Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Watercraft Covers

Watercraft covers are very important. The purchase of a watercraft cover is the single most important thing you can do for the life and good maintenance of your watercraft, whether it's a seadoo pwc, a pontoon boat, a canoe, a motor boat or a sailboat. All watercraft benefit from having a good quality and properly fitted watercraft cover.

The costs related to each watercraft cover are directly related to the size of the watercraft and to a less extent the cost of the watercraft. It goes without saying that you will likely spend more covering and protecting your 75 horse power ski boat than you will your aluminum fishing boat. However, both boats should have a cover.

Of course water craft that have motors or cushioned seating require the most protection from the elements. Sometimes it makes sense to have two covers for your watercraft. For example, I have a lighter weight cover for my seadoo pwc that I use from day to day in the summer months. This seadoo cover is meant to keep the sun off of my paint job especially when I have specific detailing done. I have another heavy seadoo pwc cover that I use when I store my machine for the winter months outside. I also use this heavier cover every time I travel. The heavy cover is a more secure fit so it is safer for taking on the highway. I would never use the lighter cover for traveling as it is looser and would get caught by the wind. It also is less secure and I would worry that it would thrash around a bit causes wear and tear to the cover and perhaps dings to my machine.

For some smaller water craft like kayaks or canoes you would only need a cover when it is not being used for extended periods of time, or in the winter, or if you live in a rainy climate and need to take steps to keep the seats dry.

A good quality watercraft cover should last 50% of the life of the watercraft. This is just a rough rule of thumb. However, you should know that covers don't last forever and need to be replaced from time to time.

Previously only larger watercraft had customization on their covers. These days every one is getting into the game. People are having their names included in the customization of the cover. Competitive pwc racers often have the teams names embroidered on to the cover. Others prefer not to have a name included but rather have another symbol like a tiger or dolphin or some other type of symbol. Whatever your taste a good quality watercraft cover is a good investment.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Seadoo Covers

seadoo pwc Seadoo covers show pride of ownership. It might be your first pwc or your fifth, going to the effort of getting a properly fitted seadoo pwc cover shows that you respect your machine. Seadoos are powerful and expensive machines. Failure to treat them right will only make your machine look shabby when compared to the machines of others.

Proper storage and proper protection of your personal watercraft is a good start but Seadoos need regular maintenance as well. Before putting your machine away for the winter you should give your pwc a once over. It is best to fix any problems in the fall before you pull out your seadoo cover and say good bye for the winter.

Make sure the sparkplugs are cleaned and the change the oil. There is nothing worse for your pwc then setting all winter with a grimy engine. Make sure the seats and dash are clean and dry. You may want to put some protective Armour All on the dash or another specific seadoo rubber protection compound. Make sure the dials are clean and dry. If you notice a water bubble in a dial now is the time to fix that problem. Your local marina will be able to pop the dial out, dry it off and re-seal it.

Your choice of seadoo cover will depend a lot on where you intend to store your machine over the winter. If you intend to leave it outside then you will want a winterized cover. These covers will provide ultimate protection against the snow and the ice.

If you intend to store your seadoo in a storage facility or in your garage then a fair weather cover will suffice. Fair weather covers are just like the cover you would use to protect your seadoo will on a trailer or to protect your seadoo from the sun and rain.

I like to choose a cover that matches my seadoo. If I have customized detailing on the engine then I like to have similar customized detailing on my seadoo cover. If I have a recreational seadoo that I leave at the cottage I'm less fussy. However I can tell you, throughout all my years owning personal watercraft, I have never owned one without having some type of cover for it.

If you respect your passion for seadoos then you need to treat your machines with respect. Choose a seadoo cover that is right for your needs and you will not regret it.

PWC Covers

After you have spent all that money on your new pwc you really need to think seriously about getting some PWC covers. Not only do pwc covers look hot, they will protect your machine from the elements.

It doesn't matter if you get your pwc covers from the dealer, have a custom designed cover designed for your make, model and year, or pick some up second hand, you will be glad that you did.

The most important thing to pay attention to is the fit of the cover. Not only does a properly fitted cover look great, a perfectly fitting pwc cover will be extremely important when it comes time to transport your watercraft. Whether you are 10 minutes or 2 hours from your favorite lake or harbor, trailering a seadoo pwc without a proper fitting cover is just asking for trouble. An improperly fitting cover can be hard on your boat, as well as potentially hazardous for you and/or drivers behind you on the highway.

The choice of material is probably the second most important factor when you are considering pwc covers. The material that is used will determine how well and for how long your cover will protect your boat. Probably the most durable canvas covers available are constructed using the Sunbrella ® brand of fabrics. Sunbrella ® is specifically engineered to be fade-resistant, and durable to stand up to the severe sun and weather conditions of the tropics. In addition to sun resistant, the material is woven which prevents the build-up of moisture, thereby preventing moisture and mildew damage. The woven material also prevents tearing or shrinking of the cover itself.

It goes without saying that the longer your cover resists sun damage, the longer it will last. You will save money in the long term.

The same principles of material selection and attention to precise fit will apply, whether you are looking for a pwc cover, seadoo covers, a sea doo pwc cover, a Yamaha pwc cover, a Kawasaki pwc cover, dodgers, biminis, a mooring cover, a helm cover, or just about any other type of marine craft cover.

Many people ask whether they should buy manufacturers pre-fabricated pwc covers or whether they need to have a custom pwc covering specifically designed and tailored to get the maximum protection. The pre-made options are often tailored to exactly fit a particular make, model and year, so this is often the easiest solution. However, there are some after market manufacturers that do a great job at a lesser price. Cheap pwc covers often work as well as more expensive ones. It is a good idea to search for some reviews about the quality and attention to detail for the particular cover manufacturer that you are considering ordering from.

With a bit of knowledge about the factors to consider in choosing your pwc covers – ie. 1) exact fit and 2) quality material, you should be able to choose the right pwc cover for your machine.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Seadoo PWC Covers

A Seadoo PWC cover is critically important if you have purchased some sort of pwc - a seadoo, yamaha, or waverunner etc. Whether your pwc is in the garage, at the lake or on a trailer in the backyard, any time it's not in use you really should have your machine covered. A quality seadoo pwc cover make the difference between keeping your watercraft in good shape, or having it deteriorate because of the elements and other wear and tear. If you plan to trailer your pwc, then your cover is particularly important. Trailering is super hard on your pwc, and choosing a well fitting cover of the proper material will help to avoid travel damage, as well as keeping wind resistance down for safer traveling.

The pwc cover you choose should contain at least some man-made material - polyesters or something else synthetic, to increase rip and tear resistance. Heading down the highway at 100km per hour puts enormous strain on you cover. Add additional factors such as wind, rain ot hail and your cover will be seriously tested. Without having a custom-made cover, which correctly fits the seadoo, you can cause much material whip, which eventually will cause stress points in the cover and unnecessary wear and tear.

It seems that the general agreement is that 50% a cotton to 50% synthetic material is the maximum the natural fibres vs synthetic fibre should be for good durability. If there is a greater than 50% cotton content then the cover will not wear as well. The benefit of cotton is that is breathes and therefore helps to minimize moisture build up and mildew. However other synthetic fibres can also breath which lessens the importance of cotton content.

Once you buy your machine, you should think very seriously about getting your hands on a good quality seadoo pwc cover. They are worth every penny.