Weeks Marine, Inc.

New Jersey does not use an adult supervision exception: the minimum age is 13 for limited power vessels and 16 for any power vessel, including personal watercraft. Operators ages 13 through 15 need a boating safety certificate and may operate only an electric powered vessel or a vessel at least 12 feet long with less than 10 horsepower. Anyone under 13 cannot operate a power vessel, and the State Police manual says there are no exemptions to the age requirements.

The rental operator sets its own minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau (nj.gov)

Yes. New Jersey requires operators 16 or older of power vessels, including personal watercraft, to hold a boating safety certificate. The requirement goes by age, not by birth year. Ages 13 to 15 may operate only an electric powered vessel, or one at least 12 feet long with under 10 horsepower, and still need a certificate; children under 13 may not operate power vessels at all.

Operating on non-tidal waters also requires a New Jersey boat license, an endorsement the Motor Vehicle Commission adds to a driver's license or ID card. It is an additional required document, not a replacement for the safety certificate. Out of state proof is accepted for visits under 90 days, as are Coast Guard operator licenses. The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau administers certification.

Source: New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau (nj.gov)

From Jersey City, you can launch into Morris Canal Basin, then boat the lower Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay in one connected harbor system. Liberty State Park’s ramp in Parking Lot 2 gives trailered boats Hudson River access, while Morris Canal Basin contains Jersey City’s small-craft facilities. The lower Hudson is busy with ferries, tugs, barges and recreational traffic. Upper Bay has a marked main passage and shoal Jersey Flats outside dredged routes. Kill Van Kull is a heavily trafficked commercial channel connecting Upper Bay to Newark Bay, where most water outside the marked dredged channel is very shoal.

Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (dep.nj.gov)

For Jersey City boaters, day-trip choices around the Hudson River and New York Harbor include Pier 25 in Tribeca, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Highlands. Pier 25 offers transient moorings and docking beside park recreation; Brooklyn Bridge Park has seasonal docking near Pier 5 and waterfront promenades; Atlantic Highlands pairs a large sheltered marina with restaurants, shops and other village amenities within walking distance.

Source: Hudson River Park Trust (hudsonriverpark.org)