Does anyone know about licensing to rent our wave runners on the beach

PWC are not favored vehicles around here. They are not allowed in the STEER area and will probably be fought by locals living near any beach that doesn't already have them. Are you sure you don't want to open a dolphin prison instead??;-)

When you are here, you can go to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and visit with them about rules and regs.

Do you have a back up plan?

I just heard 1 annoying jet ski type thing all the way from the cut between my home on hillside and Inner Brass.
I'd suggest you find some different business to occupy yourselves with.......anything QUIET!

Unless you are independantly wealthy, at your ages, you will need a job to survive here. Do you have children to consider? I hope you have spent time on either island BEFORE you sell your home and make that kind of firm commitment. 30's and 40's are the times in your life to be getting it while you can and once you have it, then retire:).

You cannot operate this or any other business here without obtaining a business license through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.

Do wave runners need to be licensed and inspected by the Coast Guard if you rent to tourists? Liability insurance? Just asking.

We are not independently wealthy nor are we poor. We would need some part time work to stay afloat while there and we thought by investing in a few water craft we could make a small living.

There are so many othe avenues of income production that thinking just PWC is a very shallow plan -- you could rent beach umbrellas with considerably less maintenence and impact for example. A simpler operation is my thought - anything! - custom desserts, wedding flowers or even weddings themselves wih photos, videos etc, car detailing, interior house painting, fine cabinetry, artisan breads, or actual part time jobs would all be easier and less initial investment ideas than PWC rental - which are likely a concession at any beach, with high rent, insurance, mechanical work and a USCG licenxe if it is a guided tandem tour with a staff person driving. Many small business ideas are viable especially if it is looked at as a supplementary source of income - also condo fees can be steep compared to a private house and assessments can be a surprise - board meetings are often a nightmare - owner dissension is common and pervasive - unless you are only spending part of the year here, having your own property is a lot less stress IMHO.

Many beaches do not permit them at all and they are not allowed in National Park in STJ.

I'd strongly advise you not to embark upon any business here until you've lived here for at least a year - and that's pushing it! If you want to supplement your income in between lounging on the beach then take on a part-time position working for someone else. I'd also recommend extreme caution before investing in any real estate. Much more sensible to rent for a while and get to know your way around before committing to a purchase which could end up being a real albatross if it turns out that island living doesn't work for you. The dream and the reality are often very disparate.

Why did you decide against St Croix, as it seems that was your first choice?

Don't be put off by these anti-jetski people. We need more jetski rental companies here.

Don't be put off by these anti-jetski people. We need more jetski rental companies here.

The thread is about St Thomas, not St Croix where you're apparently located.

So that means that I'm not qualified to comment, OT? I'm not particularly fond of the NIMBY people who whine about jet skis. I have been around them frequently and I don't think they make anymore noise than a powerboat (usually less) nor are bad they for the environment. If I didn't already have a powerboat, I'd buy a couple of jet skis or myself.

More to do in STT
Thanks for your 2 cents worth

Thanks
Now more determined to make my dream work

So that means that I'm not qualified to comment, OT? I'm not particularly fond of the NIMBY people who whine about jet skis. I have been around them frequently and I don't think they make anymore noise than a powerboat (usually less) nor are bad they for the environment. If I didn't already have a powerboat, I'd buy a couple of jet skis or myself.

If you're unfamiliar with the terrain on St Thomas then my response would be that no, you're not qualified to comment. What apparently sounds quite innocuous on the waters around STX (and this has been commented on before in similar threads) is vastly different on St Thomas where the steep elevation creates amplification of the whine of jet skis as it bounces in between and rises up the volcanic rock formations. The two islands are very different in this respect. If you lived here your opinion might well be quite different.

Amen to that OT. The noise of jet ski's here in STT reverberates across the water and echos up thru the hills, LOUDLY.
Not many people enjoy the incessant whine of these things even while sitting on a beach much less in your own home on a hill, enoying the peace and quiet. They are not environmentally friendly and can damage swimming sea turtles. This which is why many beaches do not allow them, at all, Thank Goodness. If caribstx likes them, he's more than welcome to them in his back yard where he can more fully enjoy the deafening whining sounds.

I don't know about St Croix, but on St Thomas, the beaches that do not have them currently are basically in STEER and you won't get approval. The other beaches where there ARE rentals, the proprietors will likely fight you. You would also have to go before DP&R, not a pleasant thing for a newcomer. As I said, Plan B...

I must be deaf. I sit at Rainbow Beach where there is a jet ski concession. They buzz around and I don't hear them at all. My boat is much louder and much worse for the environment with its oily old twin engines. I will say that there are definitely those that just don't care for jet skis no matter whether the noise or environmental impact is real or imagined. Its like that up north on a lot of lakes. Some people want others to only enjoy the water on their terms. But lets not dissuade someone from living their dream and investing in our islands. I say, "Come on Down!"

I guess everyone's experience is different - we see and hear groups of 2-4 jetskis right off our property once or twice a day and have never found them annoying, in fact we find them interesting (and wish we had one, but have a lot of reef on our shoreline). If we saw them 5-10x a day I'm sure we'd feel differently I'm sure (we're on STT).

To the OP: there's alot of good advice in this thread, including the negative responses. Take them for their content, and not as much for their vibe.

The jet skis are annoying and noisy but if you are hanging out at rainbow beach, you are probably not sensitive to noise. When your sitting on a tranquil beach and jet skis come buzzing around close to shore , its very disruptive and annoying. The boats tend to stay further from shore so not so annoying. Yesterday, I was sitting at fredricksted beach and two jet skis were buzzing around the pier and beach right were snorkelers and divers were swimming. An accident waiting to happen. Please, no more jet skis on st croix.

But lets not dissuade someone from living their dream and investing in our islands. I say, "Come on Down!"

And as I've mentioned before to this OP, whether it be the question of investing in/opening a jet ski or any other business or purchasing real estate, it's wise to first live here for at LEAST a year before making any investments at all. We all know how high the attrition rate of "newbies" is and these statistics can't be ignored.

That reminds me, if I am correct the first jet ski company started around 1987 and I filmed their jet ski's from my Whaler for a commercial I saw played in the Greenhouse...

I rented jet skis at Lindbergh Bay in 1976 - don't know who the company was but I remember them having 4 or 5 for rent. It was $20 or 25 for an hour.

It's all a moot point. Likely the OP will find when they look into it that the insurance needed to do this venture will be totally cost prohibitive. Our tour company spends A LOT to insure our divers and guides and cars and boats. 5 figures a year easy. If it was cheap and everyone made money at it, there would be a lot more here. Luckily there's not personally I hate them. Ha!

On a side note caribstx you should be totally ashamed of your attitude towards your self stated disgusting boat killing the reef. Effing horrible dude.