Florida Keys News
Saturday, June 23, 2012
PWC advocates want bigger area
Personal watercraft operators ask Wildlife Service to lift ban in some areas
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
tohara@keysnews.com

Personal watercraft tour operators are asking Florida Keys refuge managers to open a large area off Key West to the controversial watercraft, which are now prohibited within the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges.

Marius Venter, a partner in Fury Water Adventures, said the part of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge that includes the Northwest Channel is not "a...

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pwc

Submitted on Wed, 06/27/2012 - 7:19pm by really
Its time that we stop caving into Fury,Sebago,and the others who allow tourons to trash the reef in the name of profit.And while were at it Chris"The big mouth hipocrite"Belland and his partner swifty should be run out of town for polluting our streets with trolleys,trains,and ducks.

How many deaths have

Submitted on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 10:37am by Chi
How many deaths have occurred on jet skis in the last ten years in our local waters? That would be some useful information. I recall two at one time- a leading story for this paper a few years ago. Go and rent one yourself and see if there is any instruction. You fill out a form and sign and initial next to the driving instructions and their version of rules of the road. Who reads and comprehends this? Since when do PWC have ANY right of way (vessel of privilege) over any other vessel on the water??? How many times are boaters cut off by these morons? We need more regulations on these not less. There should be a limited amount each tour guide can be responsible for in a chain- say 4 and no combinations of chains together. This would keep them in groups of 5 or less. Limit the times or restrict the number of tours an operator can run per day. Tommy, there is no such thing as a jetski ecotour and there never will be even if hey allow you back there. I was surprised to learn a couple of things from my friends at Fury: 1. A lot of these hacks are able to earn their 6-pack (OUPV) by running these things (which explains the ineptitude of many new captains these days) and 2. The ones who don't earn the license or choose to continue running these tours do so that they do not have to drug tested under USCG rules!!!! So if you want some high as kite kid trailing 20 dots out to Woman Key, say nothing to your representative here because that is exactly what will happen. And yes, ban mini season to all but Monroe County residents. Our seas should be ours to enjoy first and foremost. Also, how about telling us about how many deaths per year each mini season??

The problem is

Submitted on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 12:22am by Ninja Jane
that when PWCs are "enjoying" being out on the water, swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers and fishermen are NOT able to enjoy same. PWC guides want to make a buck - I just want to enjoy a peaceful swim.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 6:28pm by jetski tommy
Just open youre mind a bit and think . the PWC guides and companys are trying to work with everyone share and enjoy our water . We don't say bad things about boaters . All we want is to work and enjoy the water !!!

These tours are dangerous

Submitted on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 8:04am by 666
These tours are dangerous and a disturbance to every other form of near shore enjoyment. You obviously work or own one so we know your opinion. I don't know a single person not in the business who thinks these tours have helped Key West. At least now, more and more people are coming out against them. We need to worry about what makes this island special like flats fishing, not jet skis available at 500 other resort towns around the world. As Key West becomes like more and more like anywhere USA, visitors will start to notice our crappy beaches, chilly winters, and over priced attractions and they will go to Cancun for Thier silly jet ski tour.

Woman Key? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:45pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
It's hard enough for boaters who actually KNOW the boating rules to have some peaceful time there without a bunch of yahoos on jet skis there as well.

I prescibe a MENTOS and COCA COLA

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 5:17pm by Sal Gutierrez
ENAMA.....that would fix you right up CLEARLY.

Please stop wasting your money, Sal...

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:27pm by Mac

Do you really expect us to vote for someone who can't spell enema?

It's also enough that you want to rape your own property with development, but how can you ask us to allow these irresponsible kids to rape our out-waters?

The answer is more restrictions, not less.

Fact is, pwc should have been outlawed in the Keys years ago.

And to further help you save money, Sal, I'm still offering to buy all your undevelopable land-- 10 cents on the dollar. Not all that bad in today's market for undevelopable property.

I remain your pal, Mac

PWC

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:39pm by jetski tommy
My name is Tommy and I am a PWC tour guide in Key West. We all know that the numbers of PWCs tours around Key West is growing. So if they let us ride out to other areas you will not see so many PWCs around Key West. All we are asking for is; 1.Responsible,shared use of natural resources. 2.Open non-sensitive areas for use of PWCs. 3.Requesting that all navigable channels remain clear from anchored vessels. 4.Allow for a variance for use of PWC in non-sensitive areas in the florida keys. The fact is that a PWC is the most environmental friendly vessel in the ocean. Personally I feel that the sanctuary management should let and allow the PWC companies and tour guides do eco tours in the sanctuary. I do hope that in the end of the negotiations someone is going to make the right decision. If the sanctuary management say that their job is to teach and show the population about the sanctuary then the PWC tours and guides are the best tool that they have. Tommy Muskuna

Expand the PWC zone NOW

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:43am by Conch Harbor
Give them the area from one mile outside the reef all the way to South America

So much more went on at that meeting

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:08am by trapper
and we got the PWC story ? What was not mentioned was how many people expressed the favored opinion of banning mini season, Every work group returned that concensus. Not expanding the no-take zones , more law enforcement Officers, keeping the back islands open to use, addressing the overfishing of muttons, and the fact that you basically only have until the 29th of this month to submit your suggestions to the council. Do you want MINI SEASON BANNED? Now is the time to speak !

banning mini-season?

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 2:34pm by Hadel
all that would do is make the first few days of lobster season into "mini-season".

Season has to open sometime,

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 10:18am by CaptainB
Season has to open sometime, if you "ban" mini-season then you will get all the idiots for the first day of regular season. Instead of staying for a few days they will be here a week. So the question is do you want 2 days of dealing with them or a week?

I have worked in the dive industry for 30 years

Submitted on Mon, 06/25/2012 - 9:59am by trapper
the majority do come down for a week or 2 weeks, not just a few days. What are they doing on the non-lobster days ? Scouting and killing every hogfish and grouper they come across, making multiple trips with coolers filled. EVERY day. I actually came across a CROWBAR shoved into a coral head; not your usual tickle stick. I fill their air tanks , I do know how long they stay and how many trips they take and see the coolers of barely legal fish. Have 10 year old kids with pole spears tell me horror stories about their parents spearing lobster , rolling heads, and alternating trips from the south to the north side so the "man" doesn't catch them. So Captain B, get out on the water and you will see what is actually happening. Or stop by and fill air tanks for that week with me, and see it for yourself.

Unadulterated Greed

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 7:26am by
It takes a big swinging set of brass cajones for the PWC operators to ask to be allowed to penetrate deeper into the sensitive marine sanctuary. This request is driven by unadulterated greed. If the sanctuary managers had any sense at all they would not only deny this ludicrous request, but would further restrict where these spastic jet propelled menaces can go. If this situation goes unchecked any further, I suspect there will be a civil war played out on the nearshore waters of Key West.

They can't even go by the rules in near-shore waters. Why in

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 4:42pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
the world would they do so in an expanded area? These tours are run by a bunch of kids who have no clue about actual boating rules and are not licensed in any manner that I can tell. I say no.

why not?

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 3:54pm by jetski tommy
Black panther, you need to know some facts before you write all those bad things about PWCs. If they do open up more areas for PWCs to ride, you will not see us around Key West and then you are going to have to find something else to hate on MR. Black Panther!!!

Regulate these throttle jockeys

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 11:25am by Voltaire Perkins
It's really unbelievable that these kooks want to further ruin our nearshore waters. These are not true Watermen; they are hacks leading clueless tourists around in a big money grubbing rodeo. DO NOT give them more space; in fact, give them LESS. Once someone gets hit (not IF, but WHEN) hopefully the waverunner scourge will abate. Unfortunately, it will take someone getting killed to get the City or State to actually DO SOMETHING. Say no to these clowns.

Actually the PWC operators have greatly improved

Submitted on Sat, 06/23/2012 - 8:33pm by trapper
in the past few weeks .Why , because when they saw they they were becoming a problem item to other user groups they decided to initiate SELF REGULATION and started driving the tours more responsibly. I was suprised to learn that they are confined by zones which cause them to drive down the beach side close to shore , it isn't by their choice of route. They are not allowed to go on the west side of Sunset key , which would take them out of the busy harbor. They are trying to do the right thing by taking control of their own industry and made an impressive presence at the FKNMS scoping meeeting. Believe me , I'm probably the last person to like a pack of jet skis , but when you discriminate against one type of watercraft, eventually the Sanctuary will be looking at what YOU are piloting on the water , saying you also have an adverse impact. The medicine you give will become the medicine you recieve.

There is something about

Submitted on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 2:24pm by david2009
There is something about driving along S. Roosevelt looking out to sea and seeing the horizon, end to end, filled with a line of bobbing, spitting, jumping, roaring, jerking jet skis with their thrashing about riders, that is just not aesthetically pleasing.

Yet you are in favor of

Submitted on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 10:16am by Chi
Yet you are in favor of banning mini season, Lee?
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