The boat clubs we list in Toms River are Freedom Boat Club. Membership gets you access to a shared fleet without owning, maintaining or storing a boat yourself.

June through September is the best overall time to boat the Toms River and adjacent Barnegat Bay. Ten-year temperature data show the bay averaging in the upper 60s in June, mid-70s in July and August, and low 70s in September; May and October are cooler. For paddlers, township kayak-rack permits go on sale March 25, and that storage season ends October 31.

Choose the calmest forecast day rather than relying only on the calendar. NOAA describes the Toms River as a marked, relatively shallow channel, while wind can strongly affect tides around the northern approach to Barnegat Bay, making wind and water level important checks before departure.

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

From Toms River, you can follow the Toms River into Barnegat Bay, join the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway or explore Kettle Creek. NOAA describes the Toms River as a well-marked but shallow channel leading to the bay. Barnegat Bay offers open water, but NJDEP also describes it as narrow and shallow, so stay in marked channels. The Intracoastal Waterway is the dredged through-route for a longer cruise. Named launch points include Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp on the Toms River and a concrete ramp on Kettle Creek in Toms River.

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

Popular day-trip choices from Toms River are Tices Shoal, the Sedge Islands, and the Seaside Heights bayfront, all on Barnegat Bay. Tices Shoal draws boaters for anchoring and walkway access to Island Beach State Park’s oceanside beach. The Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone offers tidal marshes, creeks, ponds, open water, and wildlife viewing. Seaside Heights combines a boat ramp and marina with crabbing and fishing docks, public restrooms, rentals, and seasonal dining overlooking the bay.

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

New Jersey boaters should know five core rules enforced by the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau. Children 12 or younger must wear a properly fitted Coast Guard approved life jacket while underway; from November 1 through May 1, everyone aboard a recreational vessel under 26 feet must wear one while underway, except inside a cabin. Operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more is prohibited. All power vessels and all titled boats must be registered. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16 and have a boating safety certificate, may not operate between sunset and sunrise, and must obey no wake restrictions.

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

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)

Alongside the boat clubs on this page, Toms River has 2 boat rentals, 9 marinas and 3 boat dealers.