Talk me out of/into a Jetski
Discussion
So, I've done a fair bit of sailing in my youth, and now have a ten year old son. In the past I've done a bit of Jetskiing in the UK and more recently we did a fair bit in the Caribbean.
There seem to be a fair number coming onto Ebay around the £1000 mark. Quite often with a lot of work having been done to them. Since I live in Devon, not far from the coast I thought it might be an ideal way to have a bit of a laugh. But for a bucket of sand, am I buying a load of trouble, or will a 14 year old jetski that's been looked after be okay?
Examples:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151394510324?ssPageName=...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331304277595?ssPageName=...
There seem to be a fair number coming onto Ebay around the £1000 mark. Quite often with a lot of work having been done to them. Since I live in Devon, not far from the coast I thought it might be an ideal way to have a bit of a laugh. But for a bucket of sand, am I buying a load of trouble, or will a 14 year old jetski that's been looked after be okay?
Examples:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151394510324?ssPageName=...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331304277595?ssPageName=...
Chavtastic. Sorry, but they are. At least, in the areas I sail, they are almost exclusively ridden by the worst sort of people. I recently had to point out to one of them that if he got any closer to my boat, and did hit it, then the impact with nearly 3 tonnes of yacht would not be a good result for him.
I suspect that like a heavily modified Scooby or Evo, they are a lot of fun. But the image is (IMHO) awful. A bag of sand would buy a nice little trailer boat with outboard too...
I suspect that like a heavily modified Scooby or Evo, they are a lot of fun. But the image is (IMHO) awful. A bag of sand would buy a nice little trailer boat with outboard too...
Check with the harbour/slip you intend to use whether they will let you launch one at all and if they will what conditions they may impose before they let you launch.
You may also be charged more than for a boat.
Unfortunately its the idiots that spoil it for everyone else.
A Devon example is:
http://www.tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/harbours/leisure....
You may also be charged more than for a boat.
Unfortunately its the idiots that spoil it for everyone else.
A Devon example is:
http://www.tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/harbours/leisure....
They are really good fun for about 5 minutes I reckon. The problem is, they're a bit like a motorbike but without any roads/track to follow to make it interesting. So you charge about and then run out of ideas pretty quickly.
Plus on Loch Lomond, they're driven by the very worst sort of people. We don't have Essex in Scotland, but we do have jet skiers that appear in white X5s and suchlike, who then scream about and get right in the way of sailors and wakeboarders and generally tit about revving it in shallow water whilst irrelevantly standing up on them to impress the birds, I assume.
Fun on holiday maybe, but I wouldn't fancy one (except as a means of getting from one end to the Loch quickly and that's what speedboats are for).
Plus on Loch Lomond, they're driven by the very worst sort of people. We don't have Essex in Scotland, but we do have jet skiers that appear in white X5s and suchlike, who then scream about and get right in the way of sailors and wakeboarders and generally tit about revving it in shallow water whilst irrelevantly standing up on them to impress the birds, I assume.
Fun on holiday maybe, but I wouldn't fancy one (except as a means of getting from one end to the Loch quickly and that's what speedboats are for).
Yeah, I'm well aware of the idiots that have given them a bad name, but believe me, I am a responsible adult (honest!) and having done a fair bit of sailing in my youth, know what an absolute pita they can be in the wrong hands.
However, there's plenty of water around me.....but if I could find a reasonably quick dayboat (think towing a skier/ring) then I'd probably go down that route.
However, there's plenty of water around me.....but if I could find a reasonably quick dayboat (think towing a skier/ring) then I'd probably go down that route.
If you enjoy taking your car to Maccy D's car park to do burnouts and donuts on a Friday night, a jet ski should be perfect for your needs.
If you prefer to blast down a B road early on a Sunday morning with some oversteering and heel and toeing, a boat will be ideal.
No bias, no preference, just a choice you need to make. Simples.
If you prefer to blast down a B road early on a Sunday morning with some oversteering and heel and toeing, a boat will be ideal.
No bias, no preference, just a choice you need to make. Simples.
doogz said:
Hard-Drive said:
If you enjoy taking your car to Maccy D's car park to do burnouts and donuts on a Friday night, a jet ski should be perfect for your needs.
If you prefer to blast down a B road early on a Sunday morning with some oversteering and heel and toeing, a boat will be ideal.
No bias, no preference, just a choice you need to make. Simples.
If you prefer to blast down a B road early on a Sunday morning with some oversteering and heel and toeing, a boat will be ideal.
No bias, no preference, just a choice you need to make. Simples.
Utterly ridiculous.
Seconded!
Joking aside, if you want a jetski, buy a jetski! I can certainly admit to the odd pang of jealousy when the Loch is a millpond and I'm drifting nowhere fast and someone screams past on a brand new Sea-doo.
As an alternative, the ribs which people use for racing are also good fun for hooning on water - http://www.thundercatracing.com/#!about-thundercat...
Prawnboy said:
The first reply called jetski riders chavs & mentioned his yaught.
that's enough to buy one immediately i would say!
get out there and upset some toffs!
It's 'yacht' that's enough to buy one immediately i would say!
get out there and upset some toffs!
Also, it's nearly 40 years old, is damp and smells of diesel, so it's not really the place for G&T parties.
I stand by my comments on the type of people to be found 'piloting' jetskis however, and their behaviour leaves much to be desired. And I think that after 5 years of driving big grey things for the Royal Navy, I'm entitled to point out shortcomings in others' 'seamanship'.
I didn't get that jet skis were a bit "council" until a local meeting where I live. There was a plan to move jet ski launch and recovery from a bay up the coast to a slipway used by the local yachties and boaters.
What hatred! Proper nastiness using arguments as diverse as a pollution risk to not quite saying but as near as damn it saying, these folk are not our sort.
I have to say I am quite a snob, but the way the jet ski community behaved at the meeting was exemplorary. Rough accents but they all appeared to be hard working blokes engaging in a bit of well earned R and R. Sure they can be tits in the water but so can the wind or outboard assisted community. Give way to sail is all well and good but testing the theory with a 20,000 ton car carrier ias I have seen is just as daft.
I have a neighbour who owns a yacht, proper seagoing thing like a Howard's Way prop. I have a friend who used to have a jet ski. Should I dump him? Move?
What hatred! Proper nastiness using arguments as diverse as a pollution risk to not quite saying but as near as damn it saying, these folk are not our sort.
I have to say I am quite a snob, but the way the jet ski community behaved at the meeting was exemplorary. Rough accents but they all appeared to be hard working blokes engaging in a bit of well earned R and R. Sure they can be tits in the water but so can the wind or outboard assisted community. Give way to sail is all well and good but testing the theory with a 20,000 ton car carrier ias I have seen is just as daft.
I have a neighbour who owns a yacht, proper seagoing thing like a Howard's Way prop. I have a friend who used to have a jet ski. Should I dump him? Move?
Dear oh dear, there's some bias against Jet Ski owners on here. Personally I think they can be great fun, but a bit limiting, however they can be a cheap and easy way of getting out on the water and being small are easy to store, launch and recover compared to something like a 5m RIB.
I would be suspicious of anything particularly cheap though, as if the engine dies, you're in trouble.
I would be suspicious of anything particularly cheap though, as if the engine dies, you're in trouble.
IforB said:
Dear oh dear, there's some bias against Jet Ski owners on here. Personally I think they can be great fun, but a bit limiting, however they can be a cheap and easy way of getting out on the water and being small are easy to store, launch and recover compared to something like a 5m RIB.
I would be suspicious of anything particularly cheap though, as if the engine dies, you're in trouble.
The OP asked to be 'talked out of or in to a jetski'. It seems only reasonable to mention the image problem is a part of the package. If someone in General Gassing said 'talk me out of or in to an Evo IV', would it not be reasonable to warn that they do tend to attract a 'certain type' of driver?I would be suspicious of anything particularly cheap though, as if the engine dies, you're in trouble.
I am well aware of the 'image'. I would point out to Admiral TTwiggy that I am not covered in tattoos, have a girlfriend called Chardonnay and don't drive a white X5. I'm approaching 50, have a 10 year old son and enjoy messing about on the water. As I said originally, I've done a bit of jetskiing in this country and a wetsuit is a must, but it's still good fun.
I don't have any intention of annoying Admiral TTwiggy by buzzing close by his leaky old tub and generally upsetting his quiet afternoon with the Spinnaker varnish and his Musto wellies.
My point was more to do with the cost, £1000 doesn't seem a lot to get out on the water. Is a £1000 jetski a moneypit, or bought carefully, a good cheap way of some water based fun (fnarr).
I don't have any intention of annoying Admiral TTwiggy by buzzing close by his leaky old tub and generally upsetting his quiet afternoon with the Spinnaker varnish and his Musto wellies.
My point was more to do with the cost, £1000 doesn't seem a lot to get out on the water. Is a £1000 jetski a moneypit, or bought carefully, a good cheap way of some water based fun (fnarr).
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