PWC Safety Regulations - Delaware
In the state of Delaware, only persons 16 years of age and older can operate a PWC. Those people who are 14-16 can operate under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.
Personal watercrafts are not to be operated any time between sunset and sunrise and any time visibility is restricted unless the PWC is equipped with navigational lights.
It is not permitted to operate a personal watercraft within three hundred feet (300') of swimmers, divers, wharfs, piers, docks, boat launching areas, pilings bridges, all vessels and any shore, or moored vessels, except at headway speed while in the Delaware waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
While operating on inland waters or bays, operators are required to stay one hundred feet (100’) from wharfs, piers, docks, boat launching area, etc., and three hundred feet (300’) from swimmers and divers also at headway speed.
Launching from or returning to shore should also be at headway speed and perpendicular to shore.
Inflatable PFDs are not acceptable when operating a PWC; Type I, II, or III USCG approved life jackets are required by everyone operating or riding - along with lanyards attached to the kill switches and to the operators person. Tampering with the kill switch or the self-circling device is against regulations. Towing a person is not permitted from a PWC at any time.
Being prepared means knowing the Rhode Island state and federal regulations and following them. Doing this will help to keep everyone safe and having fun. Remember to have your PWC ready for the day by having it registered, licensed and insured.
