- Florida laws cover the operation of Jet Skis and other personal watercraft.man and jet-ski image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com
Florida law defines a personal watercraft, such as Kawasaki's Jet Ski or Yamaha's WaveRunner brands, as a motorboat less 16 feet long that "uses an inboard motor powering a jet pump as its primary motive power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on, rather than in the conventional manner of sitting or standing inside the vessel." Specific Florida laws address personal watercraft use to help ensure the safety of operators and other boaters. - To use a personal watercraft in Florida, the operator must be at least 14 years old. Anyone who rents one must be at least 18 years old. Allowing a person younger than 14 to operate a personal watercraft in Florida is a second-degree misdemeanor.
- State law requires that anyone operating, riding on or being towed by a personal watercraft must wear an approved personal flotation device, or PFD. Inflatable PFDs are not allowed for personal watercraft. If the manufacturer provides an engine cutoff switch (most do), the operator must attach it with a lanyard to her body, clothing or PFD.
- Florida law prohibits operating a personal watercraft from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise even if the vessel has navigation lights. It is against to law to weave a personal watercraft through congested boat traffic, jump another vessel's wake too closely or when another vessel obstructs vision, or deliberately power toward a collision and swerve at the last moment. Such behaviors are considered reckless operation of a vessel, which is a first-degree misdemeanor.
- In Florida, specific requirements apply to anyone who was born on or after January 1, 1998, who wants to lawfully operate a vessel of any type that is powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or more, including personal watercraft. Such a person must successfully complete a National Association of State Boating Law Administration-approved boating education course or have passed a course equivalency or temporary certificate examination. After completing those requirements, the operator must have in possession a boating education identification card and a photo ID while operating the vessel.
