Freedom Boat Club – St. Petersburg: The Harborage

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 St. Petersburg, you can choose Tampa Bay, sheltered Coffeepot Bayou, Boca Ciega Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, or the marked route toward Pass-a-Grille and Gulf waters. Downtown's Demens Landing is the straightforward start for broad, open Tampa Bay. Crisp Park launches into Coffeepot Bayou, a small-craft anchorage with a marked entrance. Jungle Prada serves Boca Ciega Bay, while Maximo Park starts you near Cats Point Channel and the Intracoastal, where shoals make channel awareness important. For a farther outing, continue toward Tierra Verde and Pass-a-Grille Channel, the marked connection to the Gulf.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Good day-trip choices from St. Petersburg are Shell Key Preserve, Egmont Key and John’s Pass. Shell Key is a boat-access-only barrier island where public areas allow boating and beach activities, with undeveloped shoreline and no restrooms. Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay, draws boaters for secluded beaches, swimming, snorkeling and shelling. John’s Pass offers a different outing: a waterfront village and boardwalk in Madeira Beach with restaurants, shops and water-related businesses.

Source: Pinellas County (pinellas.gov)