Jet Skis in Grand Cayman

[Deshawn khamis]

We will be visiting Grand Cayman the beginning of June, we are a party of two couples that are 30 something. I have been excited to experience the jet skis to the stingrays. However now after reading some of the reviews it seems that the water is choppy and might not be that enjoyable. I would say both couples are pretty adventurous. But do not want to start my excursion out being miserable or scared in the water. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

 

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[mkbnoc]

Hi,

 

I have done the jet ski excursion twice now with different companies. These were my first times on a jet ski ever and I had an absolute blast! Last Sept there was a storm just passing through which created some decently large waves on the outbound trip. We had to reduce our speeds but still made for a fun trip. On the way back the wind had died down and we were able to go full speed which of course was even more fun.

 

I would recommend sunglasses that fit securely as you will get some salt water spray but beyond that go and have a great time!

 

Mike

Edited April 29, 2014 by mkbnoc

[Deshawn khamis]

Mike, thank you very much for your advice! Leaning towards pulling the trigger on this excursion. Is there a company you would recommend?

 

 

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[cb at sea]

We went to Seagrape beach...there is a waverunner rental right there. Hubby rented one...did his own thing for about 45 mins or so....had a blast! You don't need an excursion or "tour".

[mkbnoc]

Mike, thank you very much for your advice! Leaning towards pulling the trigger on this excursion. Is there a company you would recommend?

 

I went with Fat Fish Adventures the first time and Ebanks Water Sports the second. Although both were great I would go with Fat Fish next time. They take both cash and cc as a method of payment. They include both snorkeling along the reef and a visit to Starfish Point in addition to the sting rays. Also, and most importantly :), they usually have time after the excursion to stop at the Cayman Brewery on the shuttle ride home. You get to use the restroom, change to dry clothes and sample the beers they brew on site for free. After a long day on the jet skis and under the sun a free beer or three was a great way to end the trip.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Friends just did this! As they recommend (and being a waverunner owner at home myself) you should each drive your own. It's not only more fun, but they are easier on the driver when there isn't a rider. It's a little more expensive, but I think you'd have more fun. Another suggestion from my friends is that they took swimming goggles and wore them on the waverunners and it saved the day! They happened to have them along and put them on which prevented the saltwater in the eyes issue.

[NCTattoo]

The waves aren't all that bad, not near enough to consider not doing the excursion. Without a doubt, use Fat Fish! We've used them twice and we're taking the whole family on the excursion with them in June (7 of us). We're experienced cruisers and our experience with Fat Fish ranks second (only to Half Moon Cay cabanas) as our most enjoyable excursion. Hope this helps!

[Jgarriso]

someone above mentioned waverunner rental at the beach. I am traveling with 2 18's and 1 17 year old boys. they want to rent Jet Ski's at the beach and take them for a ride in the ocean. Does anyone know of any age restrictions, and also who they would recommend. Did anyone else shop around and have some advice to share?

 

Thanks.

[oregon3373]

I am pretty sure the age limit to drive your own Jet Ski is 16.

[Jgarriso]

I am pretty sure the age limit to drive your own Jet Ski is 16.

Thanks. Good to know i haven't gotten their hopes up..

[blue_water]

Definitely recommend Fat FIsh Adventores - great day and much more personalized than on the boat or with larger groups.

[Duanerice1]

I too recommend Fat Fish. We just got back and posted this on Trip Advisor.

 

"After reading these reviews I knew we picked the right company. Communication before the trip was great. What a nice group of people to work with. They picked us up right on time although we had to wait for a couple that never did show. It's just a short drive to the dock with an entertaining driver. Oh, we took the jet ski stingray city tour. They also have other tours.

 

There were only four of us on this trip which was great. Once we got to the dock, it was pay the balance, get your gear, brief instructions, get on then let's go. Loved it. We had Ryan as our guide and he was great. We rented two jet skis and the couple that was on the tour with us shared a jet ski. For the price difference it was way worth it to rent our own. Wasn't sure as my wife is 60 and not that athletic. She loved it and was going 53 mph toward the end.

 

Anyway we start out by just idling for a while as Ryan gets his stuff together and catches up to us. Also gives us time to get used to the feel of the jet ski. Immediately it was all out as fast as you wanted to go. He took off but you don't have to go that fast, I think he judges the speed based on how people are keeping up.

 

We stopped at Stingray city and parked just a bit off to the side. Luckily we took the morning cruise and beat many of the boats to the spot. All of these boats had 20 - 40 people standing around in a big group, we had the 4 of us off to the side by ourselves. We've been here before so the draw was the jet skis and not really the rays, although they are cool. Ryan fed them, had us feed them ,etc. He will make sure you have all the interaction you want.

 

Headed over to Rum Point for some snorkeling. Wow, the water is so clear. Just beautiful. After a while went to Starfish Point then through the mangroves back to the dock. This tour had everything we wanted. Jet skis, snorkeling and great people.

 

I was wondering how fast we'd be able to take the jet skis but my fears were unfounded. He let us go as fast as we wanted. I had that thing tapped out at 53 mph for quite a bit of the tour. But, you do not need to go that fast, as he will let everyone catch up.

 

On the way back to town the driver stopped at a brewery and you could have a couple of free beers. I give this 5 stars and will definitely go again when back on Grand Cayman. Thanks Ryan!"

[blue_water]

Great report. I will add that for folks concerned about getting back on the jet skis do not be concerned. They are very stable and the guide is very helpful too. We had 1 friend with a shoulder injury and she was fine. And the water in most of the area you are in is generally very calm with 1 ft waves so not a rough experience usually.

Great experience, and the guide will be surre Frisbee or another ray gives you a back rub!

[Jgarriso]

Question on the beach jet ski rental, Besides cash, do you need anything else to rent, Drivers license, credit card, or anything that we might leave on the boat normally.

[blue_water]

When renting motorized equipment always bring cc and license for ID. Not for driving, but in case you decide you don't want to bring it back. :p

[elaina91801]

I am intrigued by this excursion, and I know my hubby would LOVE it.....but I am scared of two things. 1. Falling off/flipping my jet ski 2. Not being able to keep up with the group. Advice? :confused::o:rolleyes:

[blue_water]

are you referring to the Fat Fish Adventures excursion? No worries on either point -

You cannot tip a jet ski unless you try very at slow speeds. And everyone goes at their own speed. Some go fast, some at a more relaxed pace. The guide has points he stops and meets you and tells you where to head to. You're not holding anyone up.

First-timers are fine with this one as the guides are excellent.

[elaina91801]

Thanks, that helps! Do you know anything about the one through Island Marketing?

[blue_water]

No, we took the FFA tour while staying on the island after hearing from locals and part-time residents about how much better they were so sorry can't help. IM is a huge multi-destination company though, and FFA is a small outfit and very personal.

[elaina91801]

Got ya, think we will go with Fat Fish after reading all the recommendations. Thank you for your input!

 

 

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[kmdefreit]

I too recommend Fat Fish. We just got back and posted this on Trip Advisor.

 

"After reading these reviews I knew we picked the right company. Communication before the trip was great. What a nice group of people to work with. They picked us up right on time although we had to wait for a couple that never did show. It's just a short drive to the dock with an entertaining driver. Oh, we took the jet ski stingray city tour. They also have other tours.

 

There were only four of us on this trip which was great. Once we got to the dock, it was pay the balance, get your gear, brief instructions, get on then let's go. Loved it. We had Ryan as our guide and he was great. We rented two jet skis and the couple that was on the tour with us shared a jet ski. For the price difference it was way worth it to rent our own. Wasn't sure as my wife is 60 and not that athletic. She loved it and was going 53 mph toward the end.

 

Anyway we start out by just idling for a while as Ryan gets his stuff together and catches up to us. Also gives us time to get used to the feel of the jet ski. Immediately it was all out as fast as you wanted to go. He took off but you don't have to go that fast, I think he judges the speed based on how people are keeping up.

 

We stopped at Stingray city and parked just a bit off to the side. Luckily we took the morning cruise and beat many of the boats to the spot. All of these boats had 20 - 40 people standing around in a big group, we had the 4 of us off to the side by ourselves. We've been here before so the draw was the jet skis and not really the rays, although they are cool. Ryan fed them, had us feed them ,etc. He will make sure you have all the interaction you want.

 

Headed over to Rum Point for some snorkeling. Wow, the water is so clear. Just beautiful. After a while went to Starfish Point then through the mangroves back to the dock. This tour had everything we wanted. Jet skis, snorkeling and great people.

 

I was wondering how fast we'd be able to take the jet skis but my fears were unfounded. He let us go as fast as we wanted. I had that thing tapped out at 53 mph for quite a bit of the tour. But, you do not need to go that fast, as he will let everyone catch up.

 

On the way back to town the driver stopped at a brewery and you could have a couple of free beers. I give this 5 stars and will definitely go again when back on Grand Cayman. Thanks Ryan!"

 

 

I am curious how much time you got to spend at each part?? Also had a knee injury a few years back and want ted to know how hard it is to get on waverunner in open water with limited bend in knee.

[blue_water]

I am curious how much time you got to spend at each part?? Also had a knee injury a few years back and want ted to know how hard it is to get on waverunner in open water with limited bend in knee.

 

You have enough time to enjoy each spot, we spent about 30 minutes at each, probably more at the sandbar. We also spent an extra hour enjoying lunch and the beach at Rum Point and then Kaibo, but we were on the last tour of the day (1 or 2PM departure, can't remember) and you get more time for the same price as the earlier tours. We took that tour because we were staying on GCM and had everyplace to ourselves after the ship tours were winding down.

 

Regarding your question on getting on the jet ski, no worries. See my post# 13 above and our earlier report on TA.

 

Excellent day, great outfit and Peter and the staff are very good and very patient -enjoy!

Edited June 28, 2014 by blue_water

[ncovert]

I too recommend Fat Fish. We just got back and posted this on Trip Advisor.

 

 

 

"After reading these reviews I knew we picked the right company. Communication before the trip was great. What a nice group of people to work with. They picked us up right on time although we had to wait for a couple that never did show. It's just a short drive to the dock with an entertaining driver. Oh, we took the jet ski stingray city tour. They also have other tours.

 

 

 

There were only four of us on this trip which was great. Once we got to the dock, it was pay the balance, get your gear, brief instructions, get on then let's go. Loved it. We had Ryan as our guide and he was great. We rented two jet skis and the couple that was on the tour with us shared a jet ski. For the price difference it was way worth it to rent our own. Wasn't sure as my wife is 60 and not that athletic. She loved it and was going 53 mph toward the end.

 

 

 

Anyway we start out by just idling for a while as Ryan gets his stuff together and catches up to us. Also gives us time to get used to the feel of the jet ski. Immediately it was all out as fast as you wanted to go. He took off but you don't have to go that fast, I think he judges the speed based on how people are keeping up.

 

 

 

We stopped at Stingray city and parked just a bit off to the side. Luckily we took the morning cruise and beat many of the boats to the spot. All of these boats had 20 - 40 people standing around in a big group, we had the 4 of us off to the side by ourselves. We've been here before so the draw was the jet skis and not really the rays, although they are cool. Ryan fed them, had us feed them ,etc. He will make sure you have all the interaction you want.

 

 

 

Headed over to Rum Point for some snorkeling. Wow, the water is so clear. Just beautiful. After a while went to Starfish Point then through the mangroves back to the dock. This tour had everything we wanted. Jet skis, snorkeling and great people.

 

 

 

I was wondering how fast we'd be able to take the jet skis but my fears were unfounded. He let us go as fast as we wanted. I had that thing tapped out at 53 mph for quite a bit of the tour. But, you do not need to go that fast, as he will let everyone catch up.

 

 

 

On the way back to town the driver stopped at a brewery and you could have a couple of free beers. I give this 5 stars and will definitely go again when back on Grand Cayman. Thanks Ryan!"

 

 

Just out of curiosity, approx how much did this tour cost you. Thanks in advance