Summertime is coming!!! Are you prepared and is your boat prepared?

As you are taking your boats out make sure your boat is ready for the water before you get out on your first outing and have a stressful day cause your boat is not ready. Don’t be one of those guys at the ramp that we all see the first few outings. If you are not sure all the things you should be looking out for, jump on the forum and ask questions. People will be happy to help you out. Otherwise, use one of the dealers or mechanics that sponsor pdxWAKE. You can simply click on their banners on the home page and reach out to them.

Keep in mind the water temps are still quite cold, but warming up fast, so bring out proper wetsuits, drysuits, sweat shirts, etc to make sure you have a good first outing.

Have you made sure your registration is good and your OR numbers are properly displayed?

Are you aware of new laws that may affect you on the water? I.E. No ballast rule on 17.5 mile stretch of the Willamette River. I.E. No wake zone inside the island of Ross Island. If you are not aware of these, jump on the forum and people can fill you in and give you information on how to fight it.

Are you a member of Save Boaters Rights? You should be! It is free and will help preserve our right to boat in Oregon. www.saveboatersrights.com

If you have an idea for an article for the home page or would like to right one, let us know. We end up trying to spend too much time on the water ? to write too much.

Be safe on the water this year and see you out there!!!

Ready for a new boat?

Believe it or not the boating industry is bouncing back from the last two down years. This means your boat is worth more again if you are looking to sell it or trade it in. Check with one of our local dealers that sponsor pdxWAKE and you may be surprised. Keep in mind that most of the manufacturers are on limited production this year as well so get over and check out what is available. Post your boat in the classifieds here as well.

A few changes with boat brands at local dealers…

It has been a crazy and exciting year with some of our local dealers. It all started with Bridge City Watersports going out of business and they literally left a WAKE behind them. Regardless, of that situation it did benefit a few of our other local dealers.

Active Water Sports picked up the Malibu brand and have been marching forward with Malibu, Supra and Moomba. Portland Ski Boat Center picked up MB Sports and they are now pushing forward with Mastercraft and MB. Congrats to both of them. Very good moves!!! Let’s get out and support them!

Oregon State Marine Board passes legislation that affects you!
Did you know the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) just passed legislation that does not allow you to use your ballast, wedge or any wake enhancing devices on a 17 mile stretch of the Willamette River. That means no surfing also. Yes this is a public waterway and it will go into effect next year. Please login and share your opinion and any help you can offer in this issue.

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Learn how to drive and properly control a boat here...
You've all seen the people out on the water that simply don't know how to drive.
Maybe you yourself have never driven a boat and want to learn.
No matter what the reason, come check out some tips and tricks we've put together for all drivers alike.

Tips for winterizing your boat:
Do you winterize your boat? Should you winterize your boat? Log on to the forums and share your situation and see if we can help. Fact of the matter is if you are storing your boat outside, in cold conditions, or not using it for the winter, you should take some steps to protect it from the elements. We have compiled some basic “do it yourself” instructions to get you started.

<Click here to view these instructions...>