Club Safety Rules

All members must comply with all association, local and national boating rules, regulations and byelaws. It shall be the duty of all members to act as ambassadors to the association to maintain good and equitable relationships with other water users as well as local authorities and their officials.

All members who have guests using their PWC must ensure that they are made aware of the code of ethics and local bylaws.

The priority of all members is the safety of themselves and other water users at all times.
Members are requested to ensure they are adequately insurance coverer for the activities they intend to pursue with there watercraft.
Members are requested to gain the relevant PWC Safety training
While the thrill of a jet skiing comes from speeding across the water, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it responsibly. Jet skiers have responsibilities to other water users – as a well as themselves – to ride in a safe and sensible manner. It’s important to know how to stay safe and how to behave with respect to other users when sharing the water.
The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is learn to swim.

Ski Check: Study the manufacture's manual and practice handling of your craft under experienced supervision and in open water well away from other boaters.

Weather and dangers of hypothermia: Check the weather forecast before starting out. Be alert for the wave, wind, cloud changes that signal bad weather approaches. Try not to ski alone, especially in the sea. If you fall off remember that cold water robs body heat 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. If you fall off your craft into cold water, immediately reboard. Immersion in cold water can result in a real life-threatening drop in body temperature (hypothermia). Stay with your craft. Do not try to swim to shore in cold water unless you are very close to safety and you have no expectation of speedy assistance. Swimming, treading water and survival floating all use up valuable energy and produce rapid heat loss. If you can't get out of the water, wearing your PFD will help increase your survival time by keeping your head out of the water.

Always ensure sufficient fuel is onboard for any intended trip, plan to return with the fuel tank 1/3 full thereby allowing for any possible emergencies.
• Check steering and throttle cables
• Check that the pump unit is clear of debris
• Check that your safety lanyard works properly
• Check drain plugs are closed
• Check the hull for structural damage
• Check that the engine starts, and runs before launching.

Safety Checklist:
• Carry a basic tool kit, spare spark plugs and the operators manual
• Carry an in-date fire extinguisher.
• Carry a supply of in-date hand-held flares.
• A whistle and a torch can be used to attract attention in an emergency.
• Have some means of calling for help – radio or mobile.
• Carry a basic first aid kit.
Check for information notices at access points and observe the local bye-laws.

Park your vehicle and trailer with care and consideration. Do not obstruct access for other users and particularly the Emergency Services.
As a personal Watercraft User, you have a responsibility towards yourself, your passengers (if carried) and to other users of the water. Since you will be sharing the water with other craft and vessels, it is important to know what to do in different situations.

Be Safe!

• Keep a look out for other craft and keep clear of any other restricted areas i.e. bathers, water skiers, board sailors etc
• If you are water skiing or towing an aquatic toy, remember to take an observer. This should only be done on craft with a carrying capacity of 3 or more persons.
Always look out for and recognise warning signs:

The most important thing to take with you is another person and another PWC.

Operators should be familiar with and have practiced the procedure for righting a capsized boat. All Skis should have a sticker underneath with full details! Rolling a craft over the wrong way may result in water entering into the engine, causing serious damage to it and rendering the PWC inoperative.

Control and steering: The most important thing to remember about steering most PWC is that you must always have power in order to maintain control. You must use the throttle to accelerate in order to steer. If the jet pump is not pushing water through the machine, it will not steer. If you allow the engine to return to idle or shut-off during operation you lose all steering control. The PWC will continue in the direction it was headed before the throttle was released or the engine was shut-off, no matter which way the steering control is turned. If you want to stop, leave plenty of room, line yourself up in a parallel position, and glide to a stop. Always allow plenty of room for stopping. Just because you release the throttle or shut-off the engine does not mean you will stop immediately.

Offshore Crusing: Subject to suitable weather and sea conditions, these craft are capable of undertaking coastal or offshore passages. Such passages should be undertaken in company with other PWCs of suitable support boats. A nominated person ashore should be aware of departure times, destinations and expected arrival / return times. It is recommended that the following are carried on board at sea – Compass, Waterproof VHF Radio, Passage / Trip plan and a Chart of the Sea Area.

A suitable lifejacket/buoyancy aid must be worn at all times! No exceptions!!!

It is also recommended that you wear:- either a wetsuit or a dry suit, Gloves, Goggles,
Protective footwear.
Ensure the engine shut off lanyard is connected to the craft and yourself.
Where applicable, use buoyed channels and designated zones.
The Designated Zones in the Killaloe Area are: Down to the left off the Ballina Slip towards the the main Lake area.

Observe local speed limits.

Use extreme caution around swimmers, fishermen and surfers. Run your PWC at a slow speed until the craft is away from shore, swimming areas, and docks. Avoid passing close to other boats.
General Courtesy: Jumping the wake (waves left behind a moving boat) of a passing boat, or riding too close to another boat, creates special risks. Visibility around the boat making the wake may be blocked, both for the PWC operator and for oncoming traffic. Try to be a courteous PWC operator. This will avoid people trying to ban our craft from the waters. Share the waterways responsibly with other boaters, fishermen, swimmers, surfers or skiers. Respect their right to use the waterways safely and enjoyably. While these rules of courteous operation are especially important for PWC operators, they apply to all other boat operators as well.
Entering or leaving a harbour: One of the main problems that many main stream boaters have with new PWC users is their lack of wash awareness especially around other craft and when entering or leaving harbours . We ask our members to use " 50 Metre Stop " where the driver drops from planing mode transitioning quickly through semi displacement mode to Full Displacement mode while still 50 to 100 metres out from harbour and visa versa when leaving harbour i.e. waiting until 100 metres from harbour before opening up.
Result? -no nasty waves or wash rocking boats against the quayside.

RULES OF THE WATER
• When meeting other craft, keep to your right. (However, if they are well clear of you do not cross in front of them just to "get on the right side")
• When overtaking other craft, leave them to your right.
• Give fisherfolk a wide berth at all times. In boats, they may be trolling with long lines and if fishing from the bank, your wake or engine noise may disturb the fishing, or worse, swamp them or their gear.
• Slow down in confined waters. Slow means Engine at Tick-Over Only. 5km/Hr. or less.
• High speed craft should slow down substantially when passing or meeting other craft or give them a wide berth. If your craft generates substantial wash, you must leave ample room for your wash to settle when entering confined areas. This means that should slow down several hundred metres before entering a confined area. The Inland Waterways Association of Ireland strongly advocates a "No-Wake" policy in and around harbours and other confined areas. Be aware of the effect of your wash at all times.
• Remember, you may be liable if your wash damages another craft or causes injury.

• Do not navigate at night or in conditions of poor visibility.

• Right of way: Sail Boats and fishing vessels always have the right of way –
so when you’re approaching an oncoming craft, stay to the right. Also,
if you are about to cross paths with another boat or jet ski, the craft on the
right side has the right of way.
• Awareness: You should always be on the lookout for traffic on the water.
• It’s best to know where other boats are and where they’re heading before
• you make a turn or cross a wake. Sadly, collisions are the most common type of accident when jet skiing – so take particular attention to what other craft are around you and where they are going.
• Operating speed: Speed limits are usually set by local regulations or by-laws, so follow the limits, whether they are posted or not. It is your responsibility to know the local speed limit, and failure to keep to it could end up with you facing a fine – or worse still, being involved in an accident. In congested areas it might be wise to lower your speed accordingly, just as you would if you were driving a car.
• It is an offence to moor at any navigation mark.
• All PWC must carry a fire extinguisher.
• Persons under the age of 16 shall not operate these craft.

• Keep to the marked channel when going under bridges. If more than one arch is marked for navigation, always use the one on the right.

• It is an offence to exceed 5 km per hour within 200m of a bridge or jetty and within 100m of a lock, harbour, moored vessel or in a canal. Reduce speed when passing swimmers, anglers and small boats.

And Finally:
Pollution of beaches, banks and the water, from oil and rubbish is an offence. When fuelling, care should be taken to ensure that fuel and oil are not released into the environment.
In the interest of other water users and people in the vicinity ashore, engine noise should be kept to minimum - be considerate to others!
Wild life may be vulnerable if it is disturbed. PW users should be aware of any sensitive areas and keep well clear of them.
Serious accidents can occur as a result of small children playing with the controls of a PW - Be Aware.
Remember – Don’t be a nuisance - Get out in the open water where there are no swimmers, no other boats and a nice swell and then give her full throttle!