SOLOMONS, Md. — Most entrepreneurs spend years mastering the industry they plan to enter before opening a business. Gregory Starks took a different approach. When the Southern Maryland native decided Solomons needed a dedicated jet ski rental company, he had never ridden one himself. His first ride came on opening day.
“My first time riding a jet ski was the day I opened,” Starks told The BayNet with a laugh.
To many people, that might sound like a reason not to start. For Starks, it was simply another problem to solve.
“If you want something bad enough, you’re going to figure it out.”
Five years later, the owner of SOMD WaterSports has transformed that leap of faith into one of Solomons’ growing summer attractions, introducing thousands of visitors to the Patuxent River while building a reputation centered on quality, safety and customer experience.
Seeing What Everyone Else Missed
Growing up in Southern Maryland, Starks knew Solomons had everything people looked for in a waterfront destination.
Restaurants.
Marinas.
Beautiful views.
Families flock to the island every summer. He also noticed something missing.
“There wasn’t anywhere that people could come strictly to ride jet skis,” Starks said.
The idea arrived almost unexpectedly during a drive through town. He remembered hearing successful entrepreneurs repeat one piece of advice over and over again.
Find a problem and solve it.
That lesson stuck. As he looked around Solomons, the opportunity suddenly became obvious. That single thought eventually became SOMD Watersports.
Learning Everything From Scratch
Unlike many people in the boating industry, Starks wasn’t raised on the water. He didn’t grow up launching boats with his father or spend summers riding personal watercraft. Before starting the business, he said he could count on one hand the number of times he had even been on a boat. Everything he knows today was self-taught.
Before entrepreneurship, Starks worked a series of jobs before entering the HVAC industry around 2018. He eventually started a cleaning company, but despite its success, something was missing.
“It wasn’t enough to motivate me,” he said.
He wanted to build something that challenged him. Something that excited him. That search ultimately led him back to the waterfront.
Building More Than A Rental Business
When Starks committed to the idea, he refused to cut corners. Instead of buying inexpensive used equipment just to get started, he invested in brand-new jet skis, professional equipment and a polished customer experience from day one.
“I didn’t just go find some jet skis on Marketplace and get the cheapest ones I could,” Starks said. “I went and got everything brand new.”
His philosophy is simple.
“You get out what you put in.”
That mindset extends far beyond the equipment. It shapes everything from the company’s website to the way customers are welcomed when they arrive.
According to Starks, people often tell him the area needed exactly this type of attraction.
“When I put it there, everybody said, ‘Man, we needed this down here.’”
Turning Nervous Riders Into Confident Ones
For Starks, the most rewarding part of the business isn’t watching experienced riders speed across the river. It’s introducing first-timers to something they never thought they’d do.
He estimates that roughly 80% to 85% of SOMD Watersports customers have never ridden a jet ski before. Many arrive nervous. Some expect to ride behind a spouse instead of operating their own machine. Parents often ask him to keep a close eye on their teenagers.
By the end of the ride, many leave with an entirely different level of confidence.
“It’s cool taking somebody out for their first time and watching them go from timid to confident,” Starks said.
Years of experience have taught him how to recognize when someone is uncomfortable. Sometimes he’ll ride alongside them, offering encouragement until they begin relaxing. Other times, he simply reminds them that they don’t have to go fast to have fun.
Safety, he said, always comes first. Customers receive instructions multiple times before entering the water because, in his words, he’d rather repeat himself than leave someone uncertain.
That attention to detail has helped establish a strong reputation among visitors. Starks said the company currently maintains a 4.9-star Google rating, something he believes reflects the experience customers receive both on and off the water.
More Than Representation
As the owner of what is believed to be Southern Maryland’s first Black-owned watersports company, Starks said making history wasn’t what motivated him.
“Starting out, I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “I just wanted to start.”
Looking back, however, he recognizes the significance.
“There aren’t a lot of people who look like me operating these kinds of companies,” Starks said. “I bring my own flavor to it.”
Still, he says the business has always been about serving everyone.
“We get a little bit of everybody down there,” he said. “That’s the cool part.”
Becoming Part Of Solomons
Ask Starks where he hopes SOMD Watersports will be five years from now, and his answer comes quickly.
He doesn’t talk first about expanding inventory or opening new locations. He talks about becoming part of the identity of Solomons itself.
“When people think about Solomons, they think about the Tiki Bar,” Starks said. “I want everybody to know SOMD Watersports is down there.”
Considering where the journey began, it’s a fitting goal. A man who had never ridden a jet ski saw something an entire town had overlooked. He saw a missing experience. He taught himself an unfamiliar industry. Then he built a business that now helps thousands of visitors create memories on the same water he once barely knew.
Sometimes, the biggest leap isn’t climbing aboard a jet ski. Sometimes, it’s believing you can build the dock before you’ve ever taken the ride.
For more information, visit SOMD Watersports at 105 Charles St., Solomons, MD 20688, call 443-624-1956, visit www.somdwatersports.com, or follow the business on Facebook (SOMD WaterSports) and Instagram (@somdwatersports).
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