Adventure Man Gets Wet on a Jet

"It's hard to describe what we do in words," says Mullican, who co-owns Daytona Beach Jet Boats. "This is for people who want to have fun and have a little adventure - to get wet and get a little adrenaline rush."

Mullican and his partner, Vonnie Visser, went for a jet boat ride in Key West a couple of years ago, he explains. "We thought it was a lot of fun," he says. "That gave us the idea to buy one."

As luck would have it, a Daytona Beach parasail rider owned a jet boat he wanted to sell, so Mullican and Visser took it off his hands. That was in May 2007. Since then, the company has taken about 500 intrepid adventurers skimming along the surface of the Halifax.

The boat was made in the U.S. but was designed in New Zealand, where jet boats are used to take tourists on thrill rides in shallow rivers. "They use them the same places they go whitewater rafting," Mullican explains. "They'll run in very shallow water, and they're very maneuverable."

"The prop is internal," he adds. "So they're manatee- and dolphin-friendly." They also happen to be the only boats made that will spin 360 degrees on their axis.

In New Zealand, one can actually ride the same kind of jet boat on the River Andiun and see three "actual 'Lord of the Rings' film locations," or ride a jet boat to the base of "majestic" Huka Falls.

However, a half-hour jet boat ride in New Zealand costs about 95 New Zealand Dollars - about U.S. $73 - plus a couple thousand bucks airfare. It would not include views of majestic waterfalls or "Lord of the Rings" locations, but my ride on the Halifax River would last 30 to 40 minutes and cost $30.

I met Mullican at the Aunt Catfish boat dock (the boat now departs from Inlet Harbor in Ponce Inlet). Mullican's partner, Vonnie Visser, picks up passengers at area resorts and shuttles them to the point of departure. She soon showed up with a couple from St. Petersburg and four guys from Pittsburgh. "We usually need a minimum of four people to go out, now that gas is so expensive," Visser says as everyone got fitted for life jackets and signed liability waivers.

I took the liability waiver requirement to be a good sign - that meant there was at least a slight risk of death, dismemberment or serious discomfort.

We boarded the boat, and Mullican ran through the safety procedures. "Keep both hands on the rails when we're running at high speed," he begins. "The boat will go 30 mph or more."

 We started out moving slowly through the manatee zone toward the main channel, then picked up speed and turned south. The boat seemed to slide around on top of the water, almost as if becoming airborne.

 Local rules and regs don't permit running at top speed, but Mullican kept ride exciting by heading toward a channel marker and cutting away at the last second, just to give everyone a chance to feel the g-forces as the boat banked sharply.

Occasionally, he would twirl a finger overhead to warn us we were about to go into a spin, then send the boat twirling in a tight circle. Of course, this also involved sending plumes of spray over the gunwales and onto the passengers. All seven of us would giggle uncontrollably every time.

 Mullican occasionally stopped the boat and let it drift while he pointed out interesting landmarks and gave us a chance to unclench our hands from the railing and catch our breath. We turned around near the Ponce Inlet lighthouse. With the wind to our backs, the ride was smoother and drier. However, the captain took several opportunities to jump other boats' wakes and occasionally reminded us the boat could spin.

As we re-entered the manatee zone back in Port Orange, I scanned the passengers for any sign of death or dismemberment. There was none. I had an earful of cold saltwater on my port side, however, which I hoped might cause some discomfort on the drive home.

Visser greeted us on the dock. "How was it?" she asked.

The passengers answered her with wet, salty grins.

"An unusual, stirring experience," I answered. "An unusual, stirring experience."