Dubai Police has confiscated dozens of jet skis from rental agencies that were found to be leasing out damaged vehicles.
Thirty-two jet skis were seized when officers discovered severe damage, involvement in previous accidents, or being deemed unfit for use. A further 39 notices were issued for safety breaches and for allowing riders to use undesignated routes.
Brig Dr Hassan Suhail Al Suwaidi, director of the Ports Police Station, said some companies had a lack of electronic documentation and poor rental procedures.
Using an unlicensed watercraft or operating in Dubai waters without authorisation comes with a fine of Dh5,000 ($1,360). Operating one with an expired licence can draw a Dh1,000 fine, while renting out an unfit watercraft could cost the culprit Dh5,000.
Danger on the water
Jet skis have long been a safety issue, with a number of deaths recorded each year.
In 2022 in the US, jet skis were the second most common type of watercraft involved in any accident, after motorboats. In nearly 1,000 jet-ski accidents in 2022, there were 54 deaths and 549 injuries.
A number of jet ski-related deaths have been reported in the UAE where the watersport has become a popular leisure activity, the most recent being when a person was killed and another injured in 2020 in a jet-ski crash in Dubai. The fatal incident took place near The Palm.
In August the previous year, a man had to be rescued after he crashed his jet ski into the breakwater at a beach in Dubai. The man, 20, was riding his jet ski at Al Mamzar Beach Park when the accident took place.
Fujairah police also reported a death in 2018 when a jet skier died after falling off his vehicle in the waters near Fujairah city's corniche, and back in 2011, Dubai Police confiscated 42 jet skis and four boats in a month after stepping up enforcement.
The push came after an Emirati boy, 17, was struck and killed off The Palm. Most of the impounded craft were unregistered, police said at the time.
