Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

[Rob]

How will the jet ski guys get any customers if they don't troll up & down the beach? WHO? will enforce any so called "rules?" answer,nobody.

Fred,

Just as the catamaran operators walk up and down the beach, so will the jet ski sales people. The catamarans dont "troll" up and down the beach and they do great business. The jet ski operators business model will change, and that will become the new norm. It will also create more jobs as anyone wanting to jet ski will be shuttled up to the launching area farther up the beach, far from the swimmers by the resorts.

Read my previous post on who will be doing the enforcement.

[ESparks451]

I'm with the ELCYD guy.


How in the world do some of you feel so entitled to stick your self in Jamaican policy? Opinions are like.........we all got them. But honestly this is an issue for the Jamaican citizens. If this was well regulated and help create JOBS for people who actually NEED them I see no issue at all. If you want to go snorkeling without jet skis go to Rhodes Resort. Or go to the south side of the island. Not many jetski's there.

WE all have things that might bother us. But surely compromise is the best solution here.

When Jet ski's are outlawed. Only outlaws will ride Jet ski's.

[Papa Georgie]

Last November I asked one of those guys how much to rent one of those things.
60 US$ per HALF HOUR.
I said whew I'll pass on that.
He said you got 60 bucks.
I said yea but I'll hurt myself on that thing.

[Rob]

...UM last time I checked it was Tourist who were the victims of the jet skis?

Fred,

From August of last year:

"Seven-year-old Tanoya Hyman of Christiana, Manchester, was killed in a jet ski accident in Ocho Rios, St Ann, over the weekend.

The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the police information arm, reported that about 3:00 pm on Saturday, Hyman was playing in the sand at the Ocho Rios Bay Beach with two of her family members when tragedy struck.

Police report that a jet ski, which was being driven by a male tourist, allegedly lost control and collided with the child, killing her on the spot."

Because a young Jamaican girl was killed by a tourist, this issue was already being discussed and regulations suggested after the August incident - this is from October of last year:

"The Government is taking action to regulate jet ski operations, which should result in a reduction of jet skiing accidents at marine recreational areas and a clamp- down on illegal commercial operators.

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill announced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 15, that Cabinet had approved a six-month suspension on the importation of all jet skis for commercial use.

Additionally, the ministry has consulted with the marine police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coastguard, which will conduct enforcement activities to seize and detain the illegal vessels.

McNeill added that there will be strengthening of regulations for the safe use of jet skis in harbours and bays. In consultation with the maritime authority, it has been decided that activities in all resort areas will be done beyond swimming areas and away from ships and piers.

It is a matter of safety ... . this was not arrived at lightly," he emphasised."

Since the tragedy in Negril in January, the government instituted an island wide ban to stop all possible incidents from occurring.

[freebirdny]

This is obviously a difficult issue. I would at first agree that as tourists we have no place in the debate. But then I googled the jet ski accidents. One was a man from Las Vegas swimming in front of his resort and he was hit by a jet ski who KEPT ON GOING. Another was a 6 year old girl ON THE BEACH hit by an out of control jet ski, again, on the beach. So that convinces me that tourists probably do have a say in this. I know when we were there last year the jet skis came right into the swimming area, with swimmers in the water, some of which were children, in order to drum up business. I'm definitely glad that they are taking this issue seriously and I hope that the new regulations work.

[captaind]

Fred,

Just as the catamaran operators walk up and down the beach, so will the jet ski sales people. The catamarans dont "troll" up and down the beach and they do great business.

I had the first catamaran rental on Negril beach. One of my captains was "Love I" He almost ran over a tourist while trolling the beach in 1982.

After a meeting with the Tourist board I agreed that we would never do that again. From then on we, and the operators who came after me stuck to that agreement.

As I said earlier it's not the skis...... it's the way they were being "marketed" on the beach

Cap

[Fred Stripe]

I thought when Booger said the tourism is only 5% of all revenue he was attacked but now with Two Million tourist it's only 5% ?????????????????????????????????

Rob,sorry,but what you speak of is what is on a piece of paper,not reality.

[Rob]

I thought when Booger said the tourism is only 5% of all revenue he was attacked but now with Two Million tourist it's only 5% ?????????????????????????????????

Rob,sorry,but what you speak of is what is on a piece of paper,not reality.

Fred,

Sorry man, it is reality, which may very well be on paper, but reality nevertheless...

http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html

[TAH]

Fred,

Sorry man, it is reality, which may very well be on paper, but reality nevertheless...

http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html

It is reality, but for the island as a whole (which is dominated by Kingston). When you look at individual tourist driven cities/towns, it's very different.

[Rob]

It is reality, but for the island as a whole (which is dominated by Kingston). When you look at individual tourist driven cities/towns, it's very different.

TAH,

Exactly. Although most tourists only see resort towns like Negril, with an entire population of about 6000 residents, tourism makes up the majority of the economy. And is greatly appreciated! But when you consider Kingston, population of about 1,000,000, tourism barely makes even a dent in the economy.

Visitors can get a very exaggerated view of how much tourism supplies to the GDP of the island. 5% is really not that high of a figure. 15% comes from family sending money back to the island in form of Western Union and Moneygram...