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Guide · 7 coasts · 7 grounds · operators' rules and the law

Jet ski: age limit, licence, weight, cost and safety

The rule is who may drive, not how heavy you are.
And the risk is the other machine.

A jet ski is the fastest thing most people will ever steer, and the rules around it are about the driver, not the passenger: how old, whether a boating card is needed, whether a guide rides ahead. They change with the flag. Florida lets you drive at 14 but rent at 18 and asks anyone born after 1988 for a boater-education card; Dubai and the Canaries hand the keys to 16-year-olds with no licence at all; California wants a Boater Card from 16; Mexico says 18. Weight is a capacity per machine – 350 to 500 lb for two riders – not a cap per person. Below: the rules on seven coasts word for word, the cheapest half hour on each, and what the US Coast Guard's yearly count actually says about the risk.

Who can go

Operators' own limits on 7 grounds

The age is the rule that bites, and it depends on the flag. In Florida you may drive a PWC from 14 but rent one only from 18, and anyone born after 1 January 1988 needs a boater-safety card – rental desks sell the online exam for about $14. California wants 16 and a Boater Card, or a card-holding adult on board for 12- to 15-year-olds; Coronado's rental adds “18 with a driver's licence”. Mexico says 18, or 16–17 with an adult on the seat behind. Hawaii's H2O Sports drives solo from 16 and puts passengers on from five. Dubai and the Canary Islands are the loosest: 16 to drive, no licence, passengers from six. Mallorca lands at 18, or 16 with a parent's signature. Nobody anywhere asks for experience: the briefing is the licence.

Weight is a capacity per machine, not a cap per person. Two-seaters carry 350 to 500 lb (160–230 kg) combined – 350 lb in Miami, 450 lb in Cancún and San Diego, 500 lb tandem in Hawaii, 190 kg on Mallorca – and Miami adds 250 lb per rider. Everyone wears a life jacket; the Canaries want a t-shirt under it and ask you to be able to swim.

GroundStopWeightAgeAlso
Miami, Keys & EvergladesJet skis on Biscayne Bay250 lb per rider, 350 lb combined per machine18+ to rent; passengers from 6 with an adult driverFlorida: born after 1 Jan 1988 → boater-safety card (online exam, $14); $150 damage deposit
Cancún & the Riviera MayaJet skis on the Caribbean side450 lb combined, 225 lb per person18+ to drive (16–17 with an adult on board); passengers from 10no boating licence in Mexico; passport or photo ID; life jacket mandatory
OahuJet skis on Maunalua Bayabout 450 lb solo, 500 lb tandem16+ solo; 18+ to drive a minor; passengers from 5two minors may not ride together; not for pregnant guests; 30 minutes on the water inside the reef
San DiegoJet ski from Coronado450 lb per machine18+ with a valid driver's licence; passengers at least 4 ft tallCalifornia law: 16+ with a California Boater Card, 12–15 only with a card-holding adult on board; life jackets compulsory for everyone on a PWC
Canary Islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura & Gran CanariaJet skis: Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Ricotwo per machine; no published cap16+ to drive, 16–17 with parental authorisation; passengers from 6no licence needed on guided tours; must be able to swim; t-shirt under the life jacket
MallorcaJet skis to the caves190 kg per machine (one or two riders)18+ to drive, or 16–17 with a parent's signature; passengers from 6no licence on guided tours with an instructor; briefing before you leave the harbour
Dubai & the EmiratesJet skis past the Burj Al Arab350–600 lb per machine by model; checked before the ride16+ to drive; younger only as passengers with an adultno licence; passport or Emirates ID; priced per machine, so two ride for the price of one

What it costs

Cheapest bookable offer per ground, as retrieved Sept 28, 2026

Jet skis are priced per machine, not per person, which is why two people on one seat is the cheapest hour of speed on most of these coasts. Self-drive rentals run $25–60 for 30 minutes in Miami and Cancún; guided tours with an instructor riding ahead €70–80 for 40 minutes in the Canaries and $80–140 for half an hour in Hawaii; a 45-minute run past the Burj Al Arab about €35 per person as a pair; the hour-long cave tours on Mallorca €165–170 per machine. The table shows the cheapest bookable ride on each ground.

How dangerous is it

The only complete count comes from the US Coast Guard, which verifies every reported recreational-boating incident. In 2024 there were 3,887 incidents, 556 deaths and 2,170 injuries across all boats, the fewest deaths since counting began. Personal watercraft were the second most common vessel type in incidents (19 %) and second in casualties: 986 incidents, 38 deaths, 563 injuries. Two things stand out. First, PWC riders drown less than other boaters – only 26 % of PWC deaths were drownings against 60 % for open motorboats and 87 % for kayaks – because the life jacket is compulsory and worn. Second, they collide more: PWC incidents produce an injury 57 % of the time against 44 % for open motorboats, and collision with another vessel is the top injury-producing event on the water. The pattern the rental desks know: the danger is speed near other traffic, not the machine itself. Stay out of the swim zones, keep the distance the briefing gives you, and let the guide set the pace.

56 %of all incidents were collisions · USA 2024

Collisions with vessels, objects or the bottom were the most frequent first event, producing 24 % of deaths and 54 % of injuries; where known, navigation-rule violations contributed to 55 % of incidents. Operator inattention, improper lookout and inexperience lead the contributing factors.

Source: US Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024, executive summary

What to wear

Source: Operator briefings: Miami Watersports, H2O Sports Hawaii, Jet Ski Cancún, Lanzarote jet ski safari

First time

Before you go

Do you need a licence to ride a jet ski?

It depends where. Florida: no licence, but drivers born after 1 January 1988 need a boater-safety education card (rental desks sell the online exam for about $14). California: a California Boater Card from age 16. Mexico, Dubai and the Canary Islands: no licence at all through a licensed operator. Mallorca: none on a guided tour with an instructor. Coronado's rental asks for a driver's licence as ID.

How old do you have to be to drive a jet ski?

18 to rent in Florida, Mexico and San Diego; 16 to drive in Hawaii, Dubai, the Canaries and – with a parent's signature – Mallorca; Florida law allows driving from 14 on a family machine but not renting. Passengers ride from 5 (Hawaii), 6 (Miami, Canaries, Mallorca) or 10 (Cancún).

What is the weight limit for a jet ski?

A capacity per machine: 350 lb combined in Miami (250 per rider), 450 lb in Cancún and San Diego, about 450 lb solo and 500 lb tandem in Hawaii, 190 kg on Mallorca, 350–600 lb by model in Dubai. Two adults fit on almost every two-seater; three do not.

How much does a jet ski cost?

Priced per machine: $25–60 for 30 minutes self-drive in Miami or Cancún, €70–80 for a 40-minute guided safari in the Canaries, $80–140 for half an hour in Hawaii, about €35 per person for 30–45 minutes past the Burj Al Arab as a pair, €165–170 per machine for the hour-long cave tours on Mallorca. See the table above.

Is jet skiing dangerous?

The US Coast Guard counted 986 PWC incidents, 38 deaths and 563 injuries in 2024, about a fifth of all boating incidents. PWC riders drown far less than other boaters because the life jacket is worn, but collide more: most PWC harm is speed near other traffic. A guided tour with an instructor ahead, distance from swimmers and other machines, and no alcohol remove most of it.

Can two people ride one jet ski?

Yes, and it is the cheapest way: rentals and tours are priced per machine. The driver must meet the age rule; the passenger can be a child from 5–10 depending on the coast. Two minors may not ride together (Hawaii), and the combined weight must stay under the machine's capacity.