PapaWoolacombe's initial post was disappointing, to say the least. At first glance I'd put him in the 'Ar5ehole' category, but I think the honesty from the majority of surfers gave him a chance to reflect. I still think it was a shitty thing to post, even though we PWC users are often frustrated by irresponsible ski usage. Nobody misunderstood your initial post. Perhaps you'd had a bad day, but try engaging brain before typing, then people wouldn't misunderstand you.
Rev. S Boy wrote:I dont know much about jetski's, but i presume that you could go into a shop, buy one and then take it onto the water with no training at all ?
Is this true ?
Yes, I'm afraid that is the case. It's also pretty much the case for most non-commercially operated craft of all sizes. However, most people going to a dealer and parting with a fair amount of money will actually try to do things properly. The biggest problem is people buying a cheap ski from e-bay. They see it as a cheap bit of fun, but often don't consider training or insurance as necessary. Unfortunately these are the twats that you'll remember because a properly trained responsible skier is unlikely to put themselves into a situation where they are a danger to you or themselves.
Some superb views on legislation and the sea being for everyone to enjoy. It's fair to say that most responsible skiers would love to see some sort of well thought-through coherent legislation, as it would make the sea a safer place to be for everyone, and also help to protect the sport we love from falling prey to knee-jerk reactions from local councils etc. I personally believe that we're submitted to a constant stream of poorly thought-through 'Nanny State' legislation, fuelled by ignorance, while the important common sense stuff just doesn't seem to be on the agenda.
Also, posting your concerns on a Jet Ski forum such as pwcforums.co.uk wouldn't really help to spread the message. We'd certainly understand your frustrations, because they're the same as ours. The type of user who is a liability on the water is not going to be present on there. They simply wouldn't be interested in being involved as good ambassadors for our sport.
As many of us are involved in other areas of water-based activities, we get around other forums a bit, which is how we became aware of this post. About a year ago we had an interesting exchange of views with members of a yachting forum. After a 'healthy' exchange with a number of idiots, we found a common ground with a few users. Some of our guys actually met up with some of their members and had a great day. They had the opportunity to experience some very nice boats, and the motor yacht guys enjoyed some jet skiing. Ongoing friendships were formed from this, as well as a greater understanding of each others activities.
GowerCharger & Phil, sorry, but you're still firmly in the 'Ar5ehole' category. You can't be forgiven for likening us to chavs with a Nova!
Safe surfing.
It's still sad.
