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Teenagers always keep you on your toes…and sometimes hobbling along after you’ve gone along with their adventurous plans!
Our sons were extremely interested in going jet-skiing while on vacation in St. Maarten. They have watched many people ride in our local lake while out boating, but they have never had the opportunity to try their hand.
After checking out many websites, we were a bit dismayed to find that most operations only allow renters over the age of 18 to ride solo. Since both of our boys were under the age of 18, we would have had to rent two jet-skis and my husband and I would have had to each take one of the boys as a passenger. Of course, they would hear none of this! They wanted to experience the exhilaration of piloting their own watercraft.
Finally, after many hours of perusing the internet, I happened to find Jet Extreme Watersports, which not only specializes in Jet-ski tours, but also Hoverboard, Flyboard, Wakeboarding and Waterskiing. They also allow riders to ride solo from the age of 16. Okay, so we had a 15 1/2 year old and a 17 year old…we fudged just a little for my youngest!
Booking on our last day, we scheduled an 11:30 am Terres Basses/Lowlands Tour which was to last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Scheduling the trip that morning and finding the location (at the Mercure Hotel) was quite easy and we arrived a bit early than planned. The staff was extremely friendly, helped us to fill out our paperwork, let us watch the required video and then sent us off to the pool to relax a bit before our tour.
After the arrival of our tour guide, we were soon ready to depart, each of us on our own Jet-ski. Luckily, no others were booked on the tour, so it was as if we had our own personal trip! Strapping on a Go Pro, which we rented from JetExtreme, we planned to document our adventure and we set off through Simpson Bay lagoon and out to Nettle Bay on its north side.
After departing Nettle Bay, we rounded the western point and cruised near Baie Rouge, known for its famous color, then past Plum Bay, Baie Longue, Cupecoy, Mullet Bay, Maho Bay, Simpson Bay. Our guide pointed out areas of interest, including Donald Trump’s vacation home in Plum Bay and then allowed us to have a swim stop and rest near the cliffs of Cupecoy Beach. We then continued on to Maho Bay where we watched a couple of planes land from a much different vantage point. After passing our condo at Simpson Bay Beach, we reentered Simpson Bay lagoon, crossing under the bridge we traversed many a night dining in that area.
Riding the jet-skis was much different than I had imagined as I think I had only ridden a couple of times with my husband many years ago. The jet-skis were easy to operate and riding in the bays on calm water was a lot of fun since you could go quite fast. When we headed out to open water, however, it was a completely different story! A bit windy around this part of the island, you could not head full steam ahead unless you were prepared to be jumping waves! Maybe my boys cup of tea…not mine. I managed to sort of ride a bit in the standing position which helped when I did come down hard.
After finally returning to the Jet Extreme location, I was amazed to find my legs a bit shaky when stepping back to shore and my arms quite sore! Of course, my boys thought it quite funny…it’s always much easier when you are young! My husband was in the same shape as me and for the next couple of days, I have to say, we were both had a hard time moving around.
The location provided showers for us and also allowed us to use the pool for a while as we waited for our Go Pro footage to be downloaded. Take a walk around the premises, there are lots of sculptures and while you are down at the water’s edge, keep your eyes peeled for the cool jellyfish that hang out in the shallows.
A very fun time, indeed, my boys say that they would like to come back and try the Around the Island Tour. Lasting about five hours, it sounds like a lot of fun, but it also sounds like I might never be able to walk again if I try it!
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Jet Extreme
- http://www.jetextremesaintmartin.com/
- Address: Hôtel MERCURE – Baie Nettlé, 97 150, Saint-Martin
- Hours: Open daily, 0830-1700
- Terres Basses Tour/Lowlands – $120 per person, 1 hour 15 min