maltatoday campaign safety at sea

Keeping water sports fun

WITH SUMMER UPON US ONCE AGAIN, THE TOPIC OF WHETHER OUR SEAS ARE SAFE ENOUGH INEVITABLY CROPS UP. IN THE FIRST OF A NEW SERIES ON THE SUBJECT, MIRIAM DUNN SPEAKS TO PAUL EBEJER, CHAIRMAN OF THE WATER SPORTS’ ASSOCIATION, ABOUT HOW ‘BONA FIDE’ OPERATORS ARE FACING NEW REGULATIONS, BAD PUBLICITY AND INSURANCE PROBLEMS

There is no doubt that water sports hold an element of risk, but, as the chairman of the water sports’ association points out, ‘bona fide’ operators have often ended up suffering the effects of adverse publicity because of incidents involving cowboy businesses or owners of private seacraft.

It is a situation that frustrates operators who have invested time and money in a serious set-up, Paul Ebejer admits.

Mr Ebejer, who runs the Sun ‘n’ Fun water sports facility at St George’s Bay, explains that the water sports’ association was founded four years ago, partly to help provide licensed operators with a stronger voice.

"One of the criteria for joining our association is that members must be fully licensed," he says. "There are still operators working without the necessary licence, either with none at all, or perhaps one that doesn’t cover all their seacraft. We hope that by forming our association and giving a list of our members to the authorities it might, at least, help them in their inspections."

Mr Ebejer stresses that the registered operators take a number of measures that show they are serious in their work, such as insistence that proof of age is shown before a client can take out any seacraft.

"It is then very frustrating for us when we see youngsters who are definitely under 18 out on private jet skis, or breaking the law in other ways, like speeding inside the swimming boundaries," he says. "Unfortunately, it gives us all a bad name and is dangerous, both to swimmers and our own clients."

He also points out that the ‘bona fide’ operators do their bit to police the sea when necessary, since it is in their interest to do so.

"Any of our own clients who disobey the regulations are immediately dealt with and if we see drivers of other seacraft breaking the law we go out and tell them, even though we might get abuse for it, because people acting irresponsibly affects everyone," the association’s chairman says. "We have even been involved in life saving and rescue operations, but unfortunately these never tend to make the news. It would be great if there was sometimes a better balance in the media about our activities."

The long-awaited new regulations covering water sports came into effect on 1 June.

Although the changes mainly expanded on the regulations already in place, a number of new issues have now been covered at law, one of the most important being the need for operators of a seacraft with engines over 100 hp to obtain a special licence.

Operators will be given the chance to issue special instructions to tourists on driving the more powerful seacraft, since they are unlikely to be in possession of a licence.

Mr Ebejer explains that on the whole, there is nothing in the new regulations that has affected the operators adversely. But he does admit that the association’s members would like to see more efforts made by the authorities to crackdown on the cowboy set-ups.

"It’s true that occasionally, we hear of the police closing down a premises, but it’s not very often," he says. "In fact, ironically, our members tend to get more inspections because their names appear on the registered list, so the police know where to find them!"
Another change that has proved to be a problem for the operators is the insistence that operators and their staff must possess a nautical licence by September.

Mr Ebejer stresses that the operators have no argument with the regulation itself, rather that the timing has proved to be far from ideal.

"Obviously now we are in peak season and it is very difficult to find time for our staff to attend a course, even in the evenings," he says. "Ideally, this regulation would have been implemented in the winter months, allowing people to take their time studying before things got so busy."

But probably the gravest problem that the operators face is the ticking clock on their insurance cover.

Mr Ebejer explains that up until last November, the water sports’ operators were insured with Lloyds, through local brokers, Ark Insurance. But the company now appears to have taken a blanket decision on an international level not to insure any water sports’ operators in certain Mediterranean countries, including Greece, Cyprus and Malta. On hearing the news, the local operators have tried all the local companies, but so far, without success.

"Things are now very serious, since, by next month, our insurance will run out," he says. "Operators will then have to choose between closing down or operating without insurance."

Mr Ebejer explains that efforts are now being made to find a solution to the problem.

"But it is definitely a black cloud hanging over us," he admits.