Jet skis back in St Kitts waters

The ban on the water sport craft used at certain beaches was imposed after an accident at sea. The victim had suffered significant injury to the head from the propeller of a jet ski.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Wednesday August 25, 2010 – The St Kitts and Nevis government is lifting a 15-year ban on the importation of jet skis into the twin-island federation.

The ban on the water sport craft used at certain beaches was imposed after an accident at sea. The victim had suffered significant injury to the head from the propeller of a jet ski.

But recent developments have prompted the authorities to reverse the ban.

“Over the last 15 years, the propulsion technology for jet skis has changed, thereby eliminating the propeller blades in favour of jet propulsion, which is a much safer technology,” Minister of Information, Senator Nigel Carty said in a post-Cabinet media briefing.

He added that new guidelines on how and where jet skis are to be used have been created and approved by the Cabinet to ensure that the sport craft remain safe for those who use them and for those on the beaches where they are authorised for operation.

Carty said the lifting of the ban is likely to create new opportunities for water sport operators who claim that the demand for services in those areas has been growing over the years.

“This then can only add to the development of the tourism product resulting in increased intake for the local tourism industry,” the Information Minister said.