened and hold in place. The peak shades my eyes, forehead, nose and helps keep rain off my face. But the wind can still catch the peak and rip the hat off. So I also hold it place with a long scarf tied over the peak and knotted at the back of my head. I fasten hat and scarf to my shirt collar with a hat clip.
For colder days, I have a paddling cap that covers my whole head and ears or a paddling hood that covers face, neck and ears. If you don’t like a peaked hat, try a do-rag from Royal. A Tilley style hat with built in chinstrap can also work. But only if the floppy brim is narrow enough that it doesn’t continually flap in your face. One guy I know protects his head successfully with a pith helmet while Sea Doo riding!
Weather Protection for Eyes…
I need prescription lens while riding. So I wear an old pair of glasses under a pair of fit over non-prescription sunglasses with side shields to help keep wind out of my eyes. Both pairs are secured in place with glasses retainer straps, also hat clipped to my shirt collar. If you don’t need eyeglasses on the water, then a fitted pair of water goggles will keep out the wind and rain better. I always carry an extra pair of glasses on Sea Doo tours just in case and squirt Visine in my eyes each morning to help prevent dry eyeballs.
Photo © by Craig Nicholson
Weather Protection for Ears…
On long Sea Doo rides, I’ll often wear foam earplugs to block out wind buffeting, which can be both annoying and painful at times. The industrial ones joined by a thin line are best because they get lost less easily.
Weather Protection for Face…
While Sea Doo riding, I wear #55 sunscreen and the peaked hat noted above. When it rains, I have my neoprene No Fog mask from snowmobiling. It covers everything from eyes down and I also have my paddling hood if needed. Royal also has face scarves and masks for motorcycling that do the job. Some guys even wear bass fishing masks.
Weather Protection for Hands & Feet…
I wear riding gloves and ankle length water booties (for cooler temps) or water shoes when it’s warmer on Sea Doo tours. My goal is to protect the very vulnerable backs of my hands, ankles and foot tops from burning. Some people also wear Crocs, but they don’t protect your ankles. Flip-flops don’t protect much of anything except your soles when you walk on dock or land.
Weather Protection for Upper Body…
Obviously, a good PFD provides decent upper body protection. But under it I wear a quick drying, light, long sleeved shirt (colourful ones can be had in the motocross (MX) section at Royal). If your PFD does not have a high collar like my Mustang one does, you may want a shirt with a collar that can be turned up (a scarf or light dickey) to protect your neck from the sun. If needed, I also have these additional layers for cooler days of Sea Doo riding:
Long sleeved thermal shirt – fits under my regular MX shirt for extra warmth.- Light weight Wind Stopper Jacket – fits under my PFD and over my MX shirt to block the wind without adding too much warmth.
- Rain Jacket – sized to fit over my PFD, this Icon jacket blocks wind, keeps out rain and adds some warmth too. I’ve never bothered with rain pants because my long pants prevent any raindrop pain and I don’t care about getting wet.
- For colder temps, Sea-Doo makes a great neoprene Riding Jacket that I bought big enough to go on over my PFD.
Weather Protection for Lower Body Protection…
I wear a pair of lightweight, quick-drying, long-legged bicycle tights that tuck into my ankle water booties. If added warmth is needed on a Sea Doo tour, I overlay them with a pair of quick drying water pants. If you have the figure for it (I don’t), a neoprene wetsuit also works for both upper and lower body warmth and protection. But it can be too hot and difficult to put on and take off.
Dehydration Weather Protection…
Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink. Becoming dehydrated while Sea-Doo riding may seem like an oxymoron. But just as with snowmobiling, I sip liquid throughout the day. I carry a cooler bag with two or three refillable water bottles on every Sea Doo ride.
Docking Weather Protection for Your PWC…
I carry front and rear mooring ropes and Sea Doo Fenders for docking. I also carry locking straps for securing my Sea-Doo watercraft to the dock overnight. They are also good for locking them onto my Triton trailer.
Other PWC Riding Gear to Bring…
Even though most Sea-Doo watercraft have some waterproof storage for Sea Doo tours, I carry my wallet in a zip lock bag and my phone in a waterproof container. You should also have some cash just in case someone doesn’t take credit cards. With my PWC riding gear, I also carry:
- Cell or sat phone
- Towel
- 1st Aid kit
- Toilet paper
- Bug repellant
- Hand sanitizer
Ontario Legal Protection…
Besides the requirement to always wear a properly sized PFD, every PWC must have a sound signalling device (a whistle or air horn) and a watertight flashlight or 3 flares. You also need personal identification, a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card and to be aware of the laws.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other products reviews!
The tips and advice in this article are the opinions of the author, may not work in every situation and are intended only for the convenience and interest of the reader, who has the personal responsibility to confirm the validity, accuracy and relevancy of this information prior to putting it to their own use.