As a rule of thumb, every Sea-Doo can be towed behind a boat or by another jet ski. However, there are some safety considerations you should definitely pay attention to. Keep in mind that improperly towing a Sea-Doo may cause engine damage!
If you want to know how to properly tow a Sea-Doo, you are in the right place.
Without further ado, let’s drill into the details!
How to Tow a Sea-Doo
To tow a Sea-Doo behind a boat or a PWC, just follow this step-by-step guide:
- Read the owner’s manual.
- Choose the right tow rope (20 or 40 feet depending on the speed).
- Attach the tow rope to the eyes.
- Determine the towing speed (max. of 13 mph unless you install a shut-off valve).
- Best practice is to block the cooling water when towing!
- If you are towing at a low speed, a rider should sit on the craft to balance it.
- Carefully tow the Sea-Doo and pay attention to others on the water.
Towing a Sea-Doo can be tricky, so the first and most important step is to read your Sea-Doo’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Selecting the right tow rope is also a critical aspect. Make sure you choose a floating rope, as the towing jet ski’s pump will be less likely to suck it up.
How long should a jet ski tow rope be?
Regarding the length of the jet ski tow rope, you may want to use at least 20 feet of rope if you tow the craft at low speeds. But if you want to tow it faster, it’s recommended that you use a tow rope of about 40 feet for safety reasons. Your other option is to use a special PWC towing bracket, which offers the smoothest and safest towing experience.
How do you attach a tow rope to a Sea-Doo?
When it comes to attaching the tow rope, it’s very important to attach it to the bow eye of the Sea-Doo. Never attach it to the handlebar or other parts of the craft! The other end of the rope should be attached to the rear eye of the towing jet ski or boat.
How Fast Can You Tow a Sea-Doo?
According to the manufacturer, you can tow a Sea-Doo at a maximum speed of 13 mph. If you want to tow the craft faster, you must install a tow valve or secure a clamp on the water intake hose to block the cooling water.
Unfortunately, this safety concern is often overlooked, which leads to flooded engines and major damage to many Sea-Doos.
This is because if you tow a disabled Sea-Doo at a high speed, water can be forced into its cylinders. Since the engine is not running, there is no pressure in the exhaust system to keep the water away from the cylinders!
To prevent this issue, you have to install a shut-off valve on the water intake hose. If you want to regularly tow your Sea-Doo it would make sense to install a tow valve. These are easy to use and are the best way to keep your engine safe.
Your other option is to block the pipe with a clamp.
Just make sure you remove the clamp/open the valve before your next ride, as the blocked hose will leave the exhaust system (and intercooler if present) without cooling. In the worst case, this can lead to costly repairs!
The other common question is whether to put a rider on the disabled Sea-Doo or not. The answer is, it depends on the towing speed!
If you want to tow slowly, best practice is to have a rider on the craft to balance it. Without the rider the Sea-Doo may become bow-heavy or tipsy, which makes towing more difficult.
But at higher speeds it’s better not to have a rider on it for safety reasons.
How fast can you tow a Sea-Doo Spark?
Just like its bigger brothers, Sea-Doo Spark can be towed at a maximum speed of 13 mph. If you want to tow a Spark at higher speeds, you have to block the incoming water.
Although the manufacturer recommends blocking the water intake hose if you want to tow faster than 13 mph, best practice is to block it whenever you want to tow your Sea-Doo. Prevention is always better than the cure!
Can You Tow a Sea-Doo Behind a Boat?
Yes, the good news is that you can tow a Sea-Doo behind a boat without any issues. If you have both, you probably want to know how to properly do it. Surprisingly, the most common method is still by using regular tow ropes, however this is not as convenient!
Why?
Let’s face it, towing a jet ski with a rope is always a hassle. A rope is hard to precisely control, especially if you want to back the boat up or maneuver in tight places like marinas.
What’s more, if you suddenly stop the boat you risk the jet ski bumping into its stern.
So, using a tow rope is only recommended if you only have to tow the craft occasionally. But if you want to tow a Sea-Doo with a boat regularly, you should invest in a jet ski towing bracket!
Jet Ski Towing Brackets
Jet ski towing brackets are special boat accessories designed to tow jet skis and Sea-Doos behind boats.
Depending on the type and size of your boat you can choose among many different models.
One of the most popular jet ski towing brackets on the market is arguably the Magic Marine Tow.
Simply put, this device looks like a huge fishing rod attached to the boat’s swim platform. The stern of the Sea-Doo is attached to this rod, while its bow is connected to the boat’s swim platform.
The main advantage of this design is that the Sea-Doo can be towed pretty close to the boat, which results in a much better and safer towing experience.
Moreover, by using a Magic Marine Tow you can back the two vessels up with ease!
If you want to tow your Sea-Doo with a pontoon boat, Towdster’s towing bars are for you. These massive bars connect the bow of the Sea-Doo to the stern of the boat.
What’s more, there are springs in the bars to reduce the stress on the tow eyes.
Conclusion
As you already know, you can easily tow a Sea-Doo behind a boat or another jet ski.
The most important thing is to keep your speed low unless you install a shut-off valve or block the water intake hose with a clamp. These steps are necessary to keep water away from the engine.
The manufacturer recommends blocking this hose if you want to tow faster than 13 mph. However, for safety reasons you can’t go wrong if you block it every time you want to tow your Sea-Doo!
If you miss this preventative step, there is always a risk that water will enter the cylinders.
As a flooded engine may end in costly repairs, gambling with cooling water is definitely not recommended!
References
https://www.jetdrift.com/towing-jet-ski-behind-a-boat/
