A new flyboarding business is set to launch in Greenport.
Brian Carrick, 27, born and raised in Riverhead, received approval from the Greenport Village planning board last week to move forward with his proposal to make a splash with the sport on the waterfront.
Shaka Flyboarding Ltd. will be located on the dock at Preston’s Marina in Greenport, right next to Claudio’s and Crabby Jerry’s. The goal is to open by Memorial Day weekend, with special 50 percent off rates, and later, to hold a grand opening in June.
For Carrick, the business is a dream realized after years of planning. He first got hooked on the sport after watching a YouTube video about flyboards when they first came out in 2011. “I thought that flyboarding needed to make its way to Long Island,” he said.
Sports enthusiasts, he said, are in for a thrill: Flyboarding, a sport invented in 2011 by French jet ski racer Franky Zapata, “takes the water exiting the jet ski jet and redirects it into a 40-60 ft long hose, where the water exits a ‘Y’ pipe on the other end. The pressure of the water gives enough propulsion to lift a 300 lb. person out of the water, allowing them to fly around like Iron Man. From there, anything is possible.”
Experienced flyboarders can attain heights of 40 feet, while newcomers to the sport typically ‘fly’ about 10 feet in the air, controlled by the operator of the jet pump.
Flyboarding, Carrick said, is gaining momentum and respect. “Each year a world championship is held in Dubai where the professionals compete for prize money and bragging rights.”
After planning for over a year, his business plans took solid shape: Carrick will be offering flyboard instruction and rentals in 20-minute increments up to an hour; he’ll also offer group rates.
In June, a new jet pack by Zapata Racing — the company that invented the flyboard — will become available and if all goes well, Carrick hopes to offer jet pack rentals for those who might feel uncoordinated and trepidatious about using the flyboard. Instead, those more timid souls will be able to sit in a seat “and fly around the water with zero effort.”
Carrick’s journey into business has been propelled by his passion for the sport. “Ever since I was young, the career advice has always been ‘to find something you enjoy doing’. Well, I love the water, I love being outside, and I love flyboarding, so what better career path is there than owning a flyboard business? Every day that I am out on the water with customers won’t be another day at work for me.”
To start, the flyboarding business will operate just on weekends; after July 4, the business will be open on Fridays, as well, with hours all three days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the week, Carrick works at Peconic Bay Medical Center as a radiologic technologist.
Greenport, a tourist hub in the summer, is the ideal location for those looking to flyboard, Carrick said. “Greenport is known for its small town feel, shopping on Main Street, and its harbor. By bringing the flyboard to the East End of Long Island, Shaka Flyboarding can add their chapter to the flyboard story.”
Carrick believes flyboarding will provide a unique experience for tourists and locals alike and also prove a boon to the local economy.
In Riverhead, James Bissett IV launched Flyboard LI, the only flyboarding business on Long Island, but when Riverhead Town adopted regulations forcing him out of town waters and into the bay in November, Bissett took his operation out of town, saying that he believed flyboarding in the same waters as high-speed boat traffic posed dangers not seen in the cove downtown.
No state regulations exist to govern the sport.
While pondering the proposal in Greenport, the planning board raised some safety concerns. “It’s a new, extreme sport,” planning board member Chris Dowling said. Some members of the planning board and Village Attorney Joseph Prokop raised issues about liability.
To that end, the planning board approved the application last week with conditions, including a monthly review.
Dowling said Carrick had “all his ducks in a row” and insurance in place. “There was no reason why we couldn’t pass it,” Dowling said. The use, boating instruction, fits into the waterfront commercial zoning district. As for safety, Dowling said the operator is in control of the flyboard while someone, even a first timer, is onboard, and can “cut the power” if he feels a dangerous situation has arisen.
“I’m glad it came to Greenport. We’re a maritime village, the more activities on the water, the better,” Dowling said.
For Carrick, safety has been a lifelong, number-one priority. “Since the age of 14 I have worked for Carrick’s Tree Service, a tree care company owned by my father. I have spent the last 13 years of my life 65 feet up in the tree canopies, around heavy machinery and chainsaws.”
A licensed skydiver, scuba diver, motorcyclist, surfer, boater, world traveler and now flyboarder, “Safety has been drilled into my head in everything that I have done, so not only is it second nature to me now, but with owning a business that entails a liability issue, safety is something that I won’t be able to preach enough,” he said.
In addition, he holds a New York State boating license and a state Power Squadron Boat Smart certificate, both with A PWC endorsement; he is CPR and first aid certified, as well as a certified flyboard instructor. All participants are required to wear a USCG approved Type I, II, or III life vest and a wakeboard and/or USCG approved helmet; it’s recommended that participants also wear a wetsuit provided by Shaka Flyboarding.
Carrick said he has also spoken with the Southold bay constable, who advised him that as long as he remains 300 feet from the shore and does not create a wake, he is within his limits.
“Shaka represents the meaning of being laid back, having a good time and enjoying life, much like how the residents of Greenport live their lives. I look forward to bringing a new flavor to Greenport,” Carrick said.
Of the sport, he added, “It’s invigorating, it’s adrenaline pumping, it’s freeing
Teaching others to experience the thrill is rewarding, Carrick said. “Spreading the joy and adrenaline that I felt the first time I flyboarded is priceless. To hear the participant say ‘That was awesome’ or “That was so much fun’, you can’t put a price on that. That’s what summers in Greenport are all about.”
Looking ahead, Carrick will offer discounts for military, police, fire department and EMT personnel.
For information, call 631 599 6191.
First timers should give flyboarding a try, Carrick said. “The risk is minimal, the experience is maximum, and after they try it once, they will be back for more.”
