Virginia Beach Watersports

Virginia sets no minimum age to operate a motorboat, but Code of Virginia § 29.1-748 requires a personal watercraft operator to be at least 16; a 14- or 15-year-old may operate one only after completing an approved boating safety course and carrying proof. DWR says all personal watercraft operators age 14 and older and all operators, regardless of age, of motorboats with engines of 10 horsepower or more must meet boating safety education requirements. Onboard direct supervision requires a qualified person to maintain close visual and verbal contact, provide adequate direction, and be able to immediately assume control. Each rental operator sets its own minimum age, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Virginia requires boating safety education and proof of compliance rather than a separately named boating license. All personal watercraft operators age 14 or older and every operator, regardless of age, of a motorboat with a 10 horsepower or larger engine must comply and carry proof; the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources administers the program.

A PWC operator must be at least 16, except a 14 or 15 year old may operate after completing an approved course and carrying proof. Compliance can also come from a rental or lease agreement naming the authorized operator, a nonrenewable 90 day temporary operator’s certificate issued with a newly acquired boat’s registration, direct onboard supervision by a compliant operator, or certain qualifying maritime, military, nonresident, and commercial fishing credentials.

Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (dwr.virginia.gov)

From Virginia Beach, you can choose sheltered Rudee Inlet, the open Atlantic Ocean, the shallow Lynnhaven River, Broad Bay and The Narrows, or Chesapeake Bay. Owl Creek Boat Ramp gives direct access through Rudee Inlet to the ocean, so it suits renters ready for open coastal water. Lynnhaven Boat Ramp reaches both the Lynnhaven River and Chesapeake Bay; inside the river system, creeks and flats can be very shallow and tide affected. For calmer water and minimal traffic, launch on Broad Bay and follow The Narrows toward Linkhorn Bay.

Source: City of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation (parks.virginiabeach.gov)

Boaters from Virginia Beach head to The Narrows at First Landing State Park, on the sheltered run between Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay, and for a longer day to downtown Norfolk’s Elizabeth River waterfront. The Narrows offers a shoreside park stop with a boat launch, restrooms and nearby trails, and it is the easier of the two to reach. Norfolk offers marina docking beside waterfront dining and attractions, but getting there means running out of the Lynnhaven, around Cape Henry and into the Chesapeake, so plan a full day and settled weather. False Cape and Back Bay are worth seeing, but they do not connect to these waters and are a separate outing from their own launch.

Source: Virginia State Parks (dcr.virginia.gov)