1.    Safety First.  This is so important and extensive I need bullet points to cover it all:
• Personal watercrafts must be properly insured and licensed
• You must have and wear proper gear including coast guard approved life jacket. (if you don’t wear a life jacket you will often get fined). Also remember a tow rope and the leash that turns off the machine when you fall off (see Steps If You Fall Off a Jet Ski).
• Do not exceed the rider limits. Do not try to put three people on machine designed for two people.
• Stay outside a 25-foot radius from other drivers.
• Children younger than 5 should not ride.
• Know the park’s rules (e.g. speed limits, safety rules, etc.)
• Wash down the machine after each use. If you don’t do this you may transmit bacteria from one lake to another, which may harm the lake’s ecosystem.
• Drive only to your comfort level. You do not need to drive wildly to have fun.
• Check the machines before you leave. It is important to always check that the machines are in excellent condition before leaving. This depends on if you have a two-stroke or a four-stroke engine. For a two-stroke engine check the oil, the bilge pump (this pumps out water that gets into the engine), and gas. If you have a four-stroke engine (likely a WaveRunner rather than a Jet Ski) you need to check the bilge pump and the gas —four-stroke engines do not use oil. Refer to the owners manual or the personnel from the rental shop.
4.    Always have someone who is experienced and understands the machines well go with you.
5.    Know before you go. Check traffic, construction zones, and weather conditions before leaving for the trip.
6.    Water sports are best in the morning. While this is the coldest time of the day it is also when the water is calm and smooth. Your likelihood of getting heat stroke or a sun burn is a bit less too. Which brings me to number seven.
7.    Avoid making sunburn art. If someone asks you to put on sunscreen in hard to reach areas like the back, make sure you rub it in all over. My boyfriend now has a burned back and a light-colored hand print, suspiciously my size, swiped across his back. Your lazy lotioning may reveal itself later. (And remember that the water reflects the sun and also makes you feel cool, so it is easy to get sunburned and not realize it until it’s too late).
8.    Be flexible. And I mean flexible with your expectations and plans on the trip, not your limbs (although a limber body helps as well). If everything in life went according to planned we would be bored and miserable. And no matter what precautions we take there is still a chance one of the machines will not work, it might rain, or one of your friends will bail out. Have fun no matter what happens.
9.    Don’t forget the rolls. Prepare a box the night before with everything you need for lunch and pack the car with all needed supplies. We got out the lunch and realized the rolls were still sitting on the kitchen counter. But, referring to No. 8, if you do forget them, make lettuce wraps!
10.    And of course, have fun!

STEPS IF YOU FALL OFF THE WATERCRAFT
1.    Always wear the leash that turns off the machine when you fall off.
2.    If the machine is still erect, pull yourself back onto the machine from the back side.
3.     If the jet ski is belly up, swim to the front and turn it either clockwise or counterclockwise, according to the design of the machine, to keep gas from spilling into the water.

For more information on Deer Creek and other water destinations, click here.

For my experience at Deer Creek, click here.