Jet Ski Safety Guide: 20 Tips for Personal Watercraft Safety & Fun
Many people use brand names like Sea-Doo to refer to a broader category of vessel known as personal watercraft (PWC), which include the fan-favorite jet ski. These fast and agile craft are subject to all the same rules and regulations as sailboats, cruisers, and even yachts! Staying safe means understanding the craft’s capabilities and the lay of our waterways. Here is a comprehensive jet ski safety guide:
- Learn to operate the craft
- Keep in mind age restrictions
- Don’t underestimate the weight limit
- Wear the lanyard
- Wear your lifevest (at all times)
- Wear sunglasses
- Apply sunscreen
- Master the basics
- Know the lay of our waterways
- Know the area where you’ll be cruising
- Don’t tailgate & look before turning
- Don’t wake jump
- Go slow
- Honor speed limits
- Ask about nighttime operations
- Steer clear if you fall
- Know what to do in an emergency
- Know how to refuel
- Don’t drink & ski
- Be courteous
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1. Learn to operate the craft
If you rent a jet ski from a service or a peer-to-peer (P2P) boat rental marketplace, don’t leave the dock before you learn exactly how to operate it, including starting, stopping, boarding, and basic troubleshooting. Keep hands, feet, hair, etc., away from the jet intake/pump.
2. Make sure you’re of age
Age restrictions for operating a personal watercraft (PWC) legally vary depending on the jurisdiction and country. In the United States, federal law dictates that a person must be at least 16 years old to operate a PWC, such as a jet ski, without supervision.
However, individual states may have additional regulations or restrictions, so it’s essential to check the specific requirements for the area where you plan to operate the PWC.
3. Stick to weight limits
Jet skis carry 1-3 people and have maximum weight limits to operate safely. Don’t exceed these, or you may affect how the PWC handles.
4. Wear the lanyard
Kill switch or safety lanyards must be worn on the wrist throughout the ride so if the driver falls off, the engine will quit, and the PWC will stop.
5. Wear a lifevest, or PFD
Lifevests are our friends! Especially when riding a jet ski. Make sure to have on a US Coast Guard-approved life jacket or personal floatation device (PFD) provided by the operator at all times. It’s not only best for your safety; it’s the law!
6. Wear sunglasses
Sunglasses don’t just help us look cool — they protect our eyes from ultra-violent sunrays, debris picked up by the wind, and other things. On a jet ski, however, wind and water spray can be severe on a PWC running at speed so always wear some kind of eye protection while riding.
7. Wear sunscreen
When it’s wet and windy, you don’t feel the effect of the sun’s rays, which is why some riders get badly sunburned. Sunscreen is essential, and rash guards can help retain body heat on cool days.
8. Master the basics
Before heading out into a busy harbor or on a long trek, learn the nuances of the PWC, including high and low-speed turns, how to use the throttle (and brake if there is one), and how to dock. Like all boats, jet skis can’t stop on a dime.
PWC braking systems rely on a bucket that drops below the hull and redirects the jet’s thrust, slowing the craft down. PWCs can turn rapidly, possibly throwing a rider off.
9. Know the lay of your waterways
Rules of the road on the water apply to all watercraft, including jet skis. You must know if you’re the stand-on or give-way vessel. Stand-on vessels have the right of way.
The boat on the right has the right of way, as do boats being overtaken, sailboats under sail, and human-powered craft like kayaks. If you’re not sure of the situation, choose to act like the give-way vessel and avoid a collision.
10. Know the area where you’ll be cruising
Don’t run in heavy traffic areas like channels or shipping lanes. Large boats, ships, and commercial fishing craft towing nets and lines aren’t as maneuverable as PWCs so give them space.
11. Don’t tailgate & look before turning
Don’t follow other boats too closely, especially if they’re towing skiers or tubers who could fall into your path. Look around and behind you, before initiating a turn so you don’t collide with another boat or a nearby shoreline.
12. Don’t wake jump
It may be tempting to jump the wake of another boat, but it’s the fastest way to a collision or falling off.
13. Go slow
In anchorages or swimming and surfing areas, you must slow down and watch for people in the water. In protected areas, including shoals (less than two feet deep) or near preserves, proceed at a safe speed so you don’t damage the environment, endanger sea life, or put the craft at risk by sucking in the grass, sand, mud, or rocks.
14. Honor speed limits
Many harbors or channels have posted “no wake” speed limits, which are usually under 5 knots. These apply to all boats, including PWCs.
15. Ask about nighttime operation
Night and day are just that, different sides of the same coin. Learn if the craft has running lights and can be operated at night – most PWCs can’t.
16. Steer clear if you fall
If you get thrown off, the safety switch should kill the engine so you can swim back to the PWC and reboard safely. Don’t try to hang on or you may become injured by the jet ski itself. Be sure the driver boards first, followed by any passengers.
17. Know what to do in an emergency
If your day of jet skiing results in an emergency, know who to contact for assistance and how to present a certificate of insurance to authorities.
18. Know how to refuel
Avoid fuel spills when refilling the tank, and be confident that you can pull up to a fuel dock without hitting it or other boats.
19. Don’t drink & ski
Jet skiing, like driving a vehicle, can be a fun and exhilarating experience, but it also comes with significant responsibilities, especially regarding safety. One crucial aspect of ensuring safety is avoiding operating a jet ski while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A BUI (Boating Under the Influence) is comparable to a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in terms of the risks and potential consequences. Operating a PWC while impaired can have serious repercussions, both legally and in terms of safety.
20. Be courteous
Safe speeds are imperative as is being sensitive to other issues like blasting the stereo near waterfront homes and marinas.
Jet skis are not toys — they may be smaller, more affordable, and faster than many boats, but they come with great responsibilities and a need for knowledge. Take the operation of one just as seriously as you would any other boat, and then have some fun.
The more you know the better equipped you are to cruise. We’ve got more informative content just like this one. Read up:
- 7 Best Boating Safety Strategies for Summer Fun
- Boat Safety Equipment Checklist
- How to Get a Boating License or Boater Safety Certificate
- What Is SB 606?
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Zuzana Prochazka is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen sailing and powerboating magazines and online publications including Southern Boating, SEA, Latitudes & Attitudes and SAIL. She is SAIL magazines Charter Editor and the Executive Director of Boating Writers International. Zuzana serves as judge for SAIL’s Best Boats awards and for Europe’s Best of Boats in Berlin.
A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana founded and manages a flotilla charter organization called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations worldwide.
Zuzana has lived in Europe, Africa and the United States and has traveled extensively in South America, the islands of the South Pacific and Mexico.
