Patrol to Leave Speeding Tickets in Its Wake

Pat Andress and his younger brother Ryan spent Thursday afternoon zipping around Ventura Harbor on jet skis until a Harbor Patrol officer stepped in.

“I just wanted to remind you what the speed limit was in the harbor,” Officer Casey Culp said as he pulled up alongside them, telling the brothers that they couldn’t go faster than 5 mph inside the breakwater.

“It’s hard to tell where the restrictions are,” 25-year-old Pat responded apologetically, acknowledging he didn’t know the law.

As the Harbor Patrol steps up enforcement of its speed limits, it is the small, personal watercraft that are taking most of the officers’ time.

“The jet skis have historically gone kind of nuts,” Culp said.

In California last year, there were 276 personal watercraft-related injuries and eight deaths. Only one of those injuries was in Ventura.

High speed was the cause of 54% of all accidents, according to the state Department of Boating and Waterways.

“Right now, they lead the way in boating accidents,” Culp said.

So this summer, patrol officers have vowed zero tolerance for speeding--warning violators first and then, when necessary, citing them with tickets that reflect on their driving record.

Under the law, jet skis and boats aren’t allowed to go over 5 mph within 200 feet of the beach, within 100 feet of a swimmer or a surfer, or to jump another boat’s wake while within 100 feet of it.

Skiers must also be older than 16 or with someone older than 18.

Once jet skiers and other water enthusiasts find out what the rules are, Culp said, they usually comply.

“Really what we look for is an opportunity to stop people and educate them,” Culp said.

But often, Culp and other patrol officers will also issue citations to violators, which can cost between $50 and $500. Since January, the officers have concentrated on warnings and issued only 12 tickets. But starting now, they expect to begin writing more citations.

Because they are moving violations, the citations can add points to a driver’s license and ultimately increase car insurance rates.

Officers can also stop boat and jet ski operators for drinking offenses. Although boaters are allowed to have open containers of alcohol, they can be cited for driving a boat drunk.

But these cases are rare, Culp said.

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Instead, the jet skis and other personal craft are a more immediate concern, because they are difficult to maneuver. They have no brakes and can only be stopped by turning.

“They’re really easy to ride but at the same time, they’re different from anything else,” Culp said.

And on any given weekend during the summer, as many as 100 jet skis can be seen cruising around the harbor--with four officers to monitor them.

“They take up most of our time,” Culp said.

But he is empathetic to their situation, noting that Ventura jet skiers can’t cruise in the Channel Islands Harbor or Lake Casitas Recreation Area.

“There’s really nowhere for them to go except here,” he said.