Looking at taking my Yamaha waveraider 1996 out on the sea soon, what do I need to be able to do this? (Going west Wales), I know I need insurance but do I need to register something to be able to use it in the sea?

Technically you don’t need any form of insurance or license to sail any small boat (which a jetski is classed as) in UK waters. And there are no mandated items of equipment you must carry, it’s remarkably beurocracy free.

Having said that ,the harbour  or slipway you are launching from may have specific requirements to allow you to use it, so decide where to launch from and check their requirements.

It would be a good idea to have 3rd party insurance in case you damage someone else.

Other than that it is sensible to carry the usual common sense stuff, like life jacket, VHF radio (and license to use it of course😀), awareness of the collision regs etc.

Don’t be a dick applies strongly here.

Don’t be a dick applies strongly here.

LOL!

Great advice! Any recommendations on where to get the third party insurance from – IV emailed towergate

Any recommendations on where to get the third party insurance from – IV emailed towergate

Sorry, no idea on that one, I use y yacht insurance for my boat,but I don’t own a jetski,so have no idea who is competitive for them.

RYA

RYA linky

https://www.rya.org.uk/get-afloat/power/Pages/pwc-and-jet-skis.aspx

Thanks for the link, couldn’t find anything on there relating to insurance tho, unless I’m looking at the wrong place?

Join the RYA and third party Insurance is included..

USE THE KILL CORD. I can’t stress enough how much of a pain it is for the RNLI to have to go pick someone up after falling off.

A good friend of mine who volunteers for the RNLI and during summer its his main complaint. Ribs, speedboats and jetski users use the kill cord.

Yeh we use the kill cord no issue there, bikebouy can you advise where it explains about the third party please, I’m trying to find it but no luck

Don’t be a dick applies strongly here

Yes, but he wants to take his jet ski out.

What you need is a Wet Bike though, isn’t it, mmmh eh!

Yeah boiiii

No insurance as part of RYA membership (except for windsurfers/sups).

Not sure why finding insurance is difficult – just google it; will cost more than an RYA membership but less than car insurance.  If you expect the theft cover to apply read the requirements for storing carefully.

A good friend of mine who volunteers for the RNLI and during summer its his main complaint. Ribs, speedboats and jetski users use the kill cord.

Perhaps he is volunteering for the wrong organisation if he complains about going to the aid of those in danger at sea. Yes anyone on a powered craft should use the kill cord – and those who systematically don’t are risking not only their own lives but those of others.  It is somewhat hypocritical for the RNLI to heavily criticise anyone in that position though as they have intentionally not fitted kill cords to their boats (there MAY be legitimate arguments for that but they are a bit tenuous for why you wouldn’t want them the other 99% of the time!).

It is however easy to become complacent on a jetski as they have spring loaded throttles so should stop anyway.  It’s much easier to criticise those we see as slightly antisocial or not really fitting with the marine types, but there are at least as many stupid things going on with fishing vessels and yachts.  I’d bet alcohol is a far bigger issue for casualty rates than jet skis without kill cords.

Guess who doesn’t use a kill cord on his jet ski.

IV emailed towergate

Give ’em a call on 0344 980 8242 – usually pretty helpful & quick.

II think you missed the point. He has no issuses going out in to storms, massive swells and freezing temperatures to rescue a people in distress. But when its the 5th or 6th call for a jetski in a day and it could be avoided if they just used the kill cord. Would you not have a little moan in the pub after?

Yeah, I searched on the RYA site too for the added 3rdnparty Insurance.. looks like only Windsurfing and SUPs now.

Hey ho.

RYA do have Insurance recommendations though.

Who mentioned Kill Cords 😜

There are plenty of Jetski users wearing high vis around Chichester Harbour these days.. and helmets too.

Some slipways are free (see local council site for list) some marinas charge day launch fees (see local marinas)

Cant comment on safety regs because I simply don’t know, unless it’s the same as Ribs and Speedboats etc.

Cant comment on safety regs because I simply don’t know, unless it’s the same as Ribs and Speedboats etc

It is the same .

<div class=”copy-paste-block”>It has been reported that at a preliminary hearing on 5 July 2005 before Salisbury Crown Court, a personal watercraft was held to be a “ship” for the purposes of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The accused, Mark Goodwin, was charged with an offence under s.58 of the Act namely, “conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals”. He had been in charge of a PWC which had come into collision with another PWC in Weymouth Bay thereby causing injury. To establish the offence the Crown had to show Goodwin’s PWC was a “ship” within s.313 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 which provides the following definition: “ship” includes every description of vessel used in navigation.

In an earlier civil case, Steedman v Scofield [1992] 2 Lloyds Rep 163, Sheen J sitting in the Queen’s Bench Division, Admiralty Court had held that a Kawasaki Jet Ski was not within the meaning of a “vessel used in navigation”, on the ground that it was neither a ‘vessel’, nor was it ‘used in navigation’. In R v Goodwin Mr Recorder Davies QC held there were sufficient differences in the design of Goodwin’s PWC to make it distinguishable from the Kawaski Jet Ski under consideration in Steedman v Scofield.

Where does that leave the law? The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a Press Release (available from its website at http://www.mcga.gov.uk under Newsroom | Prosecutions) which includes the following claim by Sergeant A Hack of Dorset Police’s marine section:

“Following this ruling it’s important that all those using personal watercraft recognise that they have the same responsibilities as all other water users in respect of Collision Regulations and the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.”

Everyone concerned would wish to encourage responsible use by PWC drivers, but a decision of the Crown Court, which distinguishes an earlier decision of the High Court does not leave the law certain. There are powers in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 s.112 enabling the Secretary of State to provide for a “shipping provision” which could include for example COLREGS “to apply (with or without modification) in relation to specified things which are used, navigated or situated wholly or partly in or on water”. If there is an appeal against Mr Recorder Davies’ ruling in the Goodwin case, the law may become clearer. If not, the Secretary of State has the powers necessary to make the law certain.

</div>

I’d bet alcohol is a far bigger issue for casualty rates than jet skis without kill cords.

I’ll bet RNLI geezer justifiably moans about that as well.

“It is somewhat hypocritical for the RNLI….”.

What a load of bollocks. 1) it’s the thoughts of an individual, you have these don’t you? 2) The awareness campaigns they run are likely driven in part by call out stats and if as an organisation they say it’s an issue then why doubt them (https://rnli.org/-/media/rnli/downloads/betterboatingpdfrnlirya15mb.pdf  page 9)

My only encounters with jetskis being when they rock up to surf beaches so I’m a little disappointed the OP wasn’t simply ‘**** off’.  Not terribly helpful I guess, but I feel the need to let any jetskiers know h<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>ow their appearance makes the heart sink for most other beach users. </span>

Theres nothing that heightens my enjoyment of the beach more than the constant WAA WAAAA WAAA WAAAA WAAAA of a jetski.

I live in Torbay and many of the jetskiers are a menace. Often they don’t respect the speed restrictions in-shore and razz their machines close to seal and nesting bird communities. Can’t believe I’m saying this as a cyclist…but I think there should be some form of basic training and licensing required. Like I needed for my VHF.

My only encounters with jetskis being when they rock up to surf beaches so I’m a little disappointed the OP wasn’t simply ‘**** off’.

I sat on a board at Llangennith a few years ago, watching a jet-skier treat the surf as a jump ramp – he was launching the thing towards the beach, so couldn’t possibly see if there was a surfer lying on a board in front of the wave. On one of the busiest surfing beaches around. 🙄

We used to just launch off the beach and then head off to wherever was furthest away from other beach/water users. It really is pretty simple if you’re considerate. Its a shame so many ASBO candidates got involved in it, all it takes is a couple of idiots to get them banned from a beach or slipway.

Sea going e-bikes.

Did the OP expect the open criticism of jet skis ?

I bet he did….

😜

Init. And so as not to disappoint the OP I’ll say they’re not so much ebikes as mobility scooters with the engine volume of an unsilencered motorbike, usually ridden by some fat bloke. I’m sure it’s more fun than it looks.

I’m sure it’s more fun than it looks.

For a bit. There is a sanctioned launch at the mouth of Langstone Harbour on Hayling. You can watch them launch and then buzz around the harbour entrance alternately accelerating then slowing down. After about ten minutes they are bored. It’s an expensive and wet version of ragging a moped around an empty car park and it soon palls. The better ones then go out to the sandbank and jump off the waves for a bit, if there are any. That’s about it. It appears you need a pickup called a Datsun Destroyer or some such. Apparently the stand up ones are higher up the pecking order than the sit down ones.

Guess who doesn’t use a kill cord on his jet ski.

If that was intended to mean me – you’d be very wrong, but anyone can forget, or perhaps temporarily remove it when sorting a problem and bump a throttle.  I try to use good practices that make me less likely to fall victim to that – but would rather the rescue services weren’t judgemental if they found I had accidentally screwed up.  (FWIW I am not a regular PWC user, but do use outboards regularly).

II think you missed the point. He has no issues going out in to storms, massive swells and freezing temperatures to rescue a people in distress. But when its the 5th or 6th call for a jetski in a day and it could be avoided if they just used the kill cord. Would you not have a little moan in the pub after?

I didn’t miss the point – you don’t sign up just for the bad weather shouts – someone in your chain of command decides whether the call warrants disturbing your day; if they’ve agreed to launch the boat then someone is probably in danger, or likely to put themselves in danger as the situation develops.  If you only want to help the type of call you like the RNLI is probably not the right organisation.  I’ve met many RNLI crew, and none of them complain about getting called out – in fact they signed up because they like to be called out.  5th or 6th call out to a jetski in one day? by the same station? all avoidable with a kill cord?  and this has happened often enough to be his “main complaint” not a one off set of freak circumstances?  I’m struggling to imagine an area of the UK coastline which is busy enough for that to happen (presumably not the same PWC 5 times?), not at least make the yachting press, and yet neither the coasties nor the RNLI launch authority were able to identify other resources that could attend.  It feels like there might just be a degree of hyperbole involved.

I’ll bet RNLI geezer justifiably moans about that as well.

The poster quoting his RNLI friend said kill cords were his friend’s MAIN COMPLAINT.  One of many issues – fair enough.  But it won’t be the main cause of their shouts – so he is deciding other embarrassingly avoidable shouts are less irritating (kids on inflatables, walkers cut off by the tide, motor boats run out of fuel, searching for a report of a flare that turns out to be a chinese lantern)

“It is somewhat hypocritical for the RNLI….”.

What a load of bollocks. 1) it’s the thoughts of an individual, you have these don’t you?

Was it the definition of hypocritical you struggled with?  RNLI lifeboats are not fitted with Kill Cords. (I am unsure if their beach lifeguards routinely use them on PWCs).  There are arguments why this might be reasonable but its a bit like an overweight doctor telling you to loose weight, or a fire station not having working smoke detectors.

2) The awareness campaigns they run are likely driven in part by call out stats and if as an organisation they say it’s an issue then why doubt them (https://rnli.org/-/media/rnli/downloads/betterboatingpdfrnlirya15mb.pdf  page 9)

Nobody doubts its AN issue.  I’m doubting its their MAIN issue (and I’ve read their stats so feel able to make that assertion!).  In fact its not even their biggest issue affecting leisure vessels; or power driven vessels; or PWCs.  It got a lot of media attention because of a small number of high profile, tragic incidents.  Every month marine leisure users drown in preventable accidents that don’t get the same attention.

Could always take it up/down the Thames and find out 😜

Guess who doesn’t use a kill cord on his jet ski.

If that was intended to mean me – you’d be very wrong, but anyone can forget, or perhaps temporarily remove it when sorting a problem and bump a throttle.  I try to use good practices that make me less likely to fall victim to that – but would rather the rescue services weren’t judgemental if they found I had accidentally screwed up.  (FWIW I am not a regular PWC user, but do use outboards regularly).

II think you missed the point. He has no issues going out in to storms, massive swells and freezing temperatures to rescue a people in distress. But when its the 5th or 6th call for a jetski in a day and it could be avoided if they just used the kill cord. Would you not have a little moan in the pub after?

I didn’t miss the point – you don’t sign up just for the bad weather shouts – someone in your chain of command decides whether the call warrants disturbing your day; if they’ve agreed to launch the boat then someone is probably in danger, or likely to put themselves in danger as the situation develops.  If you only want to help the type of call you like the RNLI is probably not the right organisation.  I’ve met many RNLI crew, and none of them complain about getting called out – in fact they signed up because they like to be called out.  5th or 6th call out to a jetski in one day? by the same station? all avoidable with a kill cord?  and this has happened often enough to be his “main complaint” not a one off set of freak circumstances?  I’m struggling to imagine an area of the UK coastline which is busy enough for that to happen (presumably not the same PWC 5 times?), not at least make the yachting press, and yet neither the coasties nor the RNLI launch authority were able to identify other resources that could attend.  It feels like there might just be a degree of hyperbole involved.

I’ll bet RNLI geezer justifiably moans about that as well.

The poster quoting his RNLI friend said kill cords were his friend’s MAIN COMPLAINT.  One of many issues – fair enough.  But it won’t be the main cause of their shouts – so he is deciding other embarrassingly avoidable shouts are less irritating (kids on inflatables, walkers cut off by the tide, motor boats run out of fuel, searching for a report of a flare that turns out to be a chinese lantern)

“It is somewhat hypocritical for the RNLI….”.

What a load of bollocks. 1) it’s the thoughts of an individual, you have these don’t you?

Was it the definition of hypocritical you struggled with?  RNLI lifeboats are not fitted with Kill Cords. (I am unsure if their beach lifeguards routinely use them on PWCs).  There are arguments why this might be reasonable but its a bit like an overweight doctor telling you to loose weight, or a fire station not having working smoke detectors.

2) The awareness campaigns they run are likely driven in part by call out stats and if as an organisation they say it’s an issue then why doubt them (https://rnli.org/-/media/rnli/downloads/betterboatingpdfrnlirya15mb.pdf  page 9)

Nobody doubts its AN issue.  I’m doubting its their MAIN issue (and I’ve read their stats so feel able to make that assertion!).  In fact its not even their biggest issue affecting leisure vessels; or power driven vessels; or PWCs.  It got a lot of media attention because of a small number of high profile, tragic incidents.  Every month marine leisure users drown in preventable accidents that don’t get the same attention.

Look, just use your Kill Cord and we’ll say no more about it.

Great advice! Any recommendations on where to get the third party insurance from – IV emailed towergate

Try googling jet ski insurance…

Pages of the bloody stuff.

Exactly! Putting them selves in danger by choosing not to use a kill cord. So according to you it is fine to waste a charity’s time and money by being a prick and not using a safety feature.

I’ll tell him that he is being a dick and to stop giving up his time and potentially life to rescue selfish jetskiers.

Samuelr – show me where I said that.  You are obviously not the best at reading what is written, so I dare say you aren’t too good at accurately describing what your friend said either.

You don’t NEED Insurance, but it’s wise.  Maybe see if you can include recovery at Sea to avoid calling out the RNLI for a controlled situation. However I’d suggest you do an RYA powerboat course, do some maintenance (Again RYA does these too.) on your 1996! Jetski.   Learn some meteorology, do some tide research, Buy and register an EPIRB.    Plan for every eventuality and don’t go out at all if the situation could change.

Better drowned than duffers, if not Duffers, won’t drown.

You might not have directly said it, but with all your other comments its what you are inferring. I state that a serving member has a complaint,when we talk its the most common reason for a call out.  I would call that his main complaint. I have never heard him complaining about a fishing boat having engine troubles. a kid on an inflatable but I have when its another jetskier and the route cause is not wearing a kill cord.

Im bored of you now. You obviously have superior knowledge to everyone else. Crack on not using yours. Just make sure to stop every now and again and let people bask in your greatness.