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3-19
OPERATION 3
DRIVING YOUR BOAT
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BOAT
Operating your boat requires skills
acquired through practice over a period
of time. Take the time to learn the basic
techniques well before attempting more
difficult maneuvers.
Boating with your new boat can be
a very enjoyable activity, providing
you with hours of pleasure. But it is
essential to familiarize yourself with
the operation of the boat to achieve
the skill necessary to enjoy boating
safely. Before operating this boat, read
this Owner’s Manual, the Operation
Instruction Card, and all Warning and
Caution labels on the boat. Pay par-
ticular attention to the safety informa-
tion in Chapter 1. Read all warning and
caution labels on your boat.
The boat is designed to carry one oper-
ator along with up to eight passengers,
and cargo, as long as the total weight
of people and cargo does not exceed
1840 lb (834 kg). Never have more than
nine people in the boat (or eight per-
sons if a water skier is being pulled).
On the 212X model, a full ballast
weighs 750 lb. (340 kg), which must be
included in the maximum load.
LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR
BOAT
Before boating, always perform the
Pre-Operation Checks listed on page
3-4. The short time spent checking the
machine’s condition will reward you
with added safety and a more reliable
boat.
Know and follow U.S. Coast Guard,
state, and local laws when operating
your boat.
Select a wide area to learn in, where
visibility is good and other boat traffic
islight.Keeptheproperdistancefrom
other boats and vehicles. Do not oper-
ate where people are swimming.
Always attach the engine stop switch
lanyard to your personal flotation device
before operating.
You and all other passengers must
always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-
approved personal flotation device
when riding in the boat. You should
consider wearing water shoes, eye
protection, gloves, and other protective
apparel. Water sports increase your
risk of injury from contact with your
boat, other vessels, docks, rocks, or
coral.
A water-skier should wear protective
clothing. Severe internal injuries can
occur if water is forced into body cavi-
ties as a result of falling into the water
or while reboarding. Normal swimwear
does not adequately protect against
forceful water entry into rectum or vagina.
The skier should wear a wetsuit bot-
tom or clothing that provides equiva-
lent protection. Such clothing includes
thick, tightly woven, sturdy, and snug
fitting apparel such as denim, but does
not include spandex or similar fabrics
like those used in bicycle shorts.
Grip the wheel firmly and keep both feet
on the deck when driving the boat.