mortmeter

What's it going to cost you?

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Jet skiing in the Bahamas (one 1-hour rental): 1 in 333,000 chance it kills you

~3 micromorts. Like driving 1,100 km, or 30 flights. Estimate.

Mortmeter: Worth it. Roaring across turquoise water beats safety, just stay clear of other tourists on Yamahas.

Assuming: A one-hour rental from a local beach operator wearing a life jacket.

How we got this: US Coast Guard statistics show personal watercraft fatal accidents occur at about 1 micromort per engine hour in regulated waters. Unregulated beach operations, reef hazards, and tourist congestion in the Bahamas bump this rate to 3 micromorts per hour. One 1-hour rental times 3 micromorts per hour equals 3 micromorts.

What gets you: High-speed collision with another watercraft, Blunt-force trauma leading to drowning, Striking shallow coral heads or sandbars.

Cheaper version: Riding in designated open-water zones away from crowded beach channels cuts collision risk by roughly 70%.

Sources and method: how Mortmeter prices things, and the Atlas of measured risks.

More priced risks: Riding a rental e-scooter after two beers, Eating gas station sushi on a road trip, White water rafting, Sharing a bottle of Flor de Pingus, Riding Polyppen at Bakken in Denmark, Eating 2 whole pizzas, Drinking a bottle of red wine, Winter bathing in the Øresund.