Common Jet Ski Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Like any sport, you can get injured in jet skiing. Also like any other sport, learning proper operation and safety procedures will always minimize your chances of hurting yourself.

In all honesty, jet skiing is an incredibly safe sport. Even inexpensive jet skis are incredibly well-built because safety is a primary concern for anyone engaging in an extreme sport. They’re incredibly simple to operate, so even a beginner can start riding confidently in no time. It results in far fewer casualties than contact sports such as football, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful.

Proper apparel is important. Reviewing what to wear on a jet ski can help you be prepared for a safe and fun ride.

The safety of jet skiing is directly linked to careful and attentive ridership. Hitting other jet skis can cause injuries, as well as losing control and being thrown off. If you’re an experienced rider, you might not quite yet know how to stabilize the craft if you’ve hit a buoy or another object in the water.

Some people pull on the throttle too hard and strain a muscle, or worse. But, what all these unfortunate situations have in common is they can be completely avoided by paying attention to yourself, your riding, and those around you.

If you haven’t jet skied before, it’s best to know what you’re going into. Yes, it will be a thrilling experience that you’ll never forget. Many people even start jet skiing on their own after riding with us.

Common Jet Ski Injuries

To help you get on the road to your first jet skiing experience, we’ve put together a helpful list of the most common injuries in jet skiing, and how to avoid them. With this guide, we hope you’ll come for your first lesson with a confident handle on what “safe skiing” truly means.

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when a sudden movement jerks your body too quickly for your body to react to. People get whiplash from car accidents, horseback riding, and just about anywhere quick movement is a factor.

If you want to avoid whiplash while jet skiing, you need to pay attention to the throttle when you’re about to accelerate. Pulling on the throttle too quickly will jet your body forward and potentially causing a neck injury.

You can also avoid whiplash by not turning too quickly. Always take slower, wider turns, especially when you’re just starting out.

Bruises

Bruises happen when your body is impacted by another object. While jet skiing, there are a couple different ways you can get bruised, and some are not so obvious as you might think.

Perhaps easier to understand is if you hit another jet ski or object in the water. If your body makes impact with that object, you might get a bruise.

Not so obvious is when you’re going too fast and bobbing out of the water. Similar to when a car goes over a pothole, you will feel the jet ski repeatedly hitting your bottom end pretty hard. The best way to avoid this injury is by controlling your speed and being aware of your surroundings.

Sprains

A sprain happens when the tendons between your bones are overstretched or damaged. Baseball pitchers experience many sprains because they are constantly extending their throwing arm with a lot of force and at high speed. If you’re riding too fast on a jet ski, you might also get a sprain.

When some people accelerate too quickly, they could sprain their shoulder or their arm. Keeping your hands firmly grasped around the handles will keep you from falling off the jet ski, but it could potentially overextend your arm.

To avoid getting sprains, keep your speed in check – accelerating too fast is one of the leading causes of sprains in jet skiing.

Fractured and Broken Bones

A fractured bone is one which has partially cracked due to impact or bending. They’re not as bad as a full break, but are still extremely painful and take time to heal.

Crashing into another jet ski can cause fractured or broken bones. So, make sure you’re always keeping an eye out for riders and other objects in the water.

Loss of Breath

You’ll definitely lose your breath while jet skiing because of the excitement. Yes, we’re kidding here, but we feel it’s important to remember that there’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to jet skiing. It’s still an incredible experience that anyone can enjoy, as long as they do it safely.

As long as you control your speed, stay aware of your surroundings, and make sure not to accelerate or turn too quickly, you’ll all but neutralize the probability of getting an injury while jet skiing. And at Sea the City, our expert tour guides and instructors have successfully gotten first timers to have safe and thrilling experiences on jet skis.

If you’re ready to experience New York City like you never have before, contact us today!