02-02-2014, 01:51 PM
<P>personal observations from last week. If something is "2nd hand" or "beach talk", i'll attempt to note it.<P>Day after the accident (or more precisely, on Wed.) there were helicopters flying up and down the beaches all day. Personally saw only one jet ski - where usually I might see 20 or 30 (obviously could be the same ones multiple times). "Beach talk": those copters are JDF looking for the jet ski operator (my eyes/JDF knowledge are not good enough to verify that).<BR>Same day, in the AM saw and heard a jet-ski/parasailing hawker I've seen for years on the beach. He was telling 3 staff from a resort that he "now control here". reason being that his company has a valid license (and implying that no one else does).<P>Next day the jet-ski activity looked pretty much back to normal, perhaps a lower number, but by Friday was biz as usual. Walked down the beach and saw ~12 jet -skis pulled way up on the beach under trees - not visible unless you walked up to that area and all the "operators" (admittedly an assumption) were just conferencing - not hustling any tourist or anything - have never personally seen that.<P>Saturday saw no jet-skis (related to the "Temporary" ban that Pineapple posted perhaps)?<P>Talked to a resort operator and he seemed genuinely frustrated/disgusted and, perhaps a bit too honest. I asked if this accident, in his opinion, would finally get something done. ("2nd hand/beachtalk"): Perhaps something will be proposed but I predict in less than one month it will be back the same way. Tired of the 3 hour meetings with the police, marine police and they barely acknowledge the problem. The hotel operators take the majority of the hit for poor publicity like this.<BR>We tell them they can just walk down the beach when the craft are on land and check the craft then, but they just make excuses.<P>He also said that it is even more frustrating b/c despite the supposed "license" of jet-skis (also noting the low number of license compared to the number in use), that every watercraft his resort uses must be licensed, even a kayak. He admitted/volunteered that the compliance wasn't so much fear of police reinforcement but that if the resort insurer learned of operating unlicensed craft his insurance would be cancelled.<BR>This made me wonder if beachbum33 had to have licenses (or was supposed to) for the SUP business.<P>Related to the other thread "unbelievable" thread about persons asking for jet ski recommendations, i understand the sentiment but, IMO, agree with others that very few tourists were aware of the accident. Despite it being top headline in the paper (Observer), I've encountered few that read it or any other paper. Anyone in the tourist industry that I spoke to knew all about it, some talked in hushed tones, others more openly, but with "good must suffer from deeds of the bad" type comments.<P>Encountered a group of 4 just arriving and they asked (being their 1st time to JA) for "must do" activities. 1st words from my mouth were "Well... don't rent jet skis and if you do water activities please be very aware". Saw the smile disappear from their faces, felt bad for a moment, and said "Well, a man was killed a few days ago. Sorry I said that 1st thing, but in the end probably better you should know, than not".<BR>In the end I don't feel bad about informing them and just don't think that many tourists are aware of what happened.