Although the terms are often used interchangeably, Waverunner is a trademark of Yamaha Motor Company, and Jet Ski is a trademark of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The vehicles are properly called Personal Watercraft, or PWC, and their use as platforms for guided tours is common in oceanside locations. Homestead is a city in southern Florida, midway between the Florida Keys and Miami. Although close to the Everglades there are no waverunner tours in the National Park, so visitors in Homestead who desire to take a Waverunner tour must go slightly further afield. Numerous opportunities exist within an hour's drive, starting at Fort Lauderdale and heading south into the Florida Keys.
Consider taking a Waverunner tour starting out in Fort Lauderdale. The city's history and culture are explored by the guides, and opportunities exist to enjoy a unique perspective on Boca Inlet, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hillsboro Lighthouse, Millionaire Mile, Pompano Beach and Port Everglades. Tours from Fort Lauderdale often cruise past ocean liners and tankers. Fort Lauderdale is 63 miles from Homestead.
Join a Waverunner tour out of Miami Beach and see Bayside, Fisher Island, Flagler Island, Monument Island, Port of Miami, Star Island and Miami's world famous South Beach. See homes owned by celebrities such as Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and Puff Daddy -- and even the house used to film Scar Face. It is quite common for Waverunner tours running out of Miami Beach to encounter schools of dolphin and manatee. Miami Beach is 30 miles from Homestead.
Enjoy some free riding time as an adjunct to a tour based in Key Largo that takes in the only living coral reef in the United States, where exotic tropical fish mass in countless numbers. A visit to the mangrove forests of the John Pennekamp State Park is an unforgettable experience. Key Largo is 30 miles from Homestead.
Depart on a tour from Islamorada and the guides could take you out to a "locals' secret" sandbar, more than a mile off-shore, where a 24-hour party is normally running all year around. Tours can also take you from the Atlantic into the Gulf of Mexico and into the back-country of Florida Bay, to explore the uninhabited Keys and ride through exquisite mangrove tunnels. These shallow waters are alive with endangered species, turtles, stingray, tarpon and exotic birds. Islamorada is 46 miles from Homestead.
Check with prospective tour operators that they offer free changing rooms equipped with personal lockers, life vests and ice-chests on the back of the PWC. The personal watercraft used by most tour companies run at speeds between 40 and 50 mph and tours can last as long as three hours, so a certain level of physical fitness is required. Companies operating from trailers at boat ramps, rather than from permanent premises, are seldom licensed. An unlicensed company will not have insurance coverage.
