Safety tips to remember when riding jet skis
With summer in full force, more people are enjoying water sports like jet skiing. But it’s not always fun and games and there are some regulations to keep in mind that could keep you safe this summer.
While they may look fun, jet skis can also be very dangerous. That’s why officials say it’s important to know what you’re doing. Captain Butch Arbin of the Ocean City beach patrol says for starters, jet skis have no breaks and won’t steer unless you’re pushing the throttle.
Arbin tells 47 ABC, “Very often people on a collision course with something their first attempt is to let the power off and turn the wheel but it’s not changing the direction and it’s not stopping and they have collisions. In the bay the biggest hazard are the other jet skis and boats, in the ocean the biggest problem is that they get in too close to our swimmers and if they get inside the waves, the waves can actually change the direction of the jet ski and push it where they don’t want to go.”
Before getting on a jet ski Arbin says you’re supposed to have a Maryland safe boating certificate, but not many abide by those rules. He says it’s also important to remember the 360 rule, meaning always know your surroundings. Arbin says you should also always be at least 100 feet away from any other person or jet ski in the water and always be at least 300 feet away from shore.”
Arbin says its also a good idea to have a audio warning device on board like a whistle, just in case something goes wrong and he says no body should ever ride alone. Arbin tells 47 ABC, “We’ve seen them flip over in the inlet and the person can’t ride it so they’re stuck in the inlet with an upside down personal watercraft that they can’t get back on.”
Making a personal floatation device, that much more important. 47 ABC also spoke with Wayne Carey who owns Top Gun water sports in Ocean City. Carey tells 47 ABC, “Safety is number one with us we definitely pride ourselves on a perfect safety record and we go over and above with training, hiring the best staff, paying a little bit more to have the best staff.”
Carey tells 47 ABC before the summer season starts they review rules and regulations and test on basic jet ski knowledge. Carey says, “The training is the big thing and really just kind of bringing the people up to speed on a lot of the basic rules.”
If you’re looking to rent a jet ski for the day, you will be asked for a boaters license. If you don’t have one, you’ll be required to take a temporary quiz before you can ride.
