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Capt. Dave rocks his rivals with rentalsBy AMY WIMMER © St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2000 ST. PETE BEACH -- David Winkler, known as "Capt. Dave" to those familiar with the Capt. Dave's Watersports van that cruises Gulf Boulevard and Blind Pass Road, wants city permission to rent eight personal watercraft directly from the beach. His enviable proposed location has captured the attention of other watercraft rental businesses, as well as city officials, who haven't granted permission to rent additional personal watercraft on the beach itself in perhaps 20 years. Capt. Dave's Watersports would be positioned directly behind the TradeWinds Sirata Beach Resort, where he would have a steady stream of clients. "The beach has grown considerably in 20 years, and the licenses have not kept pace because they've been kept in check," Winkler said Tuesday. Winkler has partnered with the Sirata since the 1970s, and while he has always run parasailing and other boat tours from behind the hotel, he now wants to expand and rent personal watercraft. Winkler currently piles customers into the van and transports them to Blind Pass channel, where he launches personal watercraft from his second location on Blind Pass Road. "We simply want to add . . . the right to rent WaveRunners from the beach," he said. His proposal has sparked controversy in the watercraft rental community in St. Pete Beach, generating numerous phone calls to Michael Knotek, the city's community services director, and some city commissioners. As far as Winkler is concerned, the business owners are concerned only about the increased competition. "I don't want to use too strong of a term, but it's kind of sour grapes," Winkler said. Owners of personal watercraft rental businesses located closest to Winkler's proposed location could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Two other businesses offer personal watercraft rentals directly on the beach, but they received permission years ago. Other operators have considered relocating to a beachfront spot, where business is bound to be better than along a channel, but said they have always understood the beach to be off-limits to new rental ventures. Tim Batson, an owner of Pass-a-Grille Waverunners, which operates from the city-owned Merry Pier on Pass-a-Grille Channel, said he previously thought about moving to the Seaside Grille, another city-owned facility in the neighborhood that sits on the beach side. "My business would probably triple if I took it and went down to the Seaside Grille," Batson said. To rent personal watercraft from the beach, Winkler has applied for a special exception, which must be approved by the St. Pete Beach Planning and Zoning Board. His proposal will be on the agenda at the board's next meeting, which will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Knotek, the community services director, has not completed his staff recommendation to the board. Businesses that rent boats and personal watercraft from the beach can access the water through a no-swimming channel marked off by buoys. Winkler points out that he currently has two such channels -- one at the Sirata and one at what used to be the Quality Inn -- and by allowing this new special exception, the city would be combining two "no-swimming" channels into one. Winkler said his van has made 6,400 trips from the Sirata to Blind Pass Channel so far this year, carrying three or four passengers each time. He admits some potential customers decide not to rent personal watercraft once they realize it involves a van ride to the other side of St. Pete Beach. "That business has just grown so much that we feel that we are creating unnecessary traffic on Blind Pass Road and excessive traffic on Blind Pass Channel," Winkler said.
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