There are several watersport rental shops out on the bay, but only one has won OceanCity.com’s award for Best Jet Skiing four years in a row.
With so much competition in the area, Odyssea Watersports, out on 50th street right next to Seacrets, had got to be doing something right. In addition to jet skis, the small, family-owned business also offers pontoon boat rentals, stand-up paddle board rentals, nighttime paddle board tours and kayaks. They even have their own private beach on-site, which makes it easy for the amateur adventurer to climb onto their jet ski or paddle board.
Odyssea owner Ron Croker has been running the business with his family for 20 years.
“We’ve been in business since 1997. We’ve got a good reputation and we really appreciate all the support we’ve gotten from you guys over the years,” Croker said of Odyssea’s loyal customers.
Here are a few fast facts about the award-winning local business.
- Ron owns the business with his daughter Melissa Croker Clemens.
- 20 years ago, when Ron figured his kids Melissa and Timmy were old enough to help operate the family business, he quit his 9-5 job in order to start Odyssea with Melissa, Timmy and his wife Sheila.
- Initially, the only four employees were the Crokers themselves, and they only had eight jet skis to their name.
- Today, they’ve expanded to two locations with 26 employees and 37 jet skis, and they’ve incorporated a variety of other water activities into the business.
