The 'infection' has spread to here ... Jetski's

Loch Lomond manages boats, which includes Jet Skis, with restricted speed limits and "person in charge" registration, who must be on the boat.

Loch Lomond Byelaws 2023 - Here. Now. All of us.

In the Q&A Section there is a question on why were jet skis not banned. Also questions around enforcement, which some may find informative or relevant to how jet skis are managed elsewhere.

In the public consultation, there were requests for a complete ban on Personal Water Craft (PWCs) such as jet skis and jet bikes. The main reasons given for this included anti-social behaviour associated with some jet ski users, fears that there could be a collision between a PWC and another vessel or another, more vulnerable Loch user, and disturbance caused by the noise of the engines.

The merits of a ban on these types of vessels were considered. However, it was not seen to be proportionate to ban one type of powered vessel and was deemed more appropriate to focus on using byelaws to address behaviours.

There is also a risk of displacing PWCs to other lochs within the National Park, where there aren’t byelaws in place.

While data does show that there has been a significant increase in PWCs registered on Loch Lomond in recent years (31% increase between 2019 and 2022), other activities such as paddleboarding and kayaking have also seen significant increases.

The introduction of ‘Low Speed Activity Zones’ is designed to minimise the risk of collisions and conflicts between different users.
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I used to water ski on Loch Lomond, also take part in motor boat activities and camp on the islands et cetera. It has always been a mad place, as bams from Glasgow frequent the waters. In my day, there were no rules as such and the area was not designated as a National Park. "Speed Boats" flipping was not that uncommon, nor was high speed grounding. Parties, boisterous exuberance, fights between wives, husbands, girl friends, boy friends was always worth a watch as night descended and drink got the better of everyone.

Bams enjoying jet skis on Loch Lomond SUMMER SPORT: Jet ski-ing on Loch Lomond pictures by James Duncan

Jet Skis on Loch Lomond regularly feature in the press and there is a certain section of society that revels in this infamy and seek it out. There are jet skiers that you would be wise not to try and interfere with, their reputations precede them, derived from sections of society where the law is no barrier to behaviour.
 
Sea Change said:
It's almost like some people never read Coot Club as a kid 😱
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Hullabaloos!!!

Which reminds me I'm on rescue boat duty in Coot Club land, every morning 4th - 8th August at Horning Regatta week.. 5 days of persuading tourists to stop speeding and weaving through the fleets, instead of keeping to the river sides..
Only once had something attempting to plane through the course, (4 mph limit) it had a small speedboat type hull, but with jetski type seating.

During the first race in the morning (09:30 Ish start) we have 8 year old absolute beginners in their first regatta, as well as 8 year olds I'd trust more at the helm than most tourists.
It's unusual to rescue a competitor.

In 45 years of rescue boat duties I've rescued more tourists than competitors. Canoeists and paddleboarders mostly these days, whereas it was broken down motorboats before mobile phones, though still get a few of them in the phone dead zones.
 
I've owned jet skis, ribs, yachts and dinghies aplenty. They are just boats. If you introduce any form of mandatory training/licencing etc there is no way that won't end up with all boats needing the same. It's the British way.

When the residents of Lee on Solent decided they were done with jet skis using the slipway, they ended up with the slip way closed to all.

How do we stop the jet ski menace? Dunno, but I hope the people that hate the yachting community don't figure it out or else we will find we get banned too
 
Ian_Edwards said:
View attachment 196569
This is a photo taken from:
Seabreeze.co..au
It's a jetski, which was wave jumping, in the surf, a prohibited area, set aside for surfers luckily the jetski hit the board not the man, but he was catapulted into the air. He wasn't hurt, but very badly shacken.
The jetski didn't stop.
This could easily have been a fatality.
Whilst acknowledging that not all jetski operators are badly behaved. There does seem to be a significant minority who think the that rules, any rule, don't apply to them.
I have photos of jetskis traveling at full speed in a 4knot zone, and video of a jetski spinning more or less out of control in a bathing area until he fell off.
I've also "rescued" a jetski which had run out of fuel, drifting offshore. I manovered alongside and pass him a 5L can of petrol. He filled up and zoomed of without trying to return the can.
So what do you do to stop this antisocial behaviour?
The coastguard and harbour authorities are not equipped to deal with high speed potentially dangerous craft.
My view is that all jetski operators should have to pass a stringent test before they can be licenced to drive a jetski.
Jetskis should have to carry an AIS class B, ie one that transmits it speed and position.
And that insurance companies should refuse to insure a Jetski unless the owner and any other operator of the craft is suitably qualified.
Jetski insurance should be mandatory. ie it should be illegal to drive a jetski without a licence and insurance.
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#Montenegro jetskis seem to have taken on epidemic proportions - in crowded anchorages idiots are going out of there way to perform noisy jetski acrobatics disturbing the peace and dangerously disturbing the water.
 
toothless said:
I've owned jet skis, ribs, yachts and dinghies aplenty. They are just boats. If you introduce any form of mandatory training/licencing etc there is no way that won't end up with all boats needing the same. It's the British way.

When the residents of Lee on Solent decided they were done with jet skis using the slipway, they ended up with the slip way closed to all.

How do we stop the jet ski menace? Dunno, but I hope the people that hate the yachting community don't figure it out or else we will find we get banned too
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'Fraid it's just a fact there's too much money and tax revenue being generated out of every aspect of the entire boating community for any activity within it to get an outright ban.

What is way more likely to happen is introduction of compulsory registration and training and a legal requirement for insurance, which of course will actually do nothing to stop the knuckle dragging morons 'avin it 'faaakin large on PWCs but they'll simply become the useful idiots who'll be utilised to highlight some apparent need for increased legislation that'll affect everybody.

Doubtless any such legislation will be announced purely with the very best intentions and public good in mind but of course the underlying purpose will be to generate even more money and tax revenue from the boating community

Saying one thing but actually intending something entirely different - now that's the British way.
 
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Someone recently piloted one flat out into a navigation buoy in the Medway and it sunk.

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
 
toothless said:
I've owned jet skis, ribs, yachts and dinghies aplenty. They are just boats. If you introduce any form of mandatory training/licencing etc there is no way that won't end up with all boats needing the same. It's the British way.

When the residents of Lee on Solent decided they were done with jet skis using the slipway, they ended up with the slip way closed to all.

How do we stop the jet ski menace? Dunno, but I hope the people that hate the yachting community don't figure it out or else we will find we get banned too
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Rare voice of reason. :thumb:
 
Strangely in the harbour/channel you rarely see them....I think the HM's 500hp Rib with its perpetually flashing blue light is quite intimidating. Now, endless streams of high powered fishing boats? Nightmare. A more pressing problem I find are idiots that dont adhere to the speed limit in the yard....careering across the dusty gravel at 100mph! Grrr....
 
Can just imagine the scenerio when oiks from the servant classes, only recently awarded a half day off every week , fitted a internal combustion engine to a yacht in an attempt to actually go somewhere and get back to the scullery in order to set the fires at 04.30 for the master of the house to complete ones "toilette" and then be driven down to the boat house ?

Do the working classes still keep their coal in the bath ?
Nihil Mutat.
 
Daydream believer said:
Edd Milliband took the coal off them ages ago. Under some stupid guise of some policy that we are not allowed to speak about
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You can still buy and use coal if you want to.
Says a lot about you if that's your chosen method of heating.
Do you have a steam engine in your yacht??
Times have moved on, even if you haven't.
 
Sea Change said:
You can still buy and use coal if you want to.
Says a lot about you if that's your chosen method of heating.
Do you have a steam engine in your yacht??
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Actually I am building a steam traction engine and the process will speed up now sailing has stopped for good.
It is a ride on one.
A steam engine in my launch would be the ultimate dream. I have the equipment to build one. But health gets in the way.
My wood burner uses coal but we prefer biquettes & hemlock logs
As for net zero- Well you can stick that where the monkey sticks its nuts
A cleaner society - recycling etc -yes but forum rules forbids further comment
 
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Daydream believer said:
Actually I am building a steam traction engine and the process will speed up now sailing has stopped for good.
It is a ride on one.
A steam engine in my launch would be the ultimate dream. I have the equipment to build one. But health gets in the way.
My wood burner uses coal but we prefer biquettes & hemlock logs
As for net zero- Well you can stick that where the monkey sticks its nuts
A cleaner society - recycling etc -yes but forum rules forbids further comment
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I don't talk to dinosaurs. You can go on the ignore list.
 
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