PWCs - an accident waiting to happen

We've owned a PWC (personal watercraft) aka jet ski for a number of years. It's a beast - a 3-seater that develops 175hp and gets up and goes. But we treat it more as an occasional tender than a primary vessel.

When we drive our big boat we're always followed by jet skiers who want to "jump our wake". The bugaboo comes if they get too close to the boat and fall off the jet ski. There have been countless accidents involving jet skis jumping wakes too close to boats with the result that the driver &/or passenger(s) lose a leg when they come in contact with a prop. Even if they miss the boat, it's still possible to sustain injury when they come down the other side of the wake. If they're really unlucky, they might get run over by a boat that was passing on the other side of the vessel who's wake they were jumping. It's only in the last few years that California passed a law prohibiting jet skis from coming within 200 feet of the stern of another vessel.

Another issue is the kids I see driving jet skis. Can you imagine giving the keys to a large motorcycle to an 8-year old and telling them to go play on the freeway? That's the equivalent of what folks are doing when they turn their kids loose on a jet ski. Kids don't have road (or water) sense and have no concept of other traffic. California finally passed a law that restricts jet skiers to a minimum age of 16, although I think that's too low. Country-wide the age limit varies between 12 and 18.

Anyone who has driven a jet boat knows that, when you take your foot off the accelerator, you have zero steering. The same thing with a jet ski. So, you're hurtling along on this hot machine, come across a bad situation and the natural reaction is to back off the throttle. Now you can't steer your way around the problem or out of trouble.

The July 2007 issue of Seaworthy, the monthly magazine of BoatUS (Boat Owners Association of The United States) has a great article on the subject of PWC safety and accidents.

A recent edition of our local newspaper reported on a guy who was driving his jet ski with his 6-year old child sitting in front of him and his 14-year old son driving another jet ski (yes, he was under age). The father made a sharp left turn, not knowing his son was coming up on that side, and the 14-year old ran right over his father killing him. I won't comment further on this tragic situation.

Don't forget the PFD (personal flotation device) which can be a real life saver in the event you end up in the water. Buy a PFD that is US Coast Guard approved for water skiing.

Anyone who has had a single alcoholic drink is not allowed at the helm of any of our vessels or behind the wheels of any our vehicles. Guess what? Drunk drivers are common among jet skiers.

It would be easy for me to say that common sense rules but, unfortunately, common sense seems to go out the window when it comes to PWCs.

Most jet ski users seem to loose all since of judgement when they get on the water with their jet ski.  Personnally I think they should require special training before anybody is allowed to operate a jet ski.

Tom, your post reminded me of the evening a month ago when one our friends left our raft-up with his wife on their jet ski to get home before dark.  As  you will recall they called back about 15 minutes later saying that the GPS showed an average speed of 69 mph for the trip.  I shutter to think of coming around one of the many turns in the river to see a jet ski coming at me at 70 mph.

Ron, thanks for the reminder; I meant to mention training, but somehow forgot.

Same goes for any vessel. It's only in the last year or so that California introduced a voluntary  ??? boating education class. (Chris and I passed with flying colors.)

Can you believe that it's only in the last 5 or so years that California has had a minimum age of 16 for the driver of a power boat. Prior to that, the rule for water skiers was that the observer had to be 12 years or more, but the water skier and the driver could be any age. How stupid is that!

Robert, I remember that. I was on your boat Friday when the same guy was going out towing his jet ski. When I hailed him on the VHF he told me he was going to anchor his boat and come back to get his wife after she got off work.

Here in the great white (in the winter) north we not only have Jet Skis in the summer, but SNOW MOBILES in the winter.

Take most everything you said about Jet skis and make the following changes

1: Wake of another boat becomes snow banks,, Some of which contain "Surprise" elements

2: Delete props (no props)

3: You can steer when you let loose the throttle and you have genuine brakes too on some models.

But the problem with pre-teens being given the keys to more horse power than the family grocery getter and being told to go play in traffic... Yup, got that.  And it seems folks like anti-freeze too,,,, And as you know one anti-freeze type is alcohol.

I have seen kids on jet skis that donm't look ten years old let alone 16.  Sam with ATV/s. some states have pretty lax laws.

Ron, I regularly see 8-year olds on large/powerful jet skis and just shake my head.

When they get hurt then the STUPID parent that allow such going on will want to sue everybody from the manufacturer to any body around them instead of accepting responsibility for their own stupid decisions.

It's only in the last few years that California passed a law prohibiting jet skis from coming within 200 feet of the stern of another vessel.

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Maybe that will stop the clowns who cut in close behind a boat that is trolling  60-80 lb test monofilment lines. 

Naaah.

I, personally, have never seen a practical use for a PWC that couldn't be fulfilled with a safer vessel.  They're a tragedy waiting to happen.

Now snow machines (as snowmobiles are more properly called) do have a purpose in winter transportation but are still abused in the extreme.

Ned said:

I, personally, have never seen a practical use for a PWC that couldn't be fulfilled with a safer vessel.  They're a tragedy waiting to happen.

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They do give some of the sue happy lawyers business. ;D

Ned said:

I, personally, have never seen a practical use for a PWC that couldn't be fulfilled with a safer vessel.

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Gene pool cleaning?

FWIW, Fire/Rescue uses one on the Boise River, through town. It's used mostly for search. Can't imagine how it would be used in a rescue situation.

When they are not using it, the PD borrows it. They use it for law enforcement on the river. That works pretty well, and I can't imagine a better machine for that.

Well, they also use a pontoon boat with a fly rod mounted prominently. Basically, it's kind of like a flag-pole, monted on a rod holder. They keep the badge, citation book and gun in the beer cooler.  :    (Alcohol is illegal on the river.) Three things perplex me. One is that those guys don't know squat about fly fishing. Two is - that is sooooo SNEAKY, I'm not sure law enforcement ought to be involved in that kind of underhanded, devious thing.  :  The last is, "Why does that work - - - YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR?  ???  ???  ???

Ray D  ;D

LOL Newt and Ray.

If we were to do it over, we wouldn't buy a PWC. Would probably buy a small jet boat instead, although some of them are just as dangerous as a PWC. We eventually bought a decent RIB shown here. Sits nicely on our swim platform, is much easier to manoeuver than the typical dinghy and is a great water taxi.

Here's how it rides when we're underway - see attachment. The platform is hydraulic, so it raises and lowers with a remote.