How It All Started: The 20-Year Story of SoCal Jet Boats

Hey — it's Brad & Britt. We get asked all the time: what exactly is SoCal Jet Boats, and how did a website about jet boats turn into a full-time screen printing operation in Las Vegas?

Strap in. Here's the story from the beginning.

2006
Where It Started — A 1969 Stinger and No Budget

In 2006, my cousin Kyle and I started restoring the family boat we grew up on — a 16' 1969 Wriedt Stinger. I was living in Orange County, California at the time. Information on how to restore a vintage jet boat yourself was nearly impossible to find online. We were working on a tight budget with minimal experience, so I did what any gearhead with a forum account would do: I built one.

That's how the SoCal Jet Boats Forum was born — a free, community-first hub for jet boat owners to share tips, recommend materials, troubleshoot builds, and connect over the hobby we all love. It didn't take long before those online friendships turned real. We started meeting up at the lake and along the Colorado River, and just like that, a community existed offline too.

2008
Las Vegas, a Casino Job, and Midnight Hustle

When the economy crashed in 2008, I made the move to Las Vegas, Nevada — working full-time at one of the major casinos on the Strip. But SoCal Jet Boats never stopped. Before and after every shift, I was back at it. Building the forum. Connecting the community. Shipping merch out of the house.

The grind was real, but so was the passion.

2015
The SCJB Summer Tour — 7 Stops, One Community

In 2015, we launched the SCJB Summer Tour — 7 stops stretching along the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada all the way down to Yuma, Arizona. No velvet ropes. No entry fees. Just an open invite for anyone who wanted to come hang out, enjoy the water, and rep the lifestyle. At every stop we set up a pop-up shop featuring our T-shirts, hats, and other merch printed for jet boaters, by jet boaters.

That same year, I met Brittney. She jumped in headfirst — folding shirts, managing inventory, and eventually co-creating some of the most popular designs in our lineup today.

2019–2021
All In — Screen Printing, Marriage, and a Warehouse

In 2019, we got married. I quit my corporate casino job and went all-in on SoCal Jet Boats full time. The house and garage became the production hub. We bought an embroidery machine and a screen printing press and started bringing production in-house. We were running out of room — and out of our minds — but we were doing it.

In January 2021, we moved into our own warehouse here in Las Vegas. Five months later, Britt walked away from her corporate job too. We now both run SoCal Jet Boats full time.

Today
Screen Printed by Us. Shipped by Us. For You.

Every shirt, hat, and sweatshirt is screen printed and embroidered in-house at our Las Vegas shop. Every order is folded, bagged, and processed by Brad and Britt — not a warehouse full of strangers. We're a small operation on purpose, because we care about every single order that goes out the door.

We also put our money where our mouth is when it comes to supporting the community. A significant portion of our proceeds goes back into the jet boat racing industry — sponsoring boat racers, funding events, and doing business within the community that built us.

If you're in the Las Vegas area, stop by the warehouse — we'd love to meet you in person.

And if you haven't yet joined the SoCal Jet Boats Forum — where it all started — it's completely free. Sign up, feel at home, and contribute to the best online resource for the hobby we all love.