I wrecked a Jet Ski for my birthday…read more
This review was 5,000 words (way too many in anyone's opinion) and I feel like I left out some of the stuff you actually need to know, so now I'm redoing it. If you do want some reading material, I'll send you it, but you have to ask....
The rental place had sent out two search parties, but they failed to find us either time and we were well within the allowed travel area. They told us after the ordeal, that we could have started the Jet Ski without the key by lifting up on the button that the key helps hold up. My sister and I both being completely not gifted in the area of mechanics and engineering never would have considered that, and frankly, I think we both panicked and didn't even think about trying to manually start it. To make matters worse, the compartment that held the bullhorn behind the seat would not open, so there was no way for me to make enough noise to draw the attention I needed. There was no way for me to open and stay upright on the Jet Ski.
We had to wait around for the rental place to collect their jet ski; when they found it, it was sitting vertical, with the steering column up against the bars being beaten repeatedly thrown against the rocks by the waves. There was a nice sized hole in the plexi glass bottom and had collected a lot of water inside, but due to the large hole, it drained in minutes.
Needless to say, I was thoroughly traumatized by the situation and dreaded when anyone asked me how my birthday went because I could only think about getting the flu and the Jet Ski accident. The damage to the Jet Ski totaled some $2,400, but we had to put the original damage estimate on our credit card which was $3,500 plus the cost of the 3 rentals. We obviously hadn't planned for that kind of added cost for our trip and that sucked, but what sucks more is that it has taken them just about 2 months now to give us the remaining $1,100 back that wasn't used for the repair.
I basically own a Jet Ski that I'll never get to ride. I'm not saying that the owner isn't a nice guy, because my husband called him today and he was appalled by the fact that we had not yet been reimbursed. However, as we are the only lucky recipients of the freak accident award that they have ever heard of and the fact that the money owed was such a large amount, isn't this something that demands a little more attention?
I don't want to scare you all away from riding Jet Skis, but I'd like you to take this away from my story of financial tragedy and emotional distress:
* Don't go Jet Skiing when the weather is turbulent, especially very windy; this can cause large, choppy waves and increase the likelihood that you will have issues returning to the vessel in case you get tipped over.
*Secondly, I advise you to always wear your life vest since you never really know when something as ridiculous as this will occur and you don't want to take that chance with your life or the life of a loved one.
*Also, if you are going to engage in water sports, it may help for you to be a strong swimmer as well as how to navigate undertow.
*Always make sure the equipment on your Jet Ski is completely functional i.e. the key having a flotation strap, being able to access the emergency horn and if anything is not right, don't take it out.
*Consider getting watercraft insurance if you don't have the funds to pay for damages on the spot. Lastly, before you leave, always ask if there is a way to start the Jet Ski without a key in case of an emergency.
I strongly feel that it was the responsibility of the renters to divulge this information, but they said that they have never had this issue before; plus, they added, that they would not want everyone to know how to start them without keys because they believe theft would increase. I also believe it is their responsibility to lock up their watercraft so that they don't get stolen without relying on keeping the emergency start information a secret.
All in all, this wasn't a bad place to rent from; we just had a really bad experience. It was all the small things that added up that created disaster in the end. I suppose the conditions we just right for it. If I can help just one person from this review or save one life, then my goal has been accomplished. Please be careful and conscientious when you go out on the water and be a knowledgeable renter.
I'll leave you with one last thought that I learned from my experience. If something isn't meant to be, don't force it; you'll get bad results.