Trouble In Their Wake

By NANCY GIBBS

Come summertime, there are two kinds of water people. There are the swimmers, surfers, scullers and sailors, who take to the sea under their own power or at the wind's mercy. And then there are those who harness horsepower, turn a key and roar across the waves. The naval battles between the two types have gone on for years, as sailboats topple in the wakes of motorboats. But this year the most visible -- and audible -- combatant promises to be one of the smallest and peskiest of them all: the "personal watercraft," better known by Kawasaki's trademark Jet Skis. "Everyone I know has had at least one close call," says board sailor Barbara Glunn in Miami. "And it usually happened when one guy tried to beat the antics of another."

The skis are small, engine-driven craft that scoot across the water. Like their landbound cousins, motorcycles and snowmobiles, they are quick, maneuverable, noisy and a rush to ride. Costing $4,000 on average, the scooters can reach speeds of 40 m.p.h. Sales are believed to have doubled since 1984, and there are now over 200,000 personal watercraft in use from coast to coast.

"I think a majority of the people who don't ride 'em hate 'em," observes Hawaii's state boating manager, David Parsons. This summer that majority is likely to be more hostile than ever. Opponents view the scooters as an intrusive and dangerous presence on waterways. They point to the gruesome accidents and deaths that have resulted from hotdogging skiers who use swimmers as a slalom course. In Hawaii a six-year-old skier collided with a woman kayaker; the woman died. In Arizona a baby girl sitting at the shoreline was washed along the rocks when a skier sent his wake crashing her way; she required 130 stitches. On Easter Sunday at Miami's Hobie Cat Beach, a nine- year-old boy was caught in the path of a water-scooter race; he died the next day. The skiers themselves suffer many of the injuries. Last summer a ski buff was killed when he hit a seawall.

Many resort-area residents also complain of the noise and nuisance of thoughtless riders who buzz fishermen, menace rowboats and rip through the quiet of mountain lakes and peaceful beaches. As a result, several states and localities have passed legislation in recent years regulating where and by whom the motorized skis may be used. Many have set the minimum age for riders at 14, require use of a life jacket and forbid riding at night. In Florida, where eleven deaths have occurred since 1987, the state plans to outlaw such reckless maneuvers as weaving through powerboat traffic. Local authorities in Arizona and Oregon have restricted the use of personal watercraft to designated areas on certain lakes. New Hampshire has banned the craft entirely from all lakes and ponds of less than 75 acres, and last week restricted the craft, with some exceptions, from coming within 300 ft. of the shoreline.

The laws and negative publicity have prompted the watercraft industry to expand its safety campaign. Industry spokesmen maintain that the machines are safe but that they are too often used irresponsibly. "Many people who are buying personal watercraft are buying their first boat," says Catherine Martin, spokeswoman for the International Jet Ski Boating Association. "They'll break some of the laws that other boaters are aware of without even knowing that they're alienating anybody."

This spring the Personal Watercraft Industry Association started distributing safety videos, posters and user instructions to dealerships. The association has also drawn up its own suggested regulations, which include a minimum age of 14 for riders of privately owned vessels and 16 for rentals. "The reason it's been a zoo out there is because there has not been any regulation or guidance," says Roger Hagie, chairman of the P.W.I.A.

Miami skier David Ingle, 30, suggests that user attitudes deserve much of the blame. "Riders brought it on themselves," he says. "Many times I'd tell them to slow it down, to ease up. The things they said back you couldn't print. They grab a beer, jump on a machine, and it all goes to their head." This summer's new laws may force skiers to approach the machines more cautiously, and prevent another season of tragic accidents.

With reporting by Deborah E. Brown/Los Angeles and Antonio N. Fins/Miami