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40 <br />CJ <br />Indian River County Manatee Protection and I3onting Safety Con"prehenslve Management Plan <br />Personal Watercraft <br />PWC have become increasingly popular in recent years, A PWC is defined by the USCG as a <br />Class "A" vessel (i.e. less than 16 feet) powered by an inboard motor, A PWC is operated by a <br />person sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel, as opposed to inside the vessel. The number <br />of registered PWC in the state increased by I8 percent between 1994 and 1995, becoming the <br />fastest growing segment of the maritime industry. <br />FMP statistics indicate that PWC comprise eight (8) percent of registered watercraft, and were <br />involved in 38 percent of all accidents reported statewide in 1995. Between 1991 and 1995, <br />injuries and accidents attributed to PWC increased statewide by lib percent and 168 percent, <br />respectively. In Indian River County, PWC operators were responsible for five (5) of the 11 <br />reportable boating accidents (45 per cent), and three (3) out of the five (5) (60 per cent) <br />injuries reported in 1995. As previously mentioned, the proliferation of PWC vessels is likely <br />to reverse the trend exhibited in recent years towards fewer accidents and injuries for all types <br />of vessels. <br />PWC safety is an important issue, especially since PWC are responsible for a disproportionate <br />number of boating accidents. Concerns about safety include PWC conflicts relating to <br />operation in high traffic and multi -use areas, "buzzing" or jumping the wakes of larger boats, <br />and other reckless practices referred to as "hotdogging" (weaving in and out of boat traffic). <br />Fecklessness can mostly be attributed to "second tier users (i.e. inexperienced operators that <br />have borrowed or rented a PWC). In fact, 46 percent of all accidents attributed to PWC <br />statewide involved PWC that were rented and/or were operated by users with less than 20 <br />hours of experience. <br />Nuisance is another common complaint directed toward PWC operators. Noise level for <br />PWCs averages 70 decibels (dB), and due to their design characteristics, PWCs can operate in <br />shallow water areas near the shore, exacerbating noise levels. <br />Additionally, significant impacts to the IRI., including damage to SAV (a critical manatee <br />habitat and food source), increased suspended sediment and stress to wildlife, are the result of <br />shallow water operation. <br />Designation of Speed Zones <br />In 1992, Indian River County, in cooperation with the FDEP Division of Marine Resources, <br />Bureau of Protected Species Management, established boating speed zones throughout the IRL <br />and St. Sebastian River. These speed zones were subsequently adopted by the Governor and <br />Cabinet. The primary purpose of speed zones is manatee protection. Nevertheless, boating <br />safety benefits occur from having the zones. Figure 5 depicts the existing speed zones in the <br />IRL. <br />Community Development Department Page 27 <br />