DELAWARE- As summer approaches, Delaware's waterways will be bustling with personal watercraft also known as jet skis. However, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control imposes regulations for operating these watercraft compared to traditional boats. According to the department, jet ski operators must be at least fourteen years old to ensure safety and compliance. Teens are required to complete a boater safety course, carrying proof of their certification at all times. For teens fourteen and fifteen years old, the department says an adult must be on board, whereas those who are sixteen and possess a boater safety card can boat about independently.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control says it aims to ensure safety with its boating laws. That is reflected by requiring everyone always to wear a life jacket when on a jet ski. The department says this applies to both drivers and passengers regardless of age. The United States Coast Guard says that in 2022, seventy-five percent of victims in boating accidents drowned. The agency says that of those victims, eighty-five percent of them were not wearing a life jacket. As the popularity of jet skis continues to rise, Delaware says that all of its rules will keep people safe as they have fun during the warm days on Delaware’s picturesque waterways.