PERSONAL WATERCRAFT LAW

In this chapter, the term:

• "Headway speed" as used in this section shall mean the slowest speed at which a personal watercraft can be operated and maintain steerage way.
• "Operator" means a person who operates or who has charge of the navigation or use of a watercraft.
• "Personal watercraft" shall mean a vessel which uses an inboard motor powering a water jet pump as its primary source of motive power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than the conventional method of sitting or standing inside the vessel.

Regulation of Personal Watercraft

PWC may only be operated between the hours from one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to one-half (1/2) hour after sunset.

A PWC must at all times be operated in a reasonable and prudent manner.

• Reckless operation of a PWC includes, but is not limited to:
• Maneuvers which unreasonably or unnecessarily endanger life, limb, or property
• weaving through congested vessel traffic
• circling a larger vessel unreasonably, or
• jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably.
• The operator of a PWC must be at least sixteen (16) years of age unless an adult accompanies him or her or unless he or she has passed an approved or boating safety course.
• It is unlawful for the owner of any personal watercraft or any person having charge over or control of a personal watercraft to authorize or knowingly permit the watercraft to be operated by a person under sixteen (16) years of age in violation of this section unless the provisions of subsection (c) are met.
• No person shall operate a personal watercraft within two hundred feet (200') of swimmers, divers, shore, or moored vessels, except at headway speed.
• Personal watercraft, when launched from shore or returning to shore, must proceed directly to the area where operation is allowed in a direction as near perpendicular as possible, not in excess of headway speed.
• All persons on a PWC must wear a personal flotation device which is approved by the United States coast guard.
• All PWC must be properly numbered.