Can my 10-year-old daughter drive a jet-ski without an adult on?

Question

Can my 10-year-old daughter drive a jet-ski without an adult on?

Answer 1

It depends on whose jet-ski it is.  If it's yours, then in all reality it's your decision, especially if not in public waters.  Also, depending on what state you're in the limit varies.  Usually to ride a rental jet-ski you either have to be 18 or have your driver's license, that's what I've found.

Also consider her maturity level and whether you feel comfortable with her handling something so dangerous.  Just like you wouldn't let her drive your car, the same sort of risks are associated with jet-skis.

Answer 2

if you feel that she is responsible enough than YES

Answer 3

The minimum age is 12 years

Answer 4

NO.   she is only as safe as other boaters in the water. Just like on the road you can be a good driver , but if someone crashes into YOU, you're screwed. A more mature boater would be better off handling a high stress situation.

Answer 5

On her? Please clarify what you mean.

Answer 6

every state wildlife agency has laws. so, even if it is your ski she legally cannot drive it. the youngest I've seen is 13 after passing an approved safety course. if she does drive it under age and gets into a wreck or injures some one it will be your responsibility. you'll have to pay for everything and then they can confiscate the ski and possibly make your kid wait longer to get her drivers license or something like that. anyway, shes only 10 and, unless she weighs over 100 lbs., won't be a good driver in rough water anyway. if you weigh less than that you generally don't have the strength to set a course and maintain it without veering one way or the other.  get on the ski with her and let her drive for the next few years. trust me, she'll scare the bejeezes out of you a few hundred times and you won't worry so much about her independence on the ski.

Answer 7

She is too young to drive without an adult on board. I saw on a Cop show where a man was ticketed for letting his 12 year old girl drive a jet ski they were on.

Answer 8

I don't believe so

Answer 9

I'm not sure what the law says in your state but as a parent, I would not feel safe letting my 10 year old ride alone.

Answer 10

NO!!!  The mini mun age is 16 years old in the US.

www.jamminjetskis.com

Answer 11

no

http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/safety_wate...

Answer 12

california, Yes and No, Not legally unless you dont mind riskin that there are no c.g's sitin around, Yes if you think she can be safe and theres no one around to get you in trouble.

i wouldnt sugest it though too much could go wrong best to just not let her get in harms way.

Answer 13

It depends on how big your daughter is { tall, short, tiny, muscular.} By that I'm just saying if your daughter is very thin and not much to her, I would say no. But if she is tall and looks like she has the ability to Handel it, i would say give it a try.

Answer 14

Hmmmm Does not sound safe to me..if you have to ask then I would not allow it..

Answer 15

I don`t know of any legal age but I wouldn`t let my ten year old daughter or son operate one without me being on it.

Answer 16

I would not recommend it by any means. adults have a hard time driving them as it is. jetskis are very dangerous to the rider and other boaters when not driven properly.

I have been a jetski enthusiast for about 9 years and I rarely see people drive them properly.

things to note:

jetskis accelerate very fast and when you pull the throttle it can pull you back and force you to pull it down even more.

they turn very fast and can whip you off

they lack brakes so you need to be able to judge distances well and have a good feel for the rate it slows down

you can't turn without throttling (as simple as this seems this is what gets most people in trouble)

although not as much of an issue as for boats, jetskis should stay away from shallow water which isn't always easy to spot. they can suck up debris, and worse run aground which can easily break ribs.

All in all, keep her with an adult and I'm sure she'll still have fun without endangering anyone

Answer 17

when she turns 14 she can go online to take a pwc driving test. the test is pretty simple but there is a $20 fee. after the test she will have her pwc liscence and can drive on her own.

Answer 18

That is a bit young. I think 2 more years is worth the wait.

Answer 19

The age is twelve in Arizona, it may differ elsewhere.

Most jet skis are very powerful water craft in terms of speed.

They are also very small in comparison to other water craft and are easy to turn quickly and maneuver generally.

Being small, fast and agile is a lot of fun, it also requires a lot of concentration and reasonable caution to avoid what can potentially be extremely dangerous situations (collision).

Twelve seems like a good age.

Answer 20

No, you can't. I've had friends who've done that with her daughte,r and she got in major trouble with the police. Not arrested or anything. but you can get in trouble.

Answer 21

she'll get hurt.