labadee waverunners question

[ElvisandTracey]

I did it with DH and loved it, he drove, I sat behind and held on.

 

I liked it because our guide asked the group who wantd to go fast vs. slow, put the fast ones (like me and DH) in front with one guide, put the slower behind with another, so nobody bothered anyone else.

 

Me and DH went waverunning again last Sept. in Maui, no guide this time, just open water. I had my own this time and did fine-DH tried to do some type of trick, flipped his waverunner, and lost a water shoe to the Pacific Ocean-lots of fun!!

 

He threw out the other shoe, and hopped back to the hotel because the sand was so hot-

 

GO waverunning in Labadee, it's great. I will be back there in June, but I have done enough waverunning for now.

[Cuizer2]

That would be MUCH safer.

 

We are a family of 4, parents and 2 teenagers, who did this tour a year ago November. The staff was "cocky" and laughed at the rough waters, taking us all out anyway.

 

We had a short orientation session, after which they asked "who likes to go fast?" Those who like to go fast were lined up first and the rest of us "newbies" were left to the rear. The problem was that no staff was assigned to be with the newbies. They took off like bats out of you-know-where, and we and and a couple of other waverunners were left behind in the dust.

 

The water was very rough and several waverunners ended up getting in trouble, including our teenagers, who capsized on top of a coral reef after their machine stalled and they drifted on top of it. They were knocked over by a wave. Both kids ended up quite cut up from the reef, and another disabled machine was knocked into ours, hitting my leg and causing an internal bruise that has only recently stopped being painful in certain situations.

 

RCCL itself was very concerned (probably about potential legal action), provided medical treatment, and were adequately responsive to the problems.

 

Bottom line is....DON'T RELY ON THE STAFF TO TRAIN/HELP YOU WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

 

Your advise (bottome line) is good. In defense I would like to say that the staff I was with did not act anything like the staff you were with. The staff I was with did show a real concern for everyone. The order was changed after the first stop and things went very well after that. If I recall right, there was a staff member at the end and one in the front.

[OPSoccermom]

You know - the one with the 13-ish girl who they say doesn't enjoy anything?

 

They show her heading off on her own on a waverunner. I'm sure this commercial is bound to get young teens excited about the waverunners.

 

In Labadee, prepare your kids that they have to be at least 16 to drive a jetski. The girl in the commercial would not have been permitted to ride off on her own in Labadee.

[jetskier]

UKcrazycruisers: Jet Ski is a brand name just as Waverunner. We actually have a SeaDoo Xp. If I remember right JetSki started it with the standup kind and now they have the big sitting kind you can sleep on if need be, hehe. BonVoyage

Dawna

 

Giventofly,

It is easier to turn over a two-seater that you are showing pictures of. The newer 3-seaters are longer and wider thus making them more stable.

 

Dawna,

Jetski is the trademark brand of Kawasaki.

Waverunner is the trademark brand of Yamaha.

Seadoo is the trademark brand of Bombardier.

Personal Watercraft (PWC) is the industry term for all of them.

 

Seadoo was the first company to come out with a sitdown unit in 1968. They did not sell too well as the engines were small and air-cooled. Kawasaki introduced the first stand-up in 1973 by stealing a design by Clayton Jacobson. He eventually won a lawsuit against them. They produced 500 handmade units, 300 with a flatbottom hull and 200 with a v-bottom. 1974 was the first true production year. Kawasaki introduced their sitdown unit in 1989.

 

Yamaha entered the market in 1987 with a sitdown, Seadoo followed in 1988. Polaris and Tigershark entered in 1992.

 

The major thing to remember with a PWC is that it takes THROTTLE to steer on most units. Forgetting this is the #1 cause of accidents. Without thrust from the jetpump through the steering nozzle, you will continue in a straight line and not have the ability to turn. The second major cause of accidents is not being aware of your surroundings. Look before making a turn. I know they tell you to follow in the wake of the PWC in front of you. The problem I have with it is if that person slows down and you dont because you are looking at all the pretty scenery, you can run into the back of them.

 

Some of the newer units have either fins that drop down to give you some steerage or limit switches which will automatically give the engine some throttle if the handlebars are fully turned. You usually wont find this on the low-end units used for rentals.

 

 

Dave