The situation is worse, in terms of danger, on the beaches of Cyprus, not only for users of speedboats but also for bathers, given that both jet ski-type speedboats and pleasure boats are operated either by minors or by people who do not have the required experience.
In fact, some run either jet skis or boats in which a family or a group of people is on board, without insurance coverage in case of an accident, with all that entails.
Especially in the summer season, in addition to the above worrying data, the risks are greater due to the increased number of both bathers and boats that move in all sea areas.
Illegal activity in the field of water sports
The president of the Pancyprian Water Sports Association, Dimitris Hadjidimitriou, told "F", that the factor of illegals who are active in water sports must also be taken into account in the equation.
To the question, "where does it come from that illegal people are active in the field of water sports", Mr. Hatzidimitriou observed that in addition to the advertisements on the internet for the rental of speedboats of various sizes or passenger boats, "someone who is at work and is on the beach every day, can notice that there are many boats in our seas which do not belong either to the licensees of the sector or to people who own the speedboats or their vessels for personal use".
In addition, the following phenomenon was observed: One day a boat is operated by a Cypriot, the next day by a foreigner, the next by a family (Cypriot or foreign) or a woman, and so on. These operators are not professionals or owners, but simply rent specific boats for a small cruise, said Mr. Hadjidemetriou.
He believes that the activity of illegals in the field of water sports increases the risk of accidents with speedboats or other boats.
Asked to answer "how is the activity of illegals ascertained", he said that it results from the reduction of the work of licensed professionals with a parallel increase in the number of boats at sea.
As he explained, some non-licensed people also use boats that do not belong to them, in order to offer various water sports and cover all tastes and interests, which helps them not to lose customers. On the question "how is this done", Mr. Hatzidimitriou said that some people approach boat owners and sound them out as to whether they are interested in the idea of making (covering) the costs of their boat, the maintenance of which has a cost, especially when they are parked in marinas. Non-licensees rent the boats from the owners and then make them available to tourists.
Answering another question, he observed that the situation with the activity of non-licensees has worsened with the use of the internet, through which customers make reservations for the period they will be on vacation or even a weekend or even for a day. It is worth noting that those who are active in water sports "play" with the minutes if we take into account that the tariff for renting a high-speed jet ski ranges from €50-€60 per fifteen minutes.
Online rentals
Through the internet, one can even book/rent a boat for a sea tour with family or friends. It is also observed that some people rent a package tour boat and jet skis which they tow or when larger boats are rented, speedboats are loaded on them. As he said, in the relatively recent past there was a fatal incident in Limassol, when two speedboats collided and were then thrown into the sea and used by the people who rented the boat.
When asked how much the various boats are rented, Mr. Hatzidimitriou said that there are small passenger boats with a capacity of 5-6 people which can be rented for €100 per hour, while for longer distances some charge extra for fuel.
Regarding the issue of coverage of users or owners in case of injuries as a result of an accident, Mr. Hatzidimitriou stated that licensees are obliged to have insurance coverage against a third party, which means that their customers are covered in case of injury as a result of an accident.
There is, he said, the possibility that someone who is operating illegally will show his customer an insurance coverage contract, but the terms of the insurance contracts include the following provision: "It is understood that the use of the machine is legal", which clearly leaves both users and owners exposed.
Minors and jet skis
To the question, "how can a jet ski be managed by a minor", Mr. Hatzidimitriou invoked both his personal experience and the experiences of his colleagues, stating that there are cases in which a speedboat can be rented by an adult but in a short time end up being handled by a minor.
I know that this happens in many areas and to many colleagues, said Mr. Hatzidimitriou, who added: "Does the adult come with his son and say to the licensee, 'I want to take the little one for a ride on the jet ski, is it okay'?" You see that he is indeed an adult, which means that he is entitled to run the speedboat and you tell him "sign the binding declaration", he signs it and you tell him the necessary information for the safety of himself and the others who are at sea and he receives it. When they go out to sea, they change position, so it is not unlikely that an accident will happen," added Mr. Hatzidimitriou.
