How To Prepare A Personal Watercraft For Storage

Personal watercrafts (PWCs) can take up a whole lot of space in your garage in the off season, and you can't always leave them in the water if the temperature is going to dip below freezing in the winter. If you want to free up some extra space, you may want to consider putting your PWC into winter equipment storage. However, before doing so, you should properly prepare your PWC to protect it from damage during its extended period of disuse.

Remove the Battery

If left in your jet ski throughout the winter without once turning on, your PWC battery can slowly lose its charge, resulting in your PWC being dead in the water when you take it out of storage. In order to prevent this from happening, you will have to remove your battery from your PWC and plug it into a trickle charger, which can be found at most hardware and automotive stores. These chargers provide a small, constant stream of power to your battery: by leaving your battery plugged in all winter, this charger will let your PWC start on the first try once summer rolls around again.

General Cleaning

Before putting your PWC into storage, it's important to clean it thoroughly. This means wiping down the entire vehicle with disinfectant or soapy water, paying particular attention to the softer rubber components. This is because spores and organic materials that may be stuck on the surface of your PWC can promote mold and mildew growth, which can be expensive to clean up. Further, be sure to clean out any storage receptacles in your PWC, and to let any water or materials that may be in the ballast compartment out. This will prevent mold from growing in this dark and potentially damp areas, and will also reduce the weight of your PWC, which can make the towing and storage process a little simpler to complete.

Fuel Stabilizer

You shouldn't empty the fuel tank of your PWC: doing so makes it likely for water to enter the tank, where it can cause rust and corrosion to take hold on the interior and cause some serious structural damage. Instead, fill the tank all the way up and add fuel stabilizer. This will prevent your fuel from breaking down over the winter and becoming unusable, while also ensuring that your gas tank can stay full and immune to potential water damage.

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