New New Jersey Boating Laws Add Jet Ski, Wakeboarding, and Towing Regulations – Lavallette-Seaside Shorebeat

Source: New Jersey State Police

Two recently adopted New Jersey boating regulations that will go into effect for the 2024 summer season will go into effect this upcoming holiday weekend, state police announced Tuesday.

These regulations, taken separately, apply to the operation of personal watercraft – commonly known as jet skis – as well as any watercraft towing a water skier, wakeboarder or dinghy.

Jet ski ride

A passenger sits in front of a jet ski driver. (Source: New Jersey State Police)

The first law, NJAC 13:82-1.13, applies to people operating PWCs (jet skis) with more than one person on board. In some cases, the PWC operator will sit behind a passenger on the vessel, and the passenger—often a child—will be between the driver and the controls. This practice is prohibited under the new law.

Accordance with the law: The owner or certified operator of a personal watercraft (PWC) shall not allow any person or persons to stand between the certified operator and the controls of the PWC.

Waterskiing, wakeboarding and towing

A boat towing a pontoon. (Source: Bernard Spragg NZ/Flickr/Creative Commons)

The second new law in effect this season, NJAC 13:82-3.1, states that all motorized vessels — whether traditional boats or personal watercraft — engaged in waterskiing, including wakesurfing, must maintain a distance of at least 200 feet from a pier, marina, dock, jetty, bridge structure, abutment, persons in the water, other vessels, shore, approved navigation aids or moorings.

The distance restriction applies not only to the vessel itself, but also to the tow rope and the skier.

State police asked anyone with questions about the new regulations or existing boating regulations to visit the Bureau of Marine Services website for more information.