Karen's Jet Ski Page

The End of an Era...

In January 2002, Will and I moved to Northern California. Before we left Houston, we sold our jet skis. It was extremely sad, but it was time. We rode hard for 7 years. Some of our fondest memories are of spending time on the water on our jet skis. We had a fabulous time and highly recommend jet skiing to anyone who loves the water. I used to be the "Dear Abby of Jet Skiing" and although I no longer live in Texas or own jet skis, I will be happy to try and answer any questions you have. Hopefully you will find some of our past jet ski adventures interesting and you'll have fun living your own jet ski adventures.

A Dream Come True.....

On October 30, 1999 I left Houston for Gulfport, Mississippi to participate in Dream Demo 2000. Each year Watercraft World selects 14 people to test drive and evaluate the new watercrafts for their magazine. I was honored to be a participant. It was a chance in a lifetime to ride every new jet ski (some which were even prototypes still in the R&D phase) for a whole week. It was hard work....we were on the water in wetsuits for 8 hours a day and spent downtime doing the paperwork and evaluating the watercrafts, but it was a lot of fun! Check out my December 1999 article at Suite 101 where I shared more details of my Dream Demo 2000 experience!

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Have Wave Raider, Will Travel!

Will and I have traveled all over the United States with the Yamaha Wave Raiders in tow - stopping at every body of water along the way. We have taken a couple of LONG distance trips….

During the summer of 1995, Will and I traveled from Dallas to Kentucky to visit my family and took the Wave Raider. While in Kentucky, we visited Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake. The scenery there is spectacular and the water is crystal clear. You can even drive under or through a waterfall! These lakes are a must for avid jet skiers!

During the Christmas holidays in 1997, Will and I traveled from Houston to Key West, Florida with the jet skis. The weather didn't really cooperate, but the water was warm and we drove the jet skis all the way around the island and played in the ocean. It was great fun!!!

Jet Skiing in Texas...

When we lived in Texas, Will and I have frequented many of the Texas lakes and rivers. Jet skiing was our passion. We have enjoyed Lake Texoma, the San Jacinto and Brazos Rivers, Lake Travis, Lake Lewisville, Lake Lavon, Cedar Creek Lake, Lake Conroe, Clear Lake, Lake LBJ, Inks Lake, Marble Falls and even the Gulf of Mexico. We were very fortunate that Texas had an abundance of wonderful lakes and other waterways.

Every Labor Day Weekend Will and I took a traditional trip to Lake LBJ and Lake Travis. In 1996, we went with our friends Jennifer and Michael. They took their 20 ft. Crown Line and we had a great time! LBJ is a constant level lake; one in a string of five lakes near Austin, Texas. In 1997, we went to Lake Travis with our friends Curtis and Jeanee. Lake Travis is a great place to do some long distance riding. Over the 1997 Labor Day Weekend, we rode 138 miles in one day. Lake Travis branches off into the Colorado and Pedernales Rivers. We rode from the Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis to the dam that separates the Colorado River from Marble Falls Lake and then as far as we could go on the Pedernales River. It was a lot of fun, but very exhausting.

The Brazos River near Lake Whitney was also one of our favorite spots. It is a wonderful place to ride. The water is smooth and the river is narrow and winding. Spring is the best time to take advantage of the great riding on the Brazos because the water is high enough that you can travel many miles upstream. One weekend we went to the Brazos with our friends Janet and William who bought two new 1996 Yamaha Wave Raiders at the Dallas Boat Show in February 1997. The four of us drove the Wave Raiders upstream as far as we could go and then turned off the engines and floated back downstream with the other people in their tubes and canoes. It was a very relaxing trip, AND a great way to go tubing!

In July 1997, Will and I moved to the Houston area and had a great time exploring the waterways in and around Houston. We toured the San Jacinto River from the dam at Lake Houston to the ship channel and all the way to Buffalo Bayou through downtown Houston. We have also taken the jet skis to the Gulf at Clear Lake and Kehma.

Personal WaterCraft Adventures and Guidebook - Texas, by author Thom Bell, is the ultimate resource for jet skiing on the Texas waterways. His book details nine Texas weekend adventures and contains other essential information that no one should be without! Order it today!

Our Jet Skis….

Will and I had two Yamaha Wave Raiders. We bought a new 1994 Yamaha Wave Raider 701 and rode together for 2 years.... THEN, in February 1997, we went to the Dallas Boat Show and bought another Yamaha - a 1996 Yamaha Wave Raider 760. Two jet skis are double the fun!!

Jet Skiing on the Web...

If you are looking for great links on jet skiing, check out Suite 101. I was a Contributing Editor at Suite 101 for 4 years and wrote a monthly article on Jet Skiing. My articles are still posted on this site. This site also included several links to great sites on the web that would be of interest to anyone interested in jet skiing. Check it out!

Keep the e:\mail coming!

I have gotten a great response from my Jet Ski Page. People from all over the world have written to me asking questions and recommending great places to go jet skiing. As I said, I used to be the Dear Abby of Jet Skiing, and I will still be glad to answer your questions or point you to a good resource. Keep the e:\mail coming!! It is always interesting to chat with other people who have a passion for jet skiing!

Thanks for visiting! Questions? Comments? Broken Links?

Please drop me a line: pattkark@yahoo.com