PORT 32 Marinas Palm Beach Gardens

Florida law requires you to be at least 18 to rent a livery vessel other than a human-powered vessel. Florida sets no general minimum age to operate a boat, but a personal watercraft operator must be at least 14.

Under section 327.395, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, operating a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more must carry the required boating safety credentials. An exemption applies when accompanied by a credentialed or exempt person age 18 or older who is attendant to the operation and responsible for safe operation and violations. The rental operator sets its own booking minimum subject to state law, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com)

Florida does not issue a boating license, but operators born on or after January 1, 1988, must carry photo ID and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boating education card when running a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more. This includes personal watercraft. There is no general minimum age for boats; personal watercraft operators must be at least 14, and no one under 18 may rent any vessel other than a human powered one. Exemptions include Coast Guard licensed masters, private lake or pond operators, operators accompanied aboard by someone 18 or older who holds the card or is exempt and is responsible for the vessel, and nonresidents with proof of a NASBLA-approved out of state course. Any non exempt operator may instead pass an FWC approved temporary certificate exam and carry that certificate with photo ID for 90 days.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com)

From Palm Beach Gardens, put in at Bert Winters Park or Juno Park and use the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway as the main route. Southbound, the waterway enters Lake Worth Lagoon, a long, narrow, shallow body where NOAA advises local knowledge outside marked channels; Munyon Island offers a shallow estuary stop with a day use dock.

Northbound, the Intracoastal reaches Jupiter Inlet, which connects to Jupiter Sound and the Loxahatchee River. The inlet opens to Atlantic waters, but NOAA describes it as hazardous for small boats not designed for open seas, making the inland waters the more approachable choice for an unfamiliar renter.

Source: Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation (discover.pbc.gov)

Popular day trips from Palm Beach Gardens include Peanut Island, Munyon Island and Jupiter’s Inlet Village. Peanut Island draws boaters with day-use docks plus the option to anchor or beach a boat and come ashore. Munyon Island is a boat-only picnic stop with covered areas, grills, nature trails and a dock. Inlet Village offers public day docks on Jupiter’s Oxbow River, putting crews close to the Riverwalk, waterfront dining and shops, with the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse as a backdrop.

Source: Palm Beach County Parks (discover.pbc.gov)