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Welded aluminum jet boats are often considered the 4 wheel drives of the boating world. They are versatile and powerful; they can run very shallow water and there is no doubt a well built sled is tough. It boggles ones mind when you consider all the types of waters these boats can handle. Shallow rivers, the windy Columbia, the ocean or extreme white water river running in Hells Canyon are some examples, and are all fair game for many of these boats. You can even pull a water skier on a lake with them and troll for trout. Yippee!! (ya, I am being facetious)

But there is one thing these boats cannot do. They do not compensate for a drivers lack of skill and experience.

This is important to understand if you are a new jet boat owner, or if you are considering buying your first jet boat.

Too often we get into these boats filled with a lot of excitement and eagerness to get on a river. Our common sense is fogged by this exicted anticipation and we think we are ready to run just about anything because, like the dealer said, this boat is built to run it all. We get onto the river soon after we bring that beautiful shiny new jet sled home (that we mortgaged the home for!). No problem with a boat like this, we say to ourselves.

Really though, this is a potential problem if you don’t know what you are doing. If you buy a boat and have this “no problem, it is what the boat is made for” attitude and just go for it on your own, then you are on course to experience the worst mistake a new jet boat owner can make.

Within the first few weeks of having my boat I did thousands of dollars worth of damage to this expensive toy I had just bought. Even though I bought the boat used, it was still more money then I ever thought I would spend on a boat. And there I am, wrecking it within weeks. Oh, it hurt something bad!!

I had been lucky up to that point on a couple previous river runs, on an easier stretch of river. Then I decided to try a new stretch that was much more technical, thinking I was ready for it. Hey, it is what these boats are built for right?

First one rock hit on the bottom. Then I experienced a loss of control crashing me into a rocky bank. Then another rock hit on the bottom. It was not a pretty thing and it all took place in the course of about 1/2 an hour. I was so sick and knotted up in my stomach as I stood looking at the boat when we got it back on the trailer. I felt like I was going to cry (I couldn’t though, not in front of the Turnipseeds). And the anticipation of facing my wife with this carnage in tow almost had me getting on the interstate and not stopping til Texas, thinking my sister could maybe use a roommate.

Aluminum is tough but it does dent and can be ripped open. Engine mounts break. Leaks spring. Jet pumps break off. Bolts holding critical engine parts together are broken. People get thrown through windshields. They really can sink to. Yep, they are tough, but still, they are just boats.

What the hell happened?

In a nutshell, it was ignorance. A lack of good knowledge and skill for the river I was running. I did not truly understand the river environment I was taking my boat on and was unprepared. I had not gained an adequate amount of skill for reading water or had enough time on my boat to have a good feel for its handling characteristics. These are the things that led to having a very bad and costly day on the river. Basically just getting in over my head without considering the true nature of the game and what I should do to better prepare myself first.

What is amazing is that there are so many other people suffering the same ignorance I had has a new jet boat owner. I guess it makes me feel better that I am not the only dummy out there, but it is still gut wrenching when I see a damaged boat or one in trouble on the water. I have seen it repeatedly on the stretches of river I run, and have heard tons of horror stories along those lines. And not just on difficult rocky rivers, but I have heard plenty of stories about new boaters on the Columbia and in the Ocean as well getting into trouble for the exact same reasons.

So now that I have scared the crap out of you new jet boaters you may be wondering if you should just give the idea of running rivers up now. I can only say Hell No! This sport really is a lot of fun and it can definitely be done safely, without having to learn things the hard way.

First off, start slow. Don’t get in a rush and try plowing through the first class 4 rapid you can find. Start on a lake. Go out on some nice easy frog water and get some good hours on your boat. Get used to how it handles. Practice turning at different speeds, quick stops, backing, pulling into the bank, all different types of maneuvers. Get as good a feel for how it handles as you can.

Then talk to other jet boaters about some of the basics – like reading water, where is a good place for a first run on a river, safety considerations and what to be prepared for, how to anchor safely, etc.

Consider joining an association like the Western Whitewater Association which has chapters in Boise and Portland. They have activities scheduled year round (some of their river runs are not appropriate if you are real green however). There is not a better resource for hooking up with and learning from others. And the WWA also distributes a jet boater guidelines video that covers a lot of the basics you need to know. You can find it on their web site - www.westernwhitewater.org

Speaking of the internet, it is great tool as well that you can use for making contact with other jet boaters and for getting good information. Public forums on boatingsportsman.com and meanchicken.net are a terrific place to ask questions and make connections in the jet boating world.

When you are ready pick a nice easy stretch of river to start on. Don’t be fooled by calm water though. Even the mellow looking parts of the Snake, for one example, have their share of hazards such as sand bars and hidden rocks. This is why it is so important to talk to someone that knows the river that you are planning to run. Pick their brain! If at all possible see if you can get a ride up the river with them (hint: offer gas money). Or see if they can ride with you. Some people will. Do this for each new part of the river you want to learn.

That is what I do today. I figure splitting gas in someone else’s boat that knows a stretch I want to learn is a lot cheaper then the risk of learning where that sleeper rock or sand bar is on my own. I have really slowed down and learned to proceed with caution. Always.

That is my advice to new jet boaters. Slow down, don’t rush yourself, and learn what you need to learn before getting on the water. You will learn things slowly. You cannot memorize very much river or all the do’s and don’ts overnight. You learn small bits at a time; a few miles of river at a time and a little more about how your boat handles different conditions and currents every time you go out.

Avoid that terrible mistake of ignorantly rushing ahead too fast, without enough knowledge about what you are doing.

Jet boating is an absolute blast and you are going to experience some awesome and thrilling times as you learn to run rivers and other waters, and as you learn more about your boat. There is nothing else like it. Nothing! Enjoy it, but do it safely.