audacity

way to go brad!!!!!!!!!

G-Force

Oh, I agree with you there Brad. They wouldn't give a kid keys to the car, why do they think a jet ski or boat is any different?

Risk Taker

10 years ago it cost $6,000.+ to insure a $ 100,000. Top Gun. Cat insurance then?? FUGETABOUTIT.....

It now costs less than $ 2,000. to insure most $ 100,000. high performance V bottoms, and cat insurance about 50 - 75% higher (numbers are approximate).

I am afraid the numbers have bottomed out, and are on their way up again. This is a natural fluctuation, however all the accidents/deaths so far this year (and in general) will add to the "hit." The more insurance companies that pull out of the game, the remaining companies will have carte blanche to charge whatever they want (just like 10 years ago).

Be prepared.........

mopower

I don't believe licensing is the way to go .
Case in point , look at the @$$ holes on the highway.They all have licenses and took written and road tests.Once an @$$ hole always an @$$ hole

blackhawk

I have watched these posts for awhile and said nothing, but now it is time

1) I believe a 15 year old can be a very experienced jet skiier. Look at profesional motocross racers, a lot are in their prime from 15-20. However, a 15 year old does not have real world "common sense"

2) 75mph is fast, period. I agree, in the right conditions my boat is a piece of cake to drive a 75 mph. I can drive it with one finger and carry on 2 conversations and eat lunch. However, in the "wrong" conditions my boat can be a handful at 60mph.

3) I have to agree with audacity, it is "how well you go fast". I have spent money and a lot of time on larger K-planes, seperate plane switches, external steering, etc on my boat to make it more controlable and predictable. I would have loved to spent that money on motor mods to go faster, but I want to make sure my boat will handle it first. I still have a few more things to purchase and then maybe get into the motor.

4) One day out in my boat with 2 others I launched my boat over a boat wake at 65+ mph with the tabs all the way up. There was not a boat within 200 yards of me and the wake was tiny. However, my boat "caught" the wake just right and we lauched, and I mean launched, out of the water. I almost flew out of the boat and we were all cut and bruised. VERY scary!!! Luckily we came down straight. I have been driving boats since I was 12. Granted, they were not performance but I am pretty experienced. I saw the wake and never thought in a million years my boat would react like that. It was an ACCIDENT.

5) With that said, Kook's accident was just that. An ACCIDENT.

I wish you and your friend the best, kook.

RumRunner

I do not think that a license will solve the problem, but.......

There are two sides to this issue. First look at the guy who goes out and gets a fast car, and drives way over his head. He get's himself into trouble even if he can because the others do not know how to respond to the situation. He can't drive to the limits all the time on the street, the conditions won't allow it. but in a boat !!! He's even more dangerous.

I also do not think anyone has the ability to speak about anyone elses abilities without knowing them. I can say that when I was 15 and working in a marina I know for a fact I could handle a boat better than most people 3 times my age, but it is what I did all day, and was around boats, and the marina since I could crawl. I also had taken every safety course available to me.

I think safety courses, and crashes are good for us. The give us all a sense of reality, but the bottom line is the only way it will stop is when the people involved want it to stop. It takes a lot more pride to run you boat under control at 60, when your buddy is running his at 70 out of control, rather then run yourself to death just to go faster.

Don't we all boat because we enjoy it ??? I know I don't boat to die !!!

mjuwalters

I run a 4 seat full canopy 30 motion as a pleasure boat.I will admit you do not feel the same sense of speed as an opean boat. the new girl friend was with me last weekend , after a few 110mph passes she sad that did not feel fast. No wind as a refrence I guess. Iam not sure if thats a good thing or not. After all the accidents this year I did go out sunday and buy 4 inflateable life jackets. I hope my riders will wear them. The speeds we are running in pleasure boats now were fast for race boats just 10years ago. Lots of fun but we must use good judgement and be carefull.I don't know that there is a answer to all this. Remember as soon as you make something idoit proof they make a better idoit.

turbo2256

I began boating while still in diapers. By the age of eight I was running the helm of my (by that time blind) grandfathers 26 foot 5 ton gaff rig sailboat out of Vermilion Ohio. He had 45 years of boating experance he tried to cram into my young brain. Suprise
a lot of it sunk in. Now I am a member of the U.S.C.G.A. WHY because its about safe boating practices they have safe boating classes and such there not costly. They teach some basics as to handling a boat , rules of the road , some commom sence stuff , etc well worth the price. Most insurance companys give discounts for completing the class. Its not the answer to everything but we figure only about 3 percent of boaters have completed such a class. After a day out on just about any body of water it shows.

Bosco

I don't believe skiis have proper lighting for night use. So if this accident did occure in the evening you have a parental problem here. Young minds just want to have fun regardless of any bad consiquences. Sorry to here about such a horrable loss to these people.

Also, in the world of motorcycling I belong to the 200 mph club on my brothers Hyabusa. The motorcycle industry has decided to reduce and regulate the top speed at 175 mph. I don't like it, but it does make sence for those less experienced or immature riders out there.

audacity

i used to build engines for all 200 clubers with Mc Naughton Motorsports...after i retired from the GP circut my x-team mate got a ride to run that busa in the exteeme class....what a hand full he had...fun to watch though...

now scrub a few mph off that and thing about flicking it in and dragging the plastic through turn 1 at brainerd( fastest corner in NA)