IT’S A REAL SWELL GIG
This surfing-mad boss of Ocean Jet Boating based out of Marina Mirage reckons he has the perfect work-life balance – whenever the swell is too big he can’t run trips so gets to indulge his passion for surfing
Name: Kegan Gilmore Job: Ocean Jet Boating operations manager Boat: 12-seat enclosed jetboat
WHAT’S in the harbour? Our Ocean Jet Boating boat is a 12seater. It’s a bit different to the inshore ones, it was custom-built – it is designed to go out on the ocean. It is all enclosed, you stay dry in this one. You can go out in all weather. For our passengers who are going for lunch afterwards, they love going out in this.
You must be able to really gun the throttle out on the open seas? It’s a bit more thrilling out on the ocean – it can go up to 90 kilometres per hour. It’s the fastest commercial jetboat in Australia taking passengers out for thrill rides.
How did you land a cool gig like this? I was born into basically. My old man Michael Gilmore runs Jetboat Extreme. I have been working for him ever since I was a kid. But since we bought this three years ago, he put me in charge. But I drove for him for three years at Extreme.
What are some of your favourite boating memories from when you were growing up? I was always a little tinnie kid, one of the water rats. I grew up in Broadbeach. My old man always had boats growing up. He was a real estate agent but had this 21-foot Bullet, with 300 horsepower Mercury engines. That used to do about 170 km/h. I used to get behind the wheel when I was about 14 years old. I had Thundercat surf racing boats, I had one of those before I had a car. I actually sold it to get my first car.
Do you do a lot of boating in your spare time outside work? No just at work. I have a stack of surfboards and that’s what I spend my money on. I take my jetski over to South Straddie to go surfing. If I’m not driving for Ocean Jet Boating, I’m out on the ocean surfing. But I do love taking the Ocean Jet Boating vessel out on the ocean with mates at night to watch fireworks if they are on. It’s expensive though – this thing uses 100 litres of fuel an hour, that’s $150 an hour.
What do you love about working on the water? I just love being outside. I like being outdoors on the waves, surfing, in the sun. I hate being inside. Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good life. And the great thing is, we can’t run the boat trips if the swell is too big so then I get to go surfing – so it works out very well.