Winterizing a Petrol Board

Guide

Winterizing a petrol board

Difficulty: Intermediate Time: ~30 min Applies to: Gas boards Last updated: Sep 2026

Watch the walkthrough

Watch on YouTube ↗ · JETSURF USA — new owner series #21. Timestamps below follow the video's on-screen counter (0:32–2:24).

Winterizing is what you do before the board sits unused for a stretch — a winter, or a long off-season. Start from a clean, dry board, get the fuel tank out, leave the bay lubricated and able to breathe, and keep the battery alive with a charge every 30 days.

Tools & supplies

Freshwater hose and the cooling-system flush attachment
Spray lubricant for the engine bay (board-safe — won't attack plastic or silicone)
A jerry can or similar, for draining and holding fuel
The charger, ideally with a voltage tester, for the periodic top-up
A dry place to store the fuel tank, away from the board

Dry and lubricate

0:32 — Clean the board after your last ride (see Cleaning your board after a ride), then make sure it's completely dry with all the water out.
0:42 — Remove the engine lid. With a dry, clean bay, spray over it and lubricate every moving part — same as the after-every-ride routine.

If any of your riding this season was in salt water, run the cooling-system flush attachment through a full cycle before you put the board away — not just a quick rinse. Salt left in the cooling channels crystallizes over a long store and is one of the main causes of corrosion damage that shows up the following spring.

Remove the fuel tank

1:00 — Disconnect the fuel line from the tank: push the stainless piece on the push-button connector in and it springs out.
1:19 — Undo the petrol line on the board, then the Velcro strap.
1:29 — Unclip and remove the plug on the side of the tank.
1:35 — Gently lift the tank out of the board.
1:41 — On the back of the tank, push the air breather in and pull its tube out.
1:48 — Store the tank somewhere dry, out of the way, away from the board.

Close it up for storage

1:52 — With the board dry, tank out, and lubricant sprayed over the bay, set the engine lid back on — either normally or offset — so air can flow through and condensation can't build up.
2:12 — Every ~30 days, charge the board to keep the battery and iCU maintained in their best condition. See Charging a petrol board.

Two more things worth building into a long storage period: start the engine every so often rather than letting it sit completely dormant for months — it keeps the internals lubricated and the moving parts from seizing up. And treat 30 days as the safe baseline rather than a hard rule — a board kept somewhere temperature-controlled can usually stretch to 60–90 days between checks, while one sitting in a cold, unheated space is better checked closer to every 30–45 days.

Tip: the lid goes on loose or offset on purpose — a sealed engine bay traps moisture and corrodes over a long store. The point is airflow, not weather-sealing.

Caution: store the fuel tank separately from the board, dry and ventilated — never leave it fitted and full over winter. Don't let the charge lapse for months at a time — a LiPo battery that's allowed to sit dead can fail outright, and in the worst case that takes the iCU down with it, which is a far more expensive fix than staying on top of the periodic charge.

If anything looks off once you've got the board torn down for storage, JETSURF USA's own tech support can help — Support@Jetsurfusa.com or 305-538-7873.

Winterizing a petrol board