A spate of recent incidents involving personal watercraft has emphasized the critical need for safety measures to protect both guests and crew.
Last year, Major League Soccer player Anton Walkes was riding his Yamaha WaveRunner when it collided with a 46-foot boat near Miami. His death was one of the 40 to 50 fatalities per year that occur on personal watercraft (PWC) in the U.S., according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics. In 2021, 55 people in the U.S. lost their lives on Jet Skis, 53 percent of which were due to drowning.
Although Walkes was not on a yacht when his accident occurred, the industry is not immune to catastrophic accidents involving toys and tenders. In 2017, two guests were killed when they crashed a WaveRunner into a concrete support bridge near Miami Beach.
It’s important to have these policies in place and explained before guests decide they want to take out the WaveRunners after a long, boozy lunch.
Accidents happen, but most are preventable. Here’s what the experts say about staving off the most common jet ski and toy incidents.
Ask deck crew what their most despised piece of equipment is aboard — the vast majority will say PWCs. Training programs have increasingly addressed common WaveRunner issues and accidents. In 2015, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and Professional Yachting Association (PYA) released a Voluntary Code of Practice for Watersports. The document explains that crew should seek a large operating area with a wide buffer zone that separates Jet Skis from other activities and that vessels should consider marking said area with race marks to give guests a visual aid. It also highlights the importance of having guests wear properly fitted life preservers and kill cords — all things that seem like common sense.
In the Mediterranean, charter vessels are required to have a qualified Personal Watercraft Instructor aboard. This person is supposed to deliver a 30-minute introductory course to guests, explaining where to go, where not to go (like speeding around the yacht’s bow), and how to drive safely. The vessel, which should be listed as an RYA Training Facility, gets inspected once a year.
Again, this instruction is all based on common-sense operation; however, even with the directives from both the RYA and onboard instructor, getting guests to listen can be a challenge. “Guests that don’t want to listen to crew instruction is where the majority of issues come from,” says Nick Gray of JMS Yachting, who used to instruct Savvy Maritime’s Deckhand and Tender Academies. “Crew need to be diplomatic about it and can’t yell and scream at guests — but that does make it very difficult for crew.”
Outside the Med, there are no regulations for how these toys are managed. It’s left to captains and crew to ensure that they are operated safely.
Gray, who spent years teaching personal watercraft safety for Royal Caribbean, used to offer a 40-minute video and course to guests due to the company’s liability insurance. It would cover everything from basic safety, like keeping a safe distance from other PWCs, how to approach the stern at the proper angle to disembark, to explanations on how WaveRunners function.
The latter may have been the most helpful in assuring safety. “Not many people have the understanding of how a water jet engine works,” says Gray. “People freak out and take their hands off the throttle, but you lose steering when there’s no water going through the jet.”
He recommends scheduling time to go over toy safety early in the trip, so everyone is clear about what is allowed and expected — before anyone starts drinking. The RYA/PYA Code also suggests scheduling water activities for earlier in the day or around times when guests are less likely to be inebriated. Gray suggests a group training with everyone at once and having guests sign waivers stating they’ve been told how to use PWCs and that they’re going to follow the rules to, hopefully, keep everyone safe and protect the vessel from liabilities in case of an accident.
“It’s important to have these policies in place and explained before guests decide they want to take out the WaveRunners after a long, boozy lunch,” says Gray. “We always tried to do it [so] that was as easy as possible for them not to get annoyed while still getting all the information across.”
Regulations for personal watercraft can vary significantly from country to country, so crew must familiarize themselves with local rules before setting out and ensure that these guidelines are clearly communicated to guests, as they may include restrictions on how close to shore you can operate. In some anchorages, personal watercraft use may be prohibited, and certain countries may have stricter regulations than expected. In Italy, for example, PWC must be kept at least 500m from shore, and all users must wear safety equipment including a life vest and helmet. Venice, Naples, Capri and the Amalfi Coast all have their own personal watercraft regulations, including specific operating hours, time of year and areas in which PWC are permitted. PWC are banned completely in many regions, including Ischia, Cinque Terre, and the Maddalena Islands – restricted areas should always be confirmed with the local harbour office or coast guard.
Although high-speed toys like Jet Skis are the most dangerous, even seemingly harmless ones can present safety issues. Seabobs, for example, must only be used in areas where guests are away from other boats. “If you’re in Capri and giving a guest a Seabob to cruise around on, it can be like a death sentence,” says Gray. “You have to be smart where you’re using them.”
Proper precautions can help prevent catastrophic damage. And fortunately, the industry is responding with better training and safety protocols. As a general rule, whether the country dictates it or not, all users (that means guests and crew) should wear a buoyancy aid and a kill cord when operating a jet ski.