Personal Watercraft Riders Cut Wake of Injuries, Irked Boaters

Take one seaworthy snowmobile with a gas-powered engine that will make it go up to 40 m.p.h., and you have the latest rage--or annoyance, some say--on the nation’s recreational waters.

Known by brand names such as Jet Ski or Wet Jet, these marine motorcycles are generating huge sales for their manufacturers and rising concern among boaters and officials in several states.

Manufacturers like to describe these highly maneuverable aquatic hot rods as “personal watercraft.” But marine police have an unprintable term for them. Last year, 20 people were killed in personal watercraft accidents nationwide--a fourfold increase from 1987--and 254 were injured, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Several serious accidents, but no deaths, were reported in Maryland waters.

“Let me tell you about these darn things,” said angry Annapolis area boater Yvonne Gilder, who, like many other pleasure-craft owners, already has a collection of horror stories. Gilder tells of being harassed by aggressive personal watercraft drivers, some of whom get their thrills by jumping over the wakes of other boats or racing in tight circles in congested waterways.

Inherently Safe

But even critics agree on one thing when personal watercraft are compared with the “all terrain vehicle,” the three-wheeled, off-road motorcycle banned after design problems were linked to hundreds of deaths. By most accounts, personal watercraft are inherently safe and manage to withstand the worst abuse. It’s just that they are driven too often by joy riders who don’t give a lick for safety or common boating courtesies, officials said.

“The problem we’re facing is not the equipment. It’s the people who are operating them that’s the problem,” said Al Simon, chairman of Maryland’s Boat Act Advisory Committee.

Some personal watercraft owners think they’re getting a bum rap because of a few bad apples. Simon and other officials, trying to quell the open warfare that has sprung up between the personal watercraft crowd and owners of bigger craft, this month will consider imposing several restrictions because of the growing number of accidents and complaints.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources police said they receive up to a dozen complaints about mischievous PWs each weekend. “They come out like a swarm of bees,” said department police Maj. Frank Wood. “They’re out riding them like a toy in a real boating environment.”

Most drivers, many of them teen-agers, don’t wear helmets. “There is no protection on a PW,” said Natural Resources police Cpl. Randy Whitter. “If the PW hits something, you’re going to hit it, too.”

Most Deaths in Florida

The nation’s worst problems with personal watercraft are in Florida, where 11 of last year’s 20 deaths occurred. The latest death under investigation is that of a 9-year-old boy who was driving a craft when he was struck and run over by a second scooter operated by a 33-year-old man.

Florida plans to implement several new rules, including a ban on nighttime use and wake-jumping and a minimum age requirement of 14 for owners and 16 for renters.

“These people are thrill seekers,” Simon said. “It’s scary, and there’s no law against it.”

Manufacturers refuse to say how many personal watercraft are in use. But dreading a repeat of the all terrain vehicle debacle, which wiped out millions of dollars in profits, the industry has mounted a safety campaign, offering to cooperate with state regulators and distributing literature and training films to dealers.

“I think everyone has recognized it is a usage problem. We’re dealing with people who buy these machines and are not traditional, experienced boaters,” said Douglas Freeman, spokesman for Kawasaki, which makes Jet Ski. “We recognize the fact there is a significant number who are not familiar with traditional boating regulations.”

Bad publicity has stung dealers sorely, but they say sales are still soaring. “We give people pamphlets. We beg them to please use the machine responsibly,” said Alan Cohen, general manager of Cycle World near Baltimore. “But once they leave the door, they do what they’re going to do.”

Personal watercraft have one safety advantage over other motorized watercraft: no propeller. They are driven instead by a high-powered stream of water, hence the use of “jet” in some brand names. Prices begin around $2,000.