The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The US embassy’s warning urging all American visitors not to rent jet skis in The Bahamas could have immediate negative consequences for bookings during the water sports industry’s peak tourist season, an operator warned yesterday.

Astra Charlton, director of business development at My Own Water Sports, said the advisory’s timing is particularly damaging for legitimate operators who rely heavily on US visitors during the summer months.

“The core issue is the impact of the US. Embassy’s safety warnings regarding jet ski and small watercraft operations on our industry,” Ms Charlton said. “Although jet ski safety concerns have existed for some time, the recent video featuring the US Ambassador has intensified attention on this issue.”

She added that the advisory comes at a critical economic moment.  “The alert’s timing is significant,” she said. “It comes as The Bahamas sees rising visitor arrivals and licensed water sports operators enter a key revenue period.

“For our business, summer generates about 40 percent of annual revenue, and US visitors make up over 90 percent of our customers. An official US warning now can shape travel decisions, discourage bookings and create hesitation among our main market.”

Ms Charlton emphasized that while safety concerns are real, the public messaging risks blurring the line between compliant businesses and illegal operators. 

“What is notable, however, is that the discourse has shifted,” she said. “The issue is no longer being framed simply as an unregulated industry. Rather, there is now recognition that laws and regulations do exist, but that enforcement remains the central concern.”

Ms Charlton said responsible operators have long called for stronger oversight. “Licensed operators have invested in safety, professionalism, training, insurance and compliance. Non-compliant actors operating outside the law are the ones who create risk and damage the reputation of the wider industry,” she said.

“The lack of differentiation between legitimate, accountable operators and unlawful operators creates confusion for visitors and unfairly harms compliant businesses. A video like the one released may lead viewers to assume that all operators are unsafe, which does not reflect the standards maintained by many reputable Bahamian companies.”

Ms Charlton spoke out after the US Embassy in Nassau escalated and broadened its warnings from just advising caution, and that all federal government employees are banned from renting on and riding jet skis, to a security alert discouraging all Americans from using them.

It described “serious and ongoing dangers” associated with renting jet skis in The Bahamas, and suggested that its move was sparked at least partially by what it alleged was the failure of this nation’s Jet Ski Task Force to meet frequently if at all.

The Embassy said decades of inadequate enforcement have contributed to “a pattern of preventable tragedies”, including serious injuries and sexual assaults involving US citizens. It stated that since August 2024, six Americans have been hospitalised in jet ski-related incidents, with three requiring emergency medical evacuation to the US.

In 2025, the Embassy reported two sexual assault cases involving US women and jet ski operators, with two additional cases already recorded in 2026. It also cited the death of Alaska Air National Guard second lieutenant Robert Rosa in September 2025, describing it as a jet ski-related incident during his vacation in Nassau.

According to the Embassy, rogue operators described as unlicensed, uninsured and using unsafe equipment, continue to solicit tourists at high-traffic beaches including Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach, as well as near Nassau Cruise Port and small islands east of Paradise Island. It also said enforcement in designated rental zones is “sporadic at best”.

The advisory was reinforced by a public service announcement featuring US ambassador Herschel Walker, who issued a direct warning to travellers. “I have an important message for Americans visiting or living in The Bahamas,” Mr Walker said. “We’ve lost Americans’ lives to preventable accidents. Multiple visitors have been hospitalised.”

He also raised concerns about criminal activity linked to some operators, adding: “Americans have also been sexually assaulted by jet ski operators who take victims to isolated islands”, while “many watercrafts are unsafe, and operators are unlicensed and uninsured”.

Mr Walker said US government personnel are already prohibited from renting or using jet skis in Nassau and Paradise Island due to safety risks. “Consider all the risks before you get on a jet ski in The Bahamas,” he said. “Your safety matters. If you need help, contact the embassy immediately.”

In a separate statement included in the US embassy’s release, Mr Walker acknowledged efforts by Bahamian authorities but said more decisive action is needed.

“The Jet Ski Task Force that was established last year is a meaningful first step, and we are grateful for it — but a task force that does not meet cannot protect lives,” he said. “I am calling on the Government of The Bahamas to activate this task force, enforce existing regulations and take the concrete steps needed to bring real accountability to this industry.”

Mr Walker also emphasised potential collaboration with the private sector and government. “Bahamian business owners and resort operators are ready and willing to be partners in making these waters safer — for tourists, for the Bahamian economy, and for the country’s reputation as a world-class destination. This is a real opportunity to make a lasting, positive change, and the Embassy stands ready to support that work,” he added.

Ms Charlton echoed that view, calling for co-ordinated enforcement and clearer consumer protections. “Our government must act decisively to protect Bahamian businesses, reassure visitors and demonstrate that existing regulations are being enforced clearly, consistently and visibly,” she said.

She further urged the introduction of a visible certification system to distinguish licensed operators from illegal vendors, arguing it would help restore consumer confidence and protect compliant businesses from reputational damage.

“We call for the urgent establishment of a visible certification system to help visitors identify reputable operators,” Ms Charlton said. “Taking these actions protects the reputation, credibility and long-term strength of Bahamian tourism as a whole.

“As a reputable Bahamian company, we urge the Government, law enforcement and tourism stakeholders to immediately prioritise a co-ordinated enforcement plan.”

The US Embassy, meanwhile, is advising US citizens to avoid renting jet skis entirely, particularly around New Providence and Paradise Island. It has also urged travellers to stay alert near popular beaches and the cruise port, and to monitor weather and marine advisories.