I just wish the big cruisers would learn to obey slow no wake zones X2!!!!

same old story with these toys. They have just as much right as a boat in the water. But most operate them how they shouldnt be. If you want to cut in and out and go in circles go find a cove or places where boats arent. Personally Ive had more issues with other boats this year and either few or none with jet skis.

sure ill trade but fair warning there aint much water around...
and the statement is so true. i usually dread taking out of the water. I get out there too early and put in so i usually dont have to listen to the bs..

If i did that i may be SHOT..

[QUOTE=demonmaestro;3482877]sure ill trade but fair warning there aint much water around...
and the statement is so true. i usually dread taking out of the water. I get out there too early and put in so i usually dont have to listen to the bs..



Well, there is PLENTY of water around here! I am right on the St Lawrence River, which is fed by the Great Lakes, plus, TONS of smaller lakes 10-15 mins away.............The only problem is that MOST of them are FROZEN 4 months of the year! So, you might not have as "much" water, but, at least you can use it year round! LOL

Good luck at the launch ramp, try and take the idiots with "a grain of salt" and dont let THEM ruin your day :-}

Michael

Basic nautical law,

Larger craft has right of way.
Craft traveling in, up or down, channel has right of way.

What part of this do these Awads not comprehend?

there are a lot of these show offs out there! it irritates me how thoughtless these jerks are

I ride both motorcycles and jet skis. I put top priority on doing both responsibly. Also love performance boating. Variety is the spice of life. :drink:

We have a place on LOTO and it seems to me that ignorance of navigation rules is the biggest driver. The jet skiers I see don't appear to intentionally inconsiderate, for the most part. I see poor judgment used just riding near one another as well... playing chicken... following in the same line. It seems to strike a cord with some, but they're the ATV's of the water, IMO. I've witnessed a higher frequency of idiocy with them as well and I'm reading about senseless deaths associated with them on a regular basis. Both are easy to throw a leg over and fun to ride and the general public doesn't respect them appropriately (enough) when operating them.

I know folks don't like government regulation, but I think it would take something like that to improve jet skier safety. IE, mandatory training, license, etc. When it comes to transportation of any form, it's certainly one of the least regulated and it shows. I'm not naive enough to think that would "cure" the problem, but it could help.
As for the rentals, improving judgment there is a long shot. Make 'em watch a safety video, perhaps? But most renters might not want to deter business in any way, shape, or form.

The reality of the situation is that they'll have to continue to be tolerated as-is.

My $.02.

I Ran On Mission Bay In San Diego For A Few Years And Wanted To Mount A 50 Cal. On My Bow!!!! And Pay A Gunners Mate To Ride With Me.
I Was Convinced That Part Of The Jet Ski Purchase Procces Was:
1. I.q. Test - If Above 40 - Hit Buyer In Head With A Hammer To Lower I.q
I Had One Guy Cut Across My Bow With A 5 Y.o. Sitting In Front Of Him, Never Even Saw Me- I Was Just Making Headway So I Waited Until He Was 10 Yards From Me And Went Full Throttle Reverse - Scared The Hell Out Of Him And He Flipped The Ski - Felt Bad For The Kid, But I Bet 'ole Dad Paid More Attention After That
Another One - I Was Heading Out Between The Breakwaters And Some Jag-off Decided To Jump The Standing Swell 8' From My Starboard Rail-landed Lost It And Carved An Edge And Shot Under And Across My Bow. 5 Mor Feet And He'd Been Jum!
Idiots Like That Ruin A Day Out Pretty Quickly - The Real Kick In The Grapes Is Mission Bay Had A Jet Ski Only Zone That You Could Get A Ticket If You Took A Boat Into. We Called It "bonehead Bay"!

Where I live the cops have been cracking down on jet skiers who ride like a$$ holes. They actually give out cards that explain basic nautical law to these idiots. The problem with the jet skis is that most riders are NOT boaters. The ones who are real boaters usually respect the water and everyone else who's on it. To me, the real dangerous ones are the morons with boats who have no idea what they're doing and simply do not belong on the water....... Nothing makes me cringe more than having my boat tied up at the local night spot dock when a cruiser full of yahoos holding boat hooks with puzzled looks on their faces comes in and wants to squeeze in next to me.

they tend to forget we have a nice baloney slicer in the back.....

Seems to me like as soon as you get on a jet ski, you get a serious case of ADHD. You are cruising along, look off to your left or right and see a wave and BAM, you are going for it, boats to the rear be damned. Thats why I like to lead from the front, I dont care what the idiots do behind me.

I had one last year bounce off the stsrboard side good thing I saw him comming the last few seconds and veered to port.
Rich

I own both high performance Jetskis and a Fountain. Rules for operating both are the same. No drinking period. Keep a distance from other boaters minimum 200'. More distance as speed increases. As I play in Puget Sound the sound of my toys lasts only as long as it takes for me to pass by. I would not think of jumping the wake or buzzing around other boaters on the ski. That is simply rude behavior. I do not ski on lakes nor go to the dunes to ATV anymore on holiday weekends. Too crowded. Sorry so may of you have had bad experiences with inconsiderate Jetskiers. I have witnessed the bad behavior of a few myself. As with many sports a few tend to ruin the image for the masses.

We've had a few almost hit us this year trying to jump our wake. They do not realize what danger they are putting themselves in. They actually think they are faster than us. That is what gets them in trouble.

These little ****ers are almost as bad as the pontoons with thier "headlights" on!!! Kill them all!!!!

1+ A$$holes are everywhere! I had jet skis years ago and thinking about getting one or two again, I miss them they are fun!

I can't believe the amount of BOATERS I run across that don't know the "rules of the road" There are rules on the water, just because your an A$$hole with money does not mean the rules don't apply to you. I think a boating safety coarse should be mandatory for boat and jet ski owners.

I have heard that one can, in certain parts of the U.S, rent a high performance boat but only with a captain. You get to drive the boat but if you are operating it in an unsafe manner you give up the right to drive. A person without experience can rent a jetski for as little as $100.00. I wonder how many bad experiences come from rented V owned jetski riders? I went to a high performance driving school. It was well worth the money. I hear there are some high performance boating schools around. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Twenty years ago if your boat did over 60 it was considered fast. Now it's over 100...

Just in last two days..

Friday we come back to summer gottage,
driving slow /55mph There was jetski that saw
us and making fast turn and try to reach / start playing
with us. Lake was empty forward so we open throttles
dont want that idiot to start running around..
That was easy..
But who ever with the boat! when saw
someone driving make fast turns and start
playing around but with jetski its kinda normal
way to ride..

Saturday..
City has happenings and full of boats.
One young lady driving jets ski near
harbor area making contining s turns
putting waves and trying to spray cooling
water on other boaters.
never seen anyone do that before.:eekdrop:

I drive 4 different vehicles on a rairly regular Basis.. Full Size Jacked Up Truck.. Big and Loud, 67 Skylark.. Big and Loud and Fast, Chevy Cruze..Gay..LOL..and an Excursion..work. I might as well be invisible in my Cruze, but it has more Blindspots than Helen Kellers Family Reunion, my Skylark gets a lot of attention from Old Schoolers and Kids in Rice Grinders and Jap Crap. It always cracks me up when kids in the '93 Eclipse with 3 inch exhaust tips wanna race, but they can maneuvre better than I can and invariably they wanna thread the needle between slower traffic to try'n keep up and that's when I shut'er down. There's a bottle neck for traffic coming off the freeway toward my home on my daily commute and I am constantly trying to usher people ahead or keep'em from cutting me off but people really don't anticipate a courteous driver to be rollin a Hot Rod or Monster Truck. I bounced a buddy of mine off the windshield of my truck because I stomped on the cluth and downshifted to go around some idiot texting and kind of driving..only problem was I don't have a Muncie Four Speed in my Truck.. I have a 700r4...my left foot found a brake pedal instead of the clutch Oops! I think these kids get on Jet Skis and they're so insignificant and easy to play with that they forget the speeds they're acheiving and their brains aren't accustomed to all the Huge differences in operating one as opposed to an auto or boat. They are also typically drunk or just off in their own little world setting up for a trick attempt or spin. They don't bug me until they wanna hang out in my wake when I am trying to concentrate on numbers, motor sounds, and the space in front of me. The Train Horns are going to look pretty sweet on my Old Chevy Truck..but the horn on this boat sounds like the Buzzer at a Basketball Game.. I don't even like it enough to wanna use the damn thing..LOL

Wow..that was long and rambling.. My Bad.. Kids on pwc's are usually Young, Dumb, and Full of... They don't know rules..and if they do..they're on a rented ski with the "ain't mine..don't care" attitude or trying to impress a Ghost White White Trash pair of tit$ on a Party Barge with her Goateed Hubby tryin' to figure out why his 1963 Johnson 40 horse motor won't start..LOL.

Three guys probably in their early twenties walked into the marina I work at last weekend. "You guys rent Jet Skis?" one of them asks. "Nope, we stopped doing that about 8 years ago" I reply. "Why not?" they ask. "For some reason they attract idiots faster than we could winch them up (sunken) from the bottom of the lake." I reply. By the look on his face, I could tell he knew exactly what I was talking about.

+ 1

Where I live (New York State), taking and passing a Safe Boating Course is required for all boat owners and the law has been in place for about 4 years now. I've been boating for over 50 years and had to take it myself. Want my assessment of its effectiveness? About zero. I'm sorry, but way too many folks who drive jet skis apparently left their brains in a jar someplace.

Omg you ahould live in Erie. There is a rental place in the bay that rents jet skis to everyone and I mean everyone. If you haves passed the boaters safety course required by law you can watch a ten minute video and be out I always stay far away

I thought this was the law in NY



You must hold a safety certificate if:
•You operate a personal watercraft and are at least 14 years of age. Until 2009 operators age 10-13 can still operate with restrictions. Click on Navigation Law updates for complete information.
•You wish to operate a motorboat (other than a personal watercraft) and you are at least 10 years old and less than 18 years old.
•If you are less than 10 years old you may operate a motorboat (non-PWC) only if someone over 18 is on board with you. Anyone may operate a personal watercraft if someone at least 18 years old is riding on the craft and they hold a safety certificate

It's not the jetskis here, it's the boaters. No respect for their wakes and they think (?) nothing of passing right by you within 20-30 feet when there is miles and miles of water on either side. What's with that? Also notice how many other "regular" boaters have to pass a performance boat even when you are cruising along at 40+.

I mentioned it before and I think it still holds true

The BEST part of Jet Ski's? they are cheap [relatively]
The WORST part of Jet Ski's? They are cheap!

My boat sure isn't anything special, especially compared to some of the gazzillion dollar bling floating [no pun intended] around here, but, I am pretty damn selective about who I let take the helm, as for "lending" it to someone to go rip around for an hour? Not likely!

However, a $1000 Jet Ski? In a different situation I would probably be more inclined to be less restrictive about who used it, or borrowed it. I also think since they are so small and easily trailerable that you have a lot of "transient" PWC'ers that aren't local, so, like the old expression goes "you dont pee where YOU play" Some of these guys have no problem being "A Holes" on some "buddy/Girlfriends" place whereas if they where at "home' they might be a little more considerate, Just my thoughts!

I agree!!! I had one hot shot try to pull some fancy sheet on me in a marina (not to be named) what he wasn't expecting was for me to get pissed off!!! I trottled in and pinned him and his seadoo up against the seawall and ripped him a new orifice in front of 20 or so boaters... lets just say that the standing "O" that I received said it all!! and the skid mark left in the hot shots shorts I'm sure is still there today!! lmfao!
"why settle for scared, when you can be scared sh*tless!!"

They pry just wanna hear the exhaust when you put the hammer down lol. Just gotta decide if they are worth the gas $$ or not.

being a jet skier 20plus years and having a boat..
im just slow down when i even see a jetskier near my boat..
i yell at lake lice all the time and have also chased boats and yelled at the driver for being a knuckle head..

Had a close call two weekends ago in the 1000 islands region. Was going in between islands at a high rate of speed, a jet ski came from my starboard side, looked over as if they were going to try to run with us. They came close to being in my path, looked again, then cut over into my path as I was catching up. These two girls missed the side of my bow by inches, you can see them fly by in this video, I was doing 88 mph at the time. What you can't see in the video is them nearly perpendicular to my bow, the video catches them turning away. Wonder what they said when they got back to camp? I tried to give them more room but as you can see there is an island on my port side and I was already turning away from them.


Excuse the editing, it is my friend Mike who thinks he is funny :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS7hpstIwbM

Sorry to say it but they had the right of way as you were overtaking them, and you were on on their port side. Judging from their wake the girls were the stand on boat and you were the give way boat. If you were going 88 mph I'm sure it was hard to judge your distance from their perspective. You should have slowed down, especially in such close proximity to land and another vessel.

yeah unless in the main channel I wouldnt be running 88mph between islands up there.

I was in lake of the isles

They saw me, came to me, decided to run next to me, I started slightly turning away to the left, they turned away to the right then darted hard to the left. I don;t care what side they are on, I don't change lanes on the highway without looking, and I don't my vessel darting all over without looking.

The land looks closer on the camera than it is in real life, plenty of room to let your boat eat in that lake.

I don't drive my boat wide open everywhere. Do what you want but I am not going to get off the sticks every time I see a boat or ski.

Do you only look on your right side when boating? Cause the boats on the left don't have the right of way?

you talking that island in the middle out there, yeah I usually play it safe running through there, usually some dick in the middle fishing or somebody canoeing.

One thing to that I have always tried to think about is whatever boat that is smaller and more manueverable should yield the right away whenever possible.

I would have to say people in the cruisers drive like dicks

I should count myself lucky. Not many jet skis on the Pacific. Too wavy. They get just outside the breakwater, and most turn back. Then as they are coming back, the Coast Guard gets on their PA system, "Jet Ski, 5 mph". I love it. I've also seen the Harbor Patrol go after them even outside the 5 mph zone if they are causing trouble, with lights and siren going. A lot of people have Marine VHF radios and call them in.

Michael

Ha... 93-94 I did research and distruction for mastercraft..they had a line of PWC's out called wetjets. We would go out of San Diego in the ocean, and go WFO to see who stayed on the longest. Right at the end of Point Loma its shallow and the waves break, we would regularly catch 15' of air luching surf. I can remeber going out on easter when there was a decent storm, and launching off house size swells .

I had an idiot almost hit me on a wave runner while I was anchored at Grass Island in Buffalo NY. I got in between him and my boat(6 inches) from hitting my port side, I was going to let him hit me before my boat. I told him to learn how to ride, but I honestly don't think he was mentally all there because he almost hit my buddies Excalibur 10 minutes later. I barely swerve out the way for them anymore, its there responsibility to get out of the way, just like its mine to get out of the way of a yacht.