2022 Gulf Coast Jet Boat Gathering
The second annual Gulf Coat Jet Boaters Gathering went amazingly! It was a four-day event in July 2022 at the Gulf Coast in Florida. With white sands and crystal waves, it was the perfect place to try out some jet boat tricks or teach some inexperienced drivers while seeing all the prime boating locations up and down the coast.
Events And Prizes
Throughout the event, we had a series of actions for individuals to earn points! The more points you made, the closer you were to win the grand prize: a 5-night, all-expense-paid stay at Sheraton Hotel and Spa in Panama City Beach!
The points were accrued by attending the captain's meeting, the island runs, and rafting, taking selfies or videos at the events, and tagging the event! We had a fantastic turnout with individuals posting for points, and you can find them all on Facebook and Instagram under the tag #gulfcoastjetboaters.
These kinds of prizes were terrific to help offer to the event! Bringing so many jet boaters together for day cruising and family fun felt like building a real boating community. We can't wait for the next annual gathering for us to see everyone again!
Food
Sponsors like us provided all the meals for this event. It was an honor to be part of the fun for everyone during so much of the event. We had a barbecue, hors d'oeuvres, drinks, fresh fruits, the works.
After each day of boating, we took a break to have some dinner and appreciate the views of the area at the beautiful hotels hosting us. Everyone could have some watersports fun on the way and go just as high-speed as the buffet-style meals provided each night.
Captains' Meeting
Our starting point was a meeting with all the jet boat captains to go over the prizes to win and a huge dinner to kick off the events! We had over 100 people participate in the gathering, with many families and groups coming out for fun.
Each location had its check-in to ensure we could get everyone taken care of as we started the events! We visited several islands along the coast and would return for meals and relaxation - or partying and dancing if you still had the energy.
Locations
We started the trip along the Emerald Coast of Florida at the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City, where the event coordinators had been able to get everyone group rates and complimentary boat trailer parking! We had the captains' meeting here, then started at Crooked Island the following day.
Crooked Island
With perfect calm conditions, we could do a one-hour run to Crooked Island for the natural beauty of Florida's beaches. Other propulsion systems couldn't compare with the power systems of the jet drive, and only the depth of the shallower waters at the beachfront kept us from staying on the boats the whole time! We had a fantastic time in shallow water near the coast with crystal waters around the boats.
We were able to wade in the waters and spend some time with each other, participating in everything from water sports and swimming to wakeboarding and surfing. After a day of fun, we returned to the Sheraton hotel for a massive barbeque with everyone attending.
Crab Island
The following day, we could go to Crab Island from Hathaway Bridge through Destin, Florida. Over almost three hours, the engine's power was evident while we performed some seriously crazy turns and impressive straight-line speeds to have a great ride over. It displayed the ultimate experience of flowing seawater at the keel without the worry of running aground.
With perfect white sand and clear waters, where the captain rarely loses sight of the seabed in the area, we spent a reasonable amount of time in the flowing water. We also spent quality time on this destination island, with all kinds of food vendors to choose from - the only unprovided meal.
After another long, fun trip back, where everyone could get out their inner teenager to go top speed, we had a huge dinner together at one of the waterfront venues provided by the location!
Shell Island
After a good night's rest and a little lie-in after the hours of riding, we went right next door to the six-hour event at the Kiddie Pool section at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach. These shallower waters were perfect for all the kids along for the ride, and we were able to have a food barge with free meals to participants for lunch!
The event even had a professional surf coach to give us tips for wake surfing with regular course corrections when needed, from the basics to the experienced tricks. Without worrying much about big waves in the area, we could learn the ins and outs of wake surfing with utter precision.
Sand And Sunsets
Every evening, getting together while everyone told boating stories remains louder in our hearts than the rest of the experience combined. Making this feeling of community together and seeing the beautiful views on and off some of the best jet boats accessible made for a wonderful experience.
Each area provided its unique experience, and our boat continues to drive toward our following events. We can't wait for 2023 to start again, perhaps even joining the fishing world for part of the next gathering!
Get Ready!
For the time being, it's time to prepare for your own experiences to ensure you'll have fantastic jet boat handling even with low-speed maneuvering with JetBoatPilot's products. We'll have sales going on between now and the next planned event to help you provide for jet boats even in very shallow water to reduce any jet boat disadvantages.
While other boat manufacturers haven't experienced jet boat handling, we've taken pride in building this community to share what we've made to solve problems we've faced in our rides.
We can help your low-speed handling while maintaining an instantaneous throttle response at high speeds, whether you need to correct over steering or reduce regular course corrections. Reach out to us today to join our community, get information on events, and get equipment for your jet drives without complicated, bulky hardware changing your drive.
