Guide · 7 coasts · 7 grounds · operators' rules and the law
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.
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.
| Ground | Stop | Weight | Age | Also |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, Keys & Everglades | Jet skis on Biscayne Bay | 250 lb per rider, 350 lb combined per machine | 18+ to rent; passengers from 6 with an adult driver | Florida: born after 1 Jan 1988 → boater-safety card (online exam, $14); $150 damage deposit |
| Cancún & the Riviera Maya | Jet skis on the Caribbean side | 450 lb combined, 225 lb per person | 18+ to drive (16–17 with an adult on board); passengers from 10 | no boating licence in Mexico; passport or photo ID; life jacket mandatory |
| Oahu | Jet skis on Maunalua Bay | about 450 lb solo, 500 lb tandem | 16+ solo; 18+ to drive a minor; passengers from 5 | two minors may not ride together; not for pregnant guests; 30 minutes on the water inside the reef |
| San Diego | Jet ski from Coronado | 450 lb per machine | 18+ with a valid driver's licence; passengers at least 4 ft tall | California 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 Canaria | Jet skis: Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Rico | two per machine; no published cap | 16+ to drive, 16–17 with parental authorisation; passengers from 6 | no licence needed on guided tours; must be able to swim; t-shirt under the life jacket |
| Mallorca | Jet skis to the caves | 190 kg per machine (one or two riders) | 18+ to drive, or 16–17 with a parent's signature; passengers from 6 | no licence on guided tours with an instructor; briefing before you leave the harbour |
| Dubai & the Emirates | Jet skis past the Burj Al Arab | 350–600 lb per machine by model; checked before the ride | 16+ to drive; younger only as passengers with an adult | no licence; passport or Emirates ID; priced per machine, so two ride for the price of one |
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.
| Ground | Offer | From | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, Keys & Everglades | Miami: jet ski rental on Biscayne Bay | $24.64 | ★ 3.7 · 310 | Book → |
| Dubai & the Emirates | Dubai: jet ski tour of the Burj Al Arab | €33.63 | ★ 4.9 · 5,975 | Book → |
| Cancún & the Riviera Maya | Cancún: jet ski rental, ocean side | $53.45 | ★ 4.0 · 34 | Book → |
| Canary Islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura & Gran Canaria | Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria: jet ski tour | €69.90 | ★ 4.6 · 1,203 | Book → |
| Oahu | Oahu: tandem jet ski adventure on Maunalua Bay | $78.53 | ★ 4.5 · 73 | Book → |
| San Diego | Coronado: San Diego Bay jet ski rental | $125 | ★ 4.5 · 147 | Book → |
| Mallorca | Cala Millor: jet ski tour to the sea lion cave or lighthouse island | €165 | ★ 4.5 · 1,119 | Book → |
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.
986PWC incidents · USA 2024
38 deaths and 563 injuries on personal watercraft, out of 3,887 incidents, 556 deaths and 2,170 injuries on all recreational boats. PWC were involved in 19 % of incidents where the vessel type was known.
Source: US Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (COMDTPUB P16754.38)
26 %of PWC deaths were drownings · USA 2024
10 of 38 – against 60 % on open motorboats, 73 % on pontoons and 87 % on kayaks. The life jacket is mandatory on a PWC in every jurisdiction here, and it shows.
Source: US Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024, deaths by vessel type and cause
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
Source: Operator briefings: Miami Watersports, H2O Sports Hawaii, Jet Ski Cancún, Lanzarote jet ski safari
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.