How do I know if the cooling system is working

[utahnewbie]

I was wondering how to tell if the cooling system is working properly on my 94 SLT750 and that it is not plugged up? I unhooked the hose that goes to the rail on top of the heads and ran my garden hose into it (after it was started and idling like it says to do in the manual) after a few seconds there was a small stream from the exhaust/jet pump, I only had the hose barely on and it flowed evenly, but after I let it idle a few minutes and revved it just a bit I shut it down and the engine seemed really hot, I sprinkled a few small drops of water on one of the heads and it sizzled and evaporated immediately, is this normal?, and how hot does the engine get normally? Thanks for any help, I am trying to get this ready for Lake Powell next week. 3 days on the lake, Im pumped, hopefully the ski is working right.

[ph2ocraft]

When you run your craft on the hose that front cylinder is going to get warm.
I always have the water bib opened a turn or two when I'm pumping it into the engine, you just may not have had enough water flow.
If you still have the original thermostat and plan to keep the craft, it's probably a very good time to change it and the pop-off valve in the thermostat assembly.