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+--- Thread: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) (/showthread.php?tid=100320)
High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - Sharleen - 06-13-2014
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140614/western/western1.html
So apparently they are going to let the jet ski operators to continue. I swim quite a bit each and every day and the jet skies are extremely annoying to me, as well as being so loud, I hate them. I do have some amount of empathy though, thinking of a father saving $$ to buy a jet ski to support his family and having the rug pulled out from under him as far as making any money. So MANY accidents though, and most likely caused by an idiot jet ski driver driving too fast and with absolutely no amount of caution for people swimming. I actually started swimming (looking absolutely ridiculous) wearing an either bright pink or bright red shower cap on my head, just so some of those speeding jerks might see there is a person swimming.
Also, quick message to O.T. -- lobsters are now down to $6.99 per pound in upstate NY & also a belated happy birthday to you, in case I didn't reply to your birthday thread.
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - Sophie - 06-13-2014
Interesting--- Those guys are talking about GETTING licensed..... so they were some of the guys renting without a license?? Or is it a new sort of license??,,,, or I am reading this all wrong??? And I guess none of them have ever been insured? One guy is saying insurance can't be obtained in Jamaica?? Who knows......
Carnac say::: It shall be a cluster of epic proportions-LOL I guess it will give me something to observe while laying on the beach and you can bet your batty that I will have my eyes WIDE open for them when in the water. I don't have to worry about going under water and popping up and getting hit since wetting up my hair goes against all that is holy-lol
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - Westenders - 06-14-2014
I absolutely agree with the measures being introduced.
The article doesn't say anything about training or regs when tourists have rented and are driving/ riding the jet skis . Or in fact which part of the sea they are wanting to drive in over in negril.
i would be interested to hear about that element of the proposals.
Sophie what you said about the licenses, spot on, also what about the lack of insurance before as well. And I know that the travel insurance I take out doesn't include some with risk activities, jet ski' s being one of them. You have to take out a more expensive policy to include them, so I wonder how many tourists who rented them in the past had insurance?
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - rastagirl777 - 06-14-2014
"so they were some of the guys renting without a license?? "
I'd venture to say most were operating without a license. A watersports license is not that easy to get and it is always important to ask because with that license comes insurance.
I predicted that when Jet Skis were allowed back that the price to rent one would go up considerably. That in and of itself should control the amount of "traffic" on the sea. Between the fewer operators (due to expensive licensing), fewer riders (due to higher prices) and the limits as to where they can go I foresee great improvement in the area. I look forward to the day when I don't have to see them whizzing past my house...
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - oldtimer - 06-14-2014
Sounds like "business as usual " !!!! It cost the owners $20/day to have the cops "look the other way " now it will cost $30/day. WORST THING EVER !!!!!! There is no difference a jet ski operator spending alot of $'s and think that it is a bad situation when the same guy could buy a ton of coke and say "well he put alot of $'s into to it so...." If they don't stop guys selling lobster out of season then they wouldn't stop the jet ski's .
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - JonTom - 06-14-2014
Prior to the recent (this year) changes, the # of jet ski licenses was ridiculously low. I think it was 20 for the whole island. There were a few newspaper articles that mentioned the #. I mean "ridiculously low" as in it was obvious that way more than 20 were in operation. Personally, I'd prefer zero.
I think OT is exactly right - the maritime patrol (what exists of them) pay no mind to the jetskis.
Once I chatted with a Guardsman on the edge of one of the resort properties (the jetski guys came up to the beach there). I asked him why those guys don't slow down. He said they should, but it is not his job, it is the beach police that must stop them. I asked - where are they. He said - well, maybe they are 'friends' with these guys. same old, same old.
ban lifted RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - JonTom - 07-18-2014
jet ski ban lifted island-wide today (18 July).
Oh well, figured it would end some time.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=54319
"It says to date, 90 private and 29 commercial vessels have been registered"
if available for rent means "commercial" this is comical/tragic.
One could see 29 jet skis along Negril beaches alone.
At least it is reported that they will be restricting beach access to specified launch sites.
A longer article with some details on the "launch sites":
http://www.eturbonews.com/48094/jamaica-suspension-private-jet-ski-operations-be-lifted-july-18
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - kylake - 07-18-2014
Thanks everyone for the information. Jon Tom in the article you provided it states.
Launch sites will not be established in close proximity to high risk areas such as places where members of the public customarily swim. These include the Blue Lagoon (Portland), licensed beaches, public bathing beaches including in Negril, Montego Bay and Hellshire Beach, where PWC operations will be prohibited.
So would that mean no launch sites on 7 mile beach? Probably not but that is the interpretation I get from reading it.
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - Westenders - 07-18-2014
It doesn't say anything about restrictions on where the jet skis can 'ride'..
Not sure if these safeguards are enough, compared to what they suggested initially.
RE: High fees choke Negril jet ski operators (article) - JonTom - 07-18-2014
(07-18-2014, 11:12 AM)kylake Wrote: ...
So would that mean no launch sites on 7 mile beach? Probably not but that is the interpretation I get from reading it.
That was my original interpretation as well. But there is the "public bathing beaches" part of that restriction.
I'm not clear how beaches are designated as such and figure they'll find some spot in the area for a launching site.
Then there's the whole matter of enforcement, or lack thereof.
The 2nd article has " the area of operation is at least 200m from the shore. " I take "area of operation" to mean "ride".
Unless they are entering/leaving a launch site where they must "enter and leave the shore at a slow speed of 3 knots".
Again enforcement may be an issue.