State-wide compliance blitz sees NSW Maritime urge jet skiers to ride safely

In the first state-wide compliance blitz of 2024 - Operation Stay Afloat - NSW Maritime officers are calling on jet skiers to ride safely on the water.

A spate of serious injuries involving personal watercraft, including jet skis, has authorities on high alert a week into the new year. Locations of particular concern to authorities are Brighton Beach and Georges River in Sydney.

The popularity of jet skis and personal watercraft has soared over the last four years, with over 90,000 licenced riders in NSW, an increase of over 35% since 2020.

The largest jump in jet ski licences has been among Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2010. There are more than 23,000 licenced riders aged between 13 and 28 in NSW, an increase of 22% on this time last year.

Jetski Club member Wahib Gereige shared "Spending a day out on your jetski with friends is what summer's all about. Ruining it for others by being reckless or irresponsible, isn't.

"There is a stigma about jetski riders which is giving us all a bad reputation. Rules and regulations are there for a reason, respect them and everyone can have a great time out on the water."

As part of the safety and educational campaign aimed at driving home the importance of responsible riding on the state's waterways, NSW Maritime crews conducted more than 2000 vessel safety checks.

While 87% of boat and jet ski operators were found to be complying with all license and safety requirements, NSW Maritime issued 186 official warnings and 81 penalty notices.

31.4% were issued for not wearing or carrying a lifejacket, 27.7% were for unlicenced drivers or unregistered vessels and 11.2% were for speeding.

It follows a year where jet ski-related offences were on the rise. There were a total of 1560 jet ski offences recorded in NSW during 2023, up 53% on the previous year's 1023 jet ski infringements. Speeding made up almost 30% of offences recorded.

More jet skiiers are found to be non-compliant in Sydney waters compared to other parts of NSW, with the George's River, Botany Bay and Port Hacking taking the top spots for illegal activity leading to infringements.

The top 5 Local Government Areas for newly issued licences are Canterbury-Bankstown, Sutherland Shire, Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and the Northern Beaches.

NSW Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park noted "Speeding and unsafe riding on a jet ski is a recipe for disaster on our waterways.

"Jet skis are overrepresented in serious injury incidents, if you have an accident on one, it's highly likely you'll suffer a serious injury."

"They are fast and they don't offer much protection. Use common-sense if you jump on one.

"We want our Illawarra and South Coast communities to feel safe and relaxed when using all of our beautiful waterways, including Lake Illawarra. If jet ski riders are making others uncomfortable, Maritime will take action."

For more information on jetski safety, check out the Personal Watercraft (PWC) Handbook.

Image. Credit: NSW Maritime.