Used To Hate Jetski Riders

[rdlangston13]

I ride a waverunner from time to time as my dad owns one and i dont feel like i am that inconsiderate about other people on the water. maybe it's because i also own a boat and feel for the boaters as well?

[loudsubz]

We own a Honda Aquatrax as well as a Moomba LSV. I tend to agree that it is not just jet ski owners that are the problems its the person(s) in general. Have seen some boaters that are just as oblivious.

When I am on the water I like to have a good time on the ski (thats what they were designed for) but I am also a good observer and keep my eye out for others in need and to stay away and do my thing in quiet parts of the lake.

Saying you hate jetskiers lumps them all into 1 group and is not a fair judgement. I could say I hate all wakeboarders (including myself) because they kick up a wake that ruins our shoreline etc...

[kaneboats]

Well, I hate everybody, including jetskiers.

[mmandley]

Well, I hate everybody, including jetskiers.

HAHA thats just dam funny,

I;m the same way i always goto where the least amount of people are and try to stay there.

Ive been almost ran over by boats more then Jet skis. Its the Bayliners, Rienells, Four Winds, and North River boats that scare me the most.

[wolfeman131]

there were as many, obviously mentally challenged, wakeboat drivers on the lake this weekend as jetski drivers.

the solution is somewhere along the lines of requiring a special license (like what is required for motorcycles) and increased presence of authorities on the water.

[Ian Brantford]

I agree on the licensing being a good thing. When it was introduced here in Canada, there were howls of protest about how it was just a cash grab. However, it has the intended effect of making sure that every boat operator has had to learn the rules at least once. Previously, it was a safe bet that many simply were completely unaware of major safety issues, much less actual rules.

The licensing requirements were phased in over a ten-year period. It started with the smallest (and most likely to put people unexpectedly in the water): PWC's and those tippy little fishing boats. There are still a few operators of the very small craft who think that floatation vests make great seatcushions, but they are becoming the exception.

Sadly, it wasn't people flouting everyday risks that led to the operator permits becoming mandatory. It was due to a few unfortunate occasions of severe ignorance, such as a family of seven immigrants piling into a tiny aluminum boat and heading out to a large lake without checking the weather forecast or asking locals about conditions. The boat was barely afloat when they left shore and didn't last long when a storm moved in.

[hrci]

Hi...This is a very useful post. Thank you for sharing. I must write about my experience in Split, Croatia. We rent a boat for a day tour, and of course, we lost gas in the middle of the Adriatic canal. A big storm behind us was just brewing. Before that time I really hated jet ski riders, but then this guy Hrvoje who is the owner of jet ski split company saved us. He just finished a jet ski safari tour which is very popular there, he returned with jet skis to pick up us. After that, I still don't like jet ski riders, but not so much like before.

[Vati' Gang]

There's been some great journalism done on this topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZTj...BarstoolSports

[Ralphy]

We have always had a jatski. I have a 19 and 25 year old sons who love it. They both took the safety course before they could drive and I spent a lot of time embedding common sense. We jump the wakes, but do so at least 100 feet away from boats. Anyway, before we had the lakehouse, and pulled the ski to beaches and lakes, 80% of the riders were ignorant and reckless. So in general I hate "other jetskis" LOL. On our lake, everyone who has a jetski is also a boater and there are no problems.
It really comes down to education.