Personal watercraft

[OceanSpirit]

Hi everyone.

Just a snippet to share.

It's about that time of year when a UK diver's fancy turns once again to the south coast and it's many treasures and realms. Only one problem, personal watercraft. It beggars belief that any idiot with a few quid in their pocket can buy one of these and without training or insurance, take it straight out into busy waters. I have lost count of the number of times when busy rummaging through a kelp bed or suchlike and a jetski has almost run over our SMB. What do they think it is, a target??? We had a close call last year as we were ascending and so turned our thoughts to how to stop this. In the pub having a beer afterwards, we came up with the stunning idea of making an SMB to resemble one of those spiky Naval mines. Problem solved, we thought. Nobody in their right mind would buzz one of those. That is until someone pointed out that maybe, just maybe, the real Navy might hear about it and start shelling!! Back to the drawing board.

Anybody else had similar problems?

 

[herman]

Sorry to hear those %#@@@#@!!!! things are in the UK as well. We have a big problem here in the states with them as well or rather we have a big problem with a large part of the operators, the machines are not to blame. The assorted governments have started to crack down on them and at least in my state have started putting some age limits and laws about how and where they can be riden. In their place they look like fun, but driven without limits, they become a real problem and very dangerous to the rest of us.

 

[ages]

Unfortunately, not only do PWC operators ignore diver down flags....but I think they attract boaters too. I firmly believe that boats and PWC's should be regulated like automobiles. You study a book, take a test, and then get licensed. ages

 

[OceanSpirit]

I totally agree. We have a 6m RIB and did the RYA powerboat 1 & 2 qualifications, coastal skipper and navigation courses, VHF operator's licence and insured the boat. It cost lots of money and took some time but at least we know what we're doing. Every season we take the boat out we see so many idiots about. One year we were 'raced' (him not us) by a huge powerboat driven by a very young guy who evidently didn't have, or wasn't reading his depth meter. We noticed it was getting tight and powered down and headed further out to sea. He carried on oblivious until with a loud bang, his outboard leg was ripped off and he was left adrift. I think that being divers, we are trained to put safety foremost. I just wish that the same went for 'Joe Public'!!