So apparently, you don’t have to be in Miami to enjoy Jet skiing. For us New York and New Jersey folk, there are quite a few places that offer this experience right in our own backyards! After going through reviews and comparing tour information with various companies, we decided to go with Sea The City, in Jersey City, NJ.
ABOUT THE TOUR
My new favorite water sport is jet skiing…. HANDS DOWN! I knew that I would have fun, but I didn’t imagine that I would be leaving there wishing I could go for another ride. Usually after a new experience (yes that was my first time) , it’s like , “ok that was cool”, but I never really have such a strong urge to repeat it. I could literally jet ski every week and not get tired of it.
The staff was great. They were friendly, knowledgeable and made us first timers feel comfortable and confident. Before the tour, they gave us a short briefing on how to maneuver the jet skis and some safety tips. FYI: they are SUPER easy to operate. And the jet ski’s we used have a sort of ‘bumper’ around them, so it’ll be very hard to flip over.
We did the 1 Hr New York Tour. Throughout our ride we were able to stop at the Brooklyn & Manhattans Bridges, and the Statue of Liberty to have our pictures taken. We were even given the opportunity to jump in for a little more fun! I jumped in against my better judgment.. the water was extremely salty and I’m just downright scared of what’s in it… but I was there for the full experience, so what the heck! (If I turn into a mutant, this is why…)
Landmarks and Tour Stops included
- Ellis Island
- Statue of Liberty
- Freedom Tower
- Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges
- Jane’s Carousel
- One Brooklyn Park
- South Street Seaport
- Wall Street Heliport
- Governors Island
- Empire State Building
- The Hudson Yards
GENERAL INFORMATION and TIPS
Firstly, you’ll want to buy your tickets and sign your waiver online, before you get there (it just makes the process a lot easier for you). When you arrive, you’ll be sent to register and asked to watch a 10 minute video on safety before you meet your group on the river.
!IMPORTANT NOTE! When you book, you’ll be prompted to add a photo or GoPro package to your tour… DO NOT DO NOT DOOOO NOOOOT buy the photo package! Why? Because they send them to you for free! Yes, they advertise a $30 photo package, yet send the exact same photos to everyone in your group (you don’t only get the pictures of yourself, you get pictures of everyone). How do I know this? Because I didn’t purchase the photo package, but my best friend did, and we were sent the same photo links (she got her money back). A staff member even told me that the pictures from your tour are automatically sent to you, but you’d have to purchase them from there; this was a lie. You simply click the link and save to your phone. If you have google photos, they’ll download there directly. So again, DO NOT BUY THE PICTURES, you’re going to get them anyway. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The GoPro package is cool (it’s what I purchased). But just so you understand, you’re basically renting one of their GoPro’s to be attached to the front of your ski. The camera faces you and your background , not what’s in front of you (as shown in the videos above). At the end of the tour, you take the memory card with your footage (an entire hour worth of footage is recorded). You also have the option to bring your own GoPro, as long as you have a chest or head strap (video above of this view as well). *If you consider purchasing their GoPro package, be prepared to spend a little over $200 after taxes.*
So, would I recommend? Absolutely!… This is a “no brainer” activity for thrill seekers like myself, but can be enjoyed by mostly anyone (even those of you who are typically afraid of water/ water sports). I guarantee you’ll love it!
Have you tried jet-skiing? What are you waiting for?! Go have some fun!
TTYL,
LEXI 💋
