Some of my favourite Southern Ontario
day tours include riding the Muskoka
Lakes, Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching,
Georgian Bay’s inland channel from
Penetanguishene to Parry Sound, the
Kawartha Lakes, Rice Lake and the
Otonabee River, and the Kingston-Gananoque Thousand Islands area.
For overnight trips, we stay at
waterfront lodgings or dock at a marina
and take a cab to a hotel while experiencing the Trent-Severn Waterway, the
Rideau Canal Waterway, or the granddaddy of them all, the four-day, PWC
wilderness adventure on the Ottawa
River from Pembroke to New Liskeard
and back that we did a couple of
seasons back! Call the local tourism
offices for information.
Wearing an approved PFD is mandatory
but get a brightly coloured one that is cut
for maximum movement and comfort.
Now let’s talk sun for a moment.
One of the greatest joys of PWC riding is cruising on a hot, sunny day. It
can also be one of the most dangerous, unless you ride protected. Once
you’re on your PWC, there’s no place
to escape the sun. Sensitive areas
such as the tops of your feet and
ankles, nose and ears, can be espe-
cially vulnerable to frying. That said, I
rarely burn and here’s why.
Before riding, I lather on a waterproof sun block of 30 or more. If I’ll
be out for many hours, I go for a 50.
Next, I wear fingerless PWC gloves to
protect the backs of my hands, which
always have to be on the handgrips
to steer. Don’t forget the sunglasses,
either. I recommend the wrap around
style secured with a floater cord.
Polarized lens are preferable.
I also wear PWC booties for better
traction and to shield my feet from
the rays. While my shoulders, upper
back and chest are protected by my
PFD, my lower back and abdomen
are exposed. Thanks to the PWC sitting position, so are the fronts of my
upper thighs and the backs of my
calves. That’s why I always carry and
often wear a light, long-sleeved
nylon/spandex shirt (called a “
rash-guard”) and long pants to put on
when I’ve been out too long (bicycle
tights work well). The PWC manufacturers also offer a full line of neo-
prene wetsuits for greater warmth
and protection.
On a PWC, you can’t judge your
exposure based on normal time estimates or the feel of your skin. For
one thing, even on dead calm days,
the breeze created by your forward
momentum always cools you and
may fool your nerves too. Plus, the
sparkling water reflects and intensifies
the exposure factor. And if you get
wet, some of your lotion protection
may wash away, despite manufacturers’ claims to the contrary. So it’s easy
to get a painful burn if you’re not
careful. On scorching days, I even
wear a ball cap to preventing scalp
burn…be sure to get one that’s snug
fitting – you may want to wear it
backwards so the wind doesn’t grab
the peak.
So you’re good to go; just make
sure you’re legal. You’ll need your
Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card Then
be sure your PWC is equipped with
the mandatory safety gear: 15-metre
(50 ft.) buoyant heaving line/tow
Friends removing the straps and getting
ready to launch their PWC.
