Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained | Jetpilot Australia

“Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained”

The team takes off for destinations unknown and pushes their new 2021 gear to the
limits. The true meaning of the word “venture” is to take the road less travelled, or i
n this instance, the waterway less travelled. For companies that create gear and
products, venturing is the ideal environment to push their designs to and beyond the limit
in their natural habitat.

The handpicked crew met at first light. The air was crisp, and the smell of salt was enough to get excitement levels raised. (Either that or my second cup of coffee was laced.) From the get- go, it felt like this trip was going to be epic.

But seriously, how could it not be? Camping out with 9 people, 2 new Sea-Doos, 1 Yamaha WaveRunner, and 1 Brig boat with the sole goal of using just JetPilot products.

We loaded our supplies including food, firewood, swags, and personal gear into our JetPilot 60-litre dry bags. The eskys were filled with ice and the essential fluid of the amber colour. Locked and loaded, we pushed off the dock and set the compass to due north and good times.

We must have looked like a scene from Water World. The Brig was fully loaded and both the Sea-Doos and Yamaha watercrafts were stacked with extra gear and fuel. The transit to our destination was fast thanks to buttery water and the shining sun. Pretty sure the birds were singing, though it was hard to hear. It was full speed ahead and the wind was whipping at the ears.

The anticipation peaked as we beached up at our camp zone, a sweet little clearing hugged by trees that would double as the ultimate windbreak and sandfly-safe haven. (More on this point later.) It felt like pure solitude with not a person in sight.

We unloaded the vessels and started setting up our shelter. This was home for the next 48 hours, so it was time to get comfortable, organise the swags, hammocks, and food, and get the Bruhaha beers on ice. With the site fully set up and the water looking all-time inviting, we got down to business and by business, I mean getting salty and sandy.

A short hand pump session had the JP gripper ready for some on- water towable action. We scouted out the surrounding islands and took turns sending it. We discovered the perfect mini-Everest sand dune. Climbing it by foot was a real leg burner, but the ride down was fast—almost too fast, making the leg recovery non-existent. Especially when you hit the repeat button.

After a few runs down the hill, our resident wakeboarder, Lachlan, was persuaded to try it. A few trial-and-error attempts later, we came to the conclusion that his personal safety wasn’t important, and we needed to add more danger... errr, I mean make it faster for him. Some swift knot tying provided 150-feet of line and a handle that was tied off on the watercraft. The photos give you an idea of we wanted to see (and the possibility of a little blood.) Those who created passes over a fallen tree made it all worth the climbing effort.

We headed back to camp only to notice another set of rolling sand dunes that looked like something out of Star Wars. It always blows my mind how nature just moves, and areas like this are a cool reminder that change happens weather you like it or not.

As the sun dipped, we all enjoyed exploring the rolling dunes. Vibes were high, but the bellies were ready to be filled. After a short ride back to camp, our fire-starting chef got our dinner ready: Gourmet Kranski hot dogs and ‘smores followed by stories around the fire washed back with beers. And as the night progressed, Sailor Jerry appeared. (Things get a little hazy here. I’m blaming the red moon for the vague memory—not the devil’s juice.)

DAY 2:

As those first beams of sunlight peaked over the horizon, the swags started to unzip and faces emerged. Thankfully, the extra chill morning air was enough to dull the itch that the 3 million sand flies had set upon my entire body. For me though, this is all part of the journey. You know this is real camping—shit happens, bugs exist. It makes it all more real.

The expressions on everyone’s faces signalled that coffee was essential. The fire was restocked and bacon and egg breakfast rolls were prepped. A well-fed team is a happy team.

We were ready to get wet and busy. We hit the water on the new foil board and wakeboards, towed by the Sea-Doo watercraft. It was such a great morning testing out the new 2021 JetPilot vests, wetsuits, JetLite shorts, and our skills. Once the legs gave up, we made the call to saddle back up and venture to a spot that was notorious for turtles. We loaded up some snacks and water and pushed out.

Turtles, boats, skis, friends, sunshine, perfection. What a way to spend the day.As the fuel levels started to drop, we headed back to camp to start the pack up. Job done, happy team, and products made forthe purpose of supporting the lifestyles we live. Everything exceeded our high expectations. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Massive thanks to the crew: You made the Venture adventure really fun; Sea-Doo (JSW) and Yamaha, thanks for the craft; Dagga,thanks for the Brig; Bruhahah Brewery, thanks for the beverages (amazingly good!); and thanks to Trent Mitchell for capturing all the good times.