Summer is finally here, and those wanting to hit the waves and experience the beauty and splendor of Long Island from an entirely unique perspective need look no further than Island Jet Skis, a Freeport-based business that offers the chance to experience fun and fast-paced tours of our island's famous shorelines on a variety of exciting seafaring vessels.
Island Jet Skis – family owned and operated – is located on Freeport’s famed Nautical Mile, where it has operated for the past seven years. Co-owner Louis Sozio and his brother acquired the already-established business from its previous owner two years ago, after having opened a similarly-themed power watersports company in Brooklyn several years prior.
Island Jet Skis offers rentals of water and land-based vehicles for the purpose of taking tours of the breathtaking Long Island shoreline. Among the conveyances available for people to rent include 25 jet skis; one pontoon boat and one jet boat – both of which come complete with a trusty captain – and six land-based slingshots, which is a type of three-wheeled motorcycle.
A seasonal business, Island Jet Skis is open annually from May 15 to October 1.
Jet ski rentals are by the hour, offering fast-paced guided tours of the Jones Beach Inlet – complete with an experienced tour guide leading the way – giving people a fantastic opportunity to experience beautiful scenery and aquatic wildlife from an entirely up-close and personal perspective.
As far as the pontoon boats go, the typical rental period is approximately four hours. Passengers are taken on a tour by their captain of numerous private beaches along the Jones Beach Inlet, allowing them to get out and experience all of the beauty and relaxation that Long Island’s world-famous beaches have to offer.
The jet boat – a swift vessel propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft – also comes with a captain, and can seat up to three people for guided tours of the local Long Island shoreline as well, similar to the pontoon boat.
Keeping with the power sports theme of their business, Island Jet Skis also rents out exciting slingshots, responding to the requests of their customers who were interested in not just water-based sporting adventures, but land-based ones as well.
However, unlike their water-based excursions, slingshots are not part of any offered tours and can simply be rented to individuals to cruise around in for periods of four, eight, 12, and 24 hours at a time.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses experienced varying degrees of hardship due to lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of the virus. However, Island Jet Skis is one of the very few local establishments to have not experienced any significant negative issues relating to the pandemic, since – by very nature – it's an outdoor business with plenty of social distancing involved already.
“Because we were an outdoor business we were allowed to operate, and things were very, very busy,” said co-owner Louis Sozio.
Sozio said that he feels very fortunate to own and operate a business like Island Jet Skis that gets him outside and enjoying nature while giving his customers the opportunity to participate in a one-of-a-kind experience, combining fun, excitement, and adventure all into one incredible package.
“It's a really fun job,” he said. “We're happy to provide a safe, fast-paced, and enjoyable experience on the water so that people can really enjoy Long Island’s sights and sounds to the very fullest. There’s nothing else like it this summer season.”
To find out more, please call 516-285-5300 or visit https://islandjetskisny.com.