THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 12, 1994 TAG: 9407090047
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: THE WATER LOG
What can you do on the water in Hampton Roads? This is the third in
a weeklong series of firsthand experiences by staff writer Craig
Shapiro. Wednesday: kayaking on Owl Creek and Rudee Inlet.
SOURCE: BY CRAIG A. SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
ON A LIST of Things I'd Most Like to Do, jet-skiing never rated an honorable mention.
That always struck me as odd, because back in Georgia, I drove a motorcycle - a midsize Kawasaki 450 - and I've always thought of a jet ski as its aquatic cousin. The noise. The SPEED. The looks. Like the one I got from that young mother the time I flipped over the handlebars; it was a cross between repulsion and horror.
So even if I didn't want to ride a jet ski, odds are I'd at least appreciate the appeal. Go figure. Maybe it's because the motorcycle was 15 years and two kids ago. Or that we'll probably trade the four-door in on a minivan.
A guaranteed way to reconnect is straddling a Yamaha Waverunner on a spin around Witchduck Lake.
But before taking you out, Dan Jacobs puts on a video. The 10-minute tape reviews a number of points, among them safety features (if you fall, snap the wrist lanyard and the machine shuts off) and rules of the road (steer to the right when approaching another jet ski). The most telling, though, is the simplest:
You are driving a boat.
Remember that. This is no toy; it's a high-powered machine. And you can get hurt if you don't pay attention - to the jet ski, to water conditions, to everyone else. Other drivers should follow the same rules. Reminded me of riding a motorcycle, too.
Next, down at the water, Dan runs through what you need to know. The ignition and off buttons are on the left; the throttle on the right. If you fall off (I did), climb on from the back. He points out areas of the lake to avoid; the shallow water and dive area are clearly marked. Besides, at 40 acres and a half-mile long, the lake provides plenty of room to roam.
Then you're on your own.
Just like that.
It takes about 5 minutes to get the feel of the machine; once I did, I had the throttle open at 37 mph. Pure hell on water, whipping over Dan's wake, standing up like him as I navigated.
Dan also showed me a trick: Throw the throttle open then turn hard. It's like doing water doughnuts. As the back of the jet ski comes around, the front submerges. Gun the throttle again and you fly out and over your own wake.
Cool.
In fact, a whole lot cooler than I ever imagined. It's like the pulse-raising high that comes from riding a roller coaster. The Waverunner runs about two hours on a full 5 gallons of fuel, but keeping up that kind of pace for that long? I don't know. But I am game.
Dallas Norman, who runs Witchduck Lake Watersports, described it best as I pulled in:
``That's just instant fun.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff
Bernadette Lipson is obviously enjoying her jet-skiing lesson.
Photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff
Dallas Norman, jet-ski instructor and owner of Witchduck Lake
Watersports, demonstrates back riding on a jet ski.
Graphic
THE JET-SKI SET
Witchduck Lake Watersports is at 5125 Witchduck Court, a
half-mile north of Virginia Beach Boulevard, off Witchduck Road. Jet
skis rent for $30 a half hour, $55 an hour. For more information,
call 497-7392.
by CNB