Key West jet ski and parasail rules: ages, tests, weather

Two things decide a Key West jet ski or parasail trip before the price does: the law, which is specific and written down, and the sanctuary, which is why every jet ski here goes out behind a guide. Here are both, with what the operators actually charge.

Jet skis: what the law says, and what the operators add

Florida’s minimum age is 14, but none of the three island tours below lets a 14-year-old take a jet ski out alone, and the state forbids renting one to anyone under 18. The practical rule for families is 16 to drive, with a parent on the back, and 18 to drive solo, with Fury the exception that lets 14- and 15-year-olds drive when an adult rides with them. The law also keeps every jet ski off the water from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.

The boating test, and how long it takes

If you were born on or after 1 January 1988, Florida’s boating safety law applies to you on anything with a motor of 10 horsepower or more, which includes every tour jet ski. You need one of:

• a Florida boating safety card, or another state’s or Canada’s equivalent course certificate, with photo ID;
• an International Certificate of Competency; or
• a temporary certificate, from passing a short state exam. It is valid for 90 days, and the state’s fee is $2, plus whatever the agent charges.

The operators run the temporary exam. Barefoot Billy’s calls it “a 10 minute basic test” and texts you the link after you book. Fury gives it in person at check-in, 25 multiple-choice questions in English, with no phones, interpreters or booklets allowed and a non-refundable fee, and asks you to arrive an hour before departure to take it. Taking it online the night before is the easy way.

Why every jet ski goes out with a guide

Key West is surrounded by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and parts of it are closed to jet skis by name. The sanctuary’s regulations prohibit operating a personal watercraft anywhere in the Great White Heron and Key West National Wildlife Refuge management areas, and its wildlife management areas can be idle-speed, no-motor or no-entry zones.

The operators’ answer follows from that. Asked whether you can rent a jet ski without a guide, Fury says no: “Due to the protected sanctuaries and shallow areas the guided tour is the only option in Key West.” Sunset Watersports says traditional rentals are “generally unavailable.” The guide’s job is to keep the group out of water it is not allowed in.

What a tour is, and what it costs

The standard trip is the island tour: about 90 minutes, about 28 miles all the way around Key West, with two to four stops that can include a sandbar swim, weather permitting. Fury and Sunset Watersports charge by the jet ski, so a second rider costs nothing extra.

Fury and Sunset Watersports both want you checked in an hour before. Fury does not provide parking at its check-in points; the parking page covers the lots and the garage.

Fury’s jet skis take up to three riders, within a 460-pound limit, and its advice is one adult with two small children or two adults with one.

The insurance form. Florida’s livery law requires a business renting out motorized vessels to carry liability insurance of at least $500,000 a person and $1 million an event, and to either insure the renter to the same level or offer the renter that cover to buy. Decline it and you sign a statement, in capitals, saying that you may be personally liable for any damage or injury. Read the paperwork before you sign it.

Parasailing: the rules that keep it on the dock

Commercial parasailing in Florida has had its own statute since 2014. The part that matters to you is the weather. A commercial parasail may not fly when:

• the sustained wind is more than 20 mph;
• gusts run 15 mph above the sustained wind, or exceed 25 mph;
• rain or fog cuts visibility to less than half a mile; or
• a known lightning storm is within 7 miles.

The same law requires the operator to hold a Coast Guard license to carry passengers for hire, carry $1 million per occurrence of bodily injury insurance, have a working VHF radio and a separate device for National Weather Service forecasts, and keep a weather log each time passengers go out, “available for inspection at all times at the operator’s place of business.” You can ask to see it.

A separate section adds that someone besides the driver must be aboard watching the flyer, a mirror does not count, everyone flying wears a non-inflatable life jacket, and there is no parasailing from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.

What the operators set:

Fury flies about one to two miles offshore, about five minutes from the dock. Sunset Watersports says the mornings, when the wind is lighter, are the calmest time to go.

Packages: several sports, one boat

Sunset Watersports’ Do It All is the day-long version: six hours from 201 William Street, leaving at 10 a.m. with check-in at 9:15, out to the company’s inflatable water park with jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, a banana boat, snorkeling and a grilled lunch. Parasailing is an add-on, flown by Conch Republic Parasail. It suits a family that wants the whole day decided; it is a lot of day for anyone who only wanted the jet ski.

Which one

• Just the jet ski: the 90-minute island tour. Take the boating test online first if you were born in 1988 or later. Sunset Watersports’ tour is the one to pick with a partner, since the second rider goes free.
• Parasailing with children: check the age and the weight limit with the operator before you book, and go in the morning.
• A whole day of it: a package, knowing you are on the operator’s schedule.
• On a cruise stop: a 90-minute tour fits easily, and the cruise-stop page has the rest of the day.

If you would rather be under the water than on it, the reef snorkel trip is here. Below are the two island jet ski tours and both parasail flights, then Viator’s full Key West catalog; check the departure point on any listing before you book it.