License for Water Scooters. Thin end of the wedge?

[Hallberg-Rassy]

OK, I lied. I could only find videos of ones with woman and man in them and I felt a little pervy just watching.

But this was quite tasteful.

Are the batteries recycleable?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Antisocial hobby. Needs looking at as it affects so many other people. Enough of them don't care about speed limits, swimming zones etc., And then there is the noise..... With freedom comes responsibility.

That's more-or-less NGM's position on recreational boats in general, isn't it?

 

[ProMariner]

It's a hard no for me for compulsory licensing for pleasure boating.

Spend time in a Croatian marina or anchorage will dispel the myth that licensing and minimum training makes safer better sailors.

I am happy that I and other drivers around me have licences and insurance, I am often meters away from them at lethal speeds. I don't see the analogy, sorry. If the sea was 1000 times busier, and boats were 5 times faster, maybe.

Pleasure boaters, even jet skis, are most likely to do damage to themselves, or those in their own group, puts it in about the same risk category as hill walking, mountain biking, fishing, or golf. I would not want to live in a country that wanted me to have a safety license for all these activities. There are already plenty of laws in place to punish the anti social and dangerous.

For me, it works like this: If you give someone a ticket that says he can Captain a 25m powerboat with 5000hp, and sail it in a force 10, a certain kind of person will set this as his boundary. Such tickets are often a half day course, or cash equivalent.

But if you say to the new sailor, buy what you want, use it how you want, but if you hurt anyone, cause damage, or cause a pollution incident, you have unlimited liability, everyone seems to engage their own risk assessment system, and gain knowledge and qualifications as required.

Having attended and taught hundreds of courses, I should be in the compulsory minimum education for sea users game, but speaking honestly, too many of courses, especially the compulsory ones, are a complete waste of time and resources. The best way to learn, is slowly and at your own pace, in a direction that takes your interest, by being exposed to experience rich situations, with access to knowledge and experience as required.

More people un the UK every year drown while using motor cars, than while using pleasure boats. I don't think there is a problem yet.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

Oh, I only now see, they don't mean sea scooters, they mean Jetskis. It's just a tabloid thing because scooters have a bad rap.

I'll expect the headline, "Aqua Hells Angels kill Mother of Two" next.

Perhaps part of the problem is it attracts thrill seekers who can be bothered with the time, effort and expense of getting a motorcycle license? "Buy one, ride one".

OK, I'm in. Equivalent examinations, insurance, plates and license points to motorcycles. Sounds fair.

Chasing ducklings is definitely a ban.

That photo looks like a scene out of a Jame Bond movie just before a baddie get his head cut off.

 

[Daydream believer]

That photo looks like a scene out of a Jame Bond movie just before a baddie get his head cut off.

So what is wrong with that picture? Just 2 people enjoying themselves on a nice day. Little wash from the zig zag path in the top right of the scene & no one else in sight. Clearly one cannot see out of shot , nor assess the noise, but to tow a skier one has to be able to control a jetbike with a certain degree of proficiency. One might argue that there should be a lookout on the the towing craft, but not practical in this situation.

 

[LadyInBed]

If you need a license for any sort of watercraft, that would kill off the hire industry.

The French managed to get around that (CEVNI) for people hiring holiday barges on the canals!

 

[LadyInBed]

No let the RN use them as moving target practice

The SBS use them towing a platform for diver/swimmer pickup.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

So what is wrong with that picture?

Just out of frame is a kid in an inflatable with their neck at wire height.

I don't see the appeal in them. It's like owning a motorcycle but only being able to ride in a flat carpark.

 

[CLB]

It's like owning a motorcycle but only being able to ride in a flat carpark.

I don't own one, and never will, but your statement does rather make it sound like you have never been on one.

 

[chrishscorp]

The SBS use them towing a platform for diver/swimmer pickup.

Indeed and the RNLI also use them, I am sure they are useful tools but I am guessing the operators in both of those cases have been trained in how to use and behave so no one would have an issue with them using them.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

I don't own one, and never will, but your statement does rather make it sound like you have never been on one.

A motorcycle?

I appreciate that a few folk might take them flying at fun time in Nazaré, but your average anti-social plonker does little more than go round and round or back and forward in a lake or flat water, a few yards off the shore.

That's what I was correlating to a motorcycle in a carpark.

At least with a motorcycle, you get a little more of a 3D experience, with bigger ups an downs.

 

[Graham376]

We're based in a country (Portugal) with compulsory licensing and third party insurance and it makes no difference whatsoever to the standard of driving power boats and my observation is that standards are well below those demonstrated by most UK adults. OTOH, I do think that third party insurance should be compulsory and a lower age limit for driving a jet ski unaccompanied by an adult.

 

[SaltyC]

Hurray at last. I have many stories , but seeing a jetskier in Poole Harbour flip his wake over my grandson when paddle boarding was the limit.

So when they have their registration number on each side in large black letters, I can then send the photo to the Coastguard !

Don't worry yachtsmen, PWC s are not vessels, so it won't affect us.

Won't it? Civil Service Mission Creep. More responsibility, more jobs, promotion and more money.

 

[SaltyC]

Antisocial hobby. Needs looking at as it affects so many other people. Enough of them don't care about speed limits, swimming zones etc., And then there is the noise..... With freedom comes responsibility.

Ah Noise, for many years Windermere had power boats and water skiers. As one walked along the lake side one could watch the skiers (and laugh when they fell - sorry) but no noise, then came jet skies, Buzzing like wasps close inshore, annoying the 'walkers' and a speed limit for all introduced. The actions of an irresponsible minority had a detrimental effect on the majority.

 

[greeny]

We're based in a country (Portugal) with compulsory licensing and third party insurance and it makes no difference whatsoever to the standard of driving power boats and my observation is that standards are well below those demonstrated by most UK adults. OTOH, I do think that third party insurance should be compulsory and a lower age limit for driving a jet ski unaccompanied by an adult.

What age do you suggest Graham? I 'm guessing its maybe 16 now. So do you think 14 or 12?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

What age do you suggest Graham? I 'm guessing its maybe 16 now. So do you think 14 or 12?

I think Graham meant lower as in at the bottom of a range, and actually setting one - contrary to your guess there isn't one. The RYA recommends that under 16s are supervised.

The upper age limit seems to have already adjusted itself to be a certain level of maturity.

 

[Graham376]

What age do you suggest Graham? I 'm guessing its maybe 16 now. So do you think 14 or 12?

I don't think there's any lower age limit in the UK or any specific law applying to them. I think 16 would be reasonable age but, as some adults drive like lunatics they will no doubt copy them anyway. I dislike regulation for the sake of it but, without regulations and qualification/license, how can irresponsible users of all ages be penalised? IIRC, they were deemed not to be a vessel so presumably maritime law doesn't apply.

 

[Stemar]

Oh, I only now see, they don't mean sea scooters, they mean Jetskis. It's just a tabloid thing because scooters have a bad rap.

I'll expect the headline, "Aqua Hells Angels kill Mother of Two" next.

Perhaps part of the problem is it attracts thrill seekers who can be bothered with the time, effort and expense of getting a motorcycle license? "Buy one, ride one".

OK, I'm in. Equivalent examinations, insurance, plates and license points to motorcycles. Sounds fair.

Chasing ducklings is definitely a ban.

That photo looks like a scene out of a Jame Bond movie just before a baddie get his head cut off.

I can't see anything wrong with the photo either. They are, as far as we can see, having responsible fun. It may not be my idea of fun, but if it's theirs, I've no argument with it. If, OTOH, the only reason the water isn't full of swimmers is because they've already topped a couple, well, hanging's too good.

IMO, the solution is intelligent laws, intelligently enforced*, and compulsory insurance for all boats. I'll leave you to decide if a Topper is a boat, sea kayak, or an inflatable canoe from Aldi, or a lilo...

*Yes, I know that's never going to happen

 

[NotBirdseye]

I can't see anything wrong with the photo either. They are, as far as we can see, having responsible fun. It may not be my idea of fun, but if it's theirs, I've no argument with it. If, OTOH, the only reason the water isn't full of swimmers is because they've already topped a couple, well, hanging's too good.

IMO, the solution is intelligent laws, intelligently enforced*, and compulsory insurance for all boats. I'll leave you to decide if a Topper is a boat, sea kayak, or an inflatable canoe from Aldi, or a lilo...

*Yes, I know that's never going to happen

That's the problem really we already have sufficient laws, they're just not enforced and instead the police seek more powers. This is just one of the examples.

 

[Tomahawk]

What is the RYA saying about this?