New thrill ride in Myrtle Beach lets you ‘fly’ over water (Update: City Council will not to challenge use of Jetpacks)

Update 5/29/2013:  Myrtle Beach City Council Tuesday night decided against altering city codes that deal with water-sport operation. The issue was placed on the agenda by request of councilman Wayne Gray who said that he believed that the current laws did not allow Myrtle Beach Jetpack Adventure to operate within the city limits. Jetpack Adventures is a part Downwind Sails, which has been in business since 1982. “Frankly, my opinion is the way the language is drafted, only three things are allowed,”Grey said “Jet skis, banana boats and parasailing. I don’t think the language allows it to be interpreted liberally.”

According to current code allows only businesses that were in operation when the law took effect in 2011 may continue with their current water-sport activities. parasailing, operating jet skis, motor boats and banana boats are the only activities mentioned in the code.

Other members of the council do not believe that the code needs to be amended and all of the council members agreed to remove it from the council agenda.

Head over to The Sun News or WPDE to read the full story


 

Original Story: Think of this your hovering 10 feet above water and twirling in the air and all done by the powerful force of water kind like modern day Jetsons or even Iron Man, but without all the cool superhero gadgets.

It is the latest craze in water related sports activites to hit the Grand Strand - these jetpack rides and flyboards are arriving on the Grand Strand. The first one of these rides opened a week ago along the oceanfront in Myrtle Beach and there are plans to expand to North Myrtle Beach and there is another operator who wants to setup along the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach.

The problem is that this type of ride is so new that some local governments aren't sure how to handle them

According to Shane Bull who is the owner-operator of Myrtle Beach Jetpack Adventures who started offering the ride a few weeks ago as part of another business Downwind Sails which is located at 29th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach:

This is brand new and every time we crank it up, people come running. It is just such eye candy.

Jetpack riders are propelled out of the water by two powerful water streams and are seemingly flying just a few feet over the Alantic Ocean. Rides can be propelled as high as 30 feet into the air even tough you're just more likely to just see them floating just a few feet over water.

Head over to the Sun News or WBTW (w/slideshow) to read the whole story

Watch a demostration of the ride by clicking this link

Myrtle Beach Jetpack Adventure Website