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Can tourists rent powerboats in Florida?

On Behalf of | Apr 8, 2023 | Boating Accidents

Boating is incredibly popular in Florida and many people specifically travel to the state for the beaches and to spend time on the water. That said, many of these individuals will fly to Florida, so they’re not bringing any type of watercraft with them.

Instead, tourists will look to rent boats. It’s clear that they can rent things like kayaks, paddle boats or other small craft, but are they allowed to rent power boats?

2 ways to do so

Tours certainly can rent power boats, and the first way is if they have passed a boater safety course in their home state. As long as they can demonstrate that they went through the course, that’s good enough for a boat rental in Florida, even though that course wasn’t taken in Florida.

Additionally, people who are at least 26 years old may be able to seek a temporary certificate. Even if they haven’t taken a boating safety course, getting the certificate could make it possible for them to rent. Many tourists will do this because they don’t need a long-term solution and are just looking to rent for a day or two.

The problems this creates

As you can imagine, this can create a lot of dangers on the water. You’re going to have very inexperienced tourists renting boats that they have never driven before and going out on rivers, bays and even the open sea – where they have never been. Some of them may never have taken a boater safety course in their lives.

This type of inexperience can lead to a multitude of mistakes, which can cause accidents and even collisions between watercraft. Those who have been injured by the actions of negligent tourists, especially if alcohol was involved, need to know about the legal options at their disposal.