For many people, there is a feeling of "we were promised jetpacks" from our childhood, where there is a memory of being in school and learning about the future and the futuristic accouterments that would accompany it, jetpacks among them. For people in Hawaii, they are available, though they are causing problems for some, according to NBC News.
The jetpacks propel the wearer into the air using pumped water. However, they are causing calls for regulations because fisherman, scientists and state officials are concerned about the safety of the devices. There is also concern about the effect they may have on fish and coral in a state that has heavy traffic in the water already.
The device is called the Jetlev, and it can lift a person up 30 feet into the air by pumping water from a backpack through a hose connected to a small boat. The device has a promotional video on YouTube that has received millions of views.
The devices are also available in San Diego, Key West, Florida and Cancun, Mexico.
The complaints about the devices, however, have caused the Department of Land and Natural Resources to call a public meeting to discuss them. Last month, Randy Awo, the top enforcement officer for the department, expressed his concern regarding unsafe maneuvering on the device, including riders dive-bombing into the water close to moving boats.
There is also concern about the level of noise created by the devices. Bob Richmond, a coral scientist at the University of Hawaii told officials about his concerns, including fish and coral larvae that could get pumped through the equipment used by the watercraft, causing them to die.
"More and more and more these bays are being run over, taken over by other activities," Carl Jellings, a fisherman, said about the watercraft that already scare the fish away from the bay in Oahu. He worries the devices will just compound the problem. "The marine life that depends on these places - they're being displaced."
The state may find a way to accommodate the use of the devices, such as moving them to selected places where they won't disturb wildlife, William Aila, the chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, said. However, studies are needed to determine how watersports affect fish and coral.
"When you look at it, it looks fairly exciting," Aila said. "But you got to look beyond the excitement."
A promo for the Jetlev.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
