Although 2-and-3 seater personal watercraft runabouts have
been around since the late 1980s, adding a rescue sled for watercraft rescue is
a fairly new concept. Because PWC are mostly used for recreational use around
lakes, rivers and oceans, and manufacturers have expanded the original
recreational use of PWC to include racing and towing for water sports (such as
wakeboarding, wakeskating, tubing), tow rescue and tow surf by use of a tow
board is something that is only a decade or two old (although big surf pioneer
Randy Laine was doing it waaay earlier, but that’s a whole
other story).
Through the use of a tow board, PWCs have gained additional
traction with big game fishing and scuba diving/divers, in addition to dive
rescue and reef exploration. Rescue sleds, such as those from High Surf Accessories (HSA), have opened
up personal watercraft to a whole new world of use. In terms of swiftwater
rescue, HSA states, “There is no such thing as too much power, just too much
throttle. In fact, high horsepower makes navigation in a water current safer
for all involved. ‘Slow is pro’ in swift water navigation especially with an
attached tow board, and the ability to cautiously navigate fast currents, large
waves and difficult gradients is paramount.
“The RWC’s low draft means less underwater obstruction
contact and the ability to operate at lower water levels than outboard engines
without decreasing performance. Obstructions become more difficult to identify
during downstream navigation, and operators in the standard PWC standing
position can identify obstructions easier and earlier than other watercraft.
The combination of low draft and no exposed prop also allows PWC to maneuver
closer to obstructions for search or rescue operations.”
No comments:
Post a Comment