What To Take & How To Carry It…
Photo © Craig Nicholson
Related: Riding Essentials
After many summers of trial and error, I’ve finally nailed my best Sea Doo tour snack choices for PWC adventures. Also good for all forms of recreational boating. At first, I hardly packed any food or drink. But I soon realized that I could make a jet ski day ride on the water considerably more enjoyable with refreshments aboard.
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Benefits
Dock lunch Photo © by Craig Nicholson
So now I eat or drink whenever I need to. No more relying on shoreline services that might or might not be handy or open at the time. Also, on longer PWC rides I’m able to stop anywhere on the water for a snack. Then I can eat up and resume riding again in no time. Plus, on busy weekends, I can ride more by avoiding crowded docks, restaurant line ups and slow service. And in the event that I get stranded somewhere (hasn’t happened yet, knock on wood) I won’t go hungry.
This isn’t to say that I don’t stop for lunch at waterfront restaurants. Often one of those on my list is our destination for the day. Other times, we just want a break (potty and otherwise). And sometimes, we’ve just got a hankering for a good burger. But I always pack my own food and drink just in case.
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Food
For food, my best Sea Doo tour snack choices are bite sized, hand eaten nibblies that require no or minimal utensils. I’m not trying to serve a full meal. I just want to provide my body with enough pick me up for endurance and stamina.
I choose many pre-packaged items. I’m talking snacks like energy bars, granola bars, cheese sticks, Tuna Snacks or yogurt cups. For variety, I add nuts and fresh fruit like an apple, grapes or strawberries. I’ve even been known to sneak in a hunk of kielbasa or some chocolate chip cookies in Ziploc bags!
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Drink
For drink, I always carry a couple of bottles of water or energy fluids. I not only want to combat thirst, but also dehydration. Yes, I’m surrounded by water all day. And typically, the breeze of riding keeps me from feeling how hot it really is. But that constant sunshine and its reflected glare off the water can suck the moisture right out of you. So sipping water throughout the day can help prevent conditions associated with not taking in enough liquid.
I prefer my liquid cold. So I fill my drink bottles about 2/3’s the night before and put them in the freezer. Next morning, I top them up with refrigerated fluid. Then I place them in a zip-lid, lunch size, cooler bag that I also put in the freezer all night. It can never be too cold, right?
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Prepping & Packing
After some experimentation, I found a soft-sided cooler bag. It fits easily in the front storage compartment of my Sea Doo GTX 155. It’s also big enough to hold my food snacks, which I keep in the fridge overnight. That cooling, plus being with the frozen drink bottles, keeps everything cold and refreshing for many hours. If I know we’re in for an especially long or very hot ride, I may add a soft ice pack to prolong the chill even more.
No matter what your best Sea Doo tour snack choices are, pay careful attention to how you pack. Why? Because first, even on a calm day your PWC is shaking and vibrating across the water. So pack everything tight because any wiggle room can result in snacks being battered into crumbs or mush. This is why it’s particularly important to protect any softer foods by placing them snuggly in individual plastic containers for the cooler bag.
Second, unless you have a system like mine to keep your food cool, it can melt or start going bad on a hot day. So if you choose to carry your snacks without cooling, be sure to select ones that don’t require refrigeration and can resist heat.
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Carry Your Own
One other tip. Having every jet ski rider carry his or her own snacks is easier and more convenient. This way, everyone has their favourite choices handy. The snacks can also be packed small enough to take up minimal space. And in the event that one rider’s stash gets damaged somehow, others can share their intact munchies (for as modest fee, of course!).
What’s more, at refreshment time there’s no awkward passing stuff back and forth between floating personal watercraft. Best of all, everyone can be responsible for their own garbage and making sure it goes home, not into the water.
Best Sea Doo Tour Snack Choices – Sea Doo LinQ Cooler
From 2018 on, the best Sea Doo tour snack choices equation improved considerably. On their innovative new platform, Sea Doo introduced a LinQ System cooler that makes carrying refreshments easier. And their new reversible passenger seat allows operator and passenger to chow down facing each other, using the cooler lid as a table. So now PWC riders have even more options for snack time on the water!
Check out my favourite Sea-Doo rides!
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other riding tips.
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.