Underway Marine Services

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 Aventura, you can cruise Dumfoundling Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, detour into Maule Lake, explore the Oleta River and North Biscayne Bay, or run through Haulover Inlet toward the Atlantic. Dumfoundling Bay is the city’s immediate developed waterfront route on the ICW, while Maule Lake is an inland basin reached through a connecting canal. Around Oleta River State Park, expect calm bay water, mangrove trails and some open-water stretches. North Biscayne Bay offers a broader bay cruise. Haulover Inlet leads to open ocean and is the less sheltered choice. Trailer boaters can use the public ramps at Bill Bird Marina in Haulover Park.

Source: City of Aventura (cityofaventura.com)

Popular day-trip choices from Aventura include Haulover Sandbar, Oleta River State Park, and Whiskey Creek, reached through the Intracoastal Waterway and Biscayne Bay. Haulover Sandbar is a popular recreational boating stop on the inlet’s flood shoal. Oleta draws visitors to its Biscayne Bay beach, saltwater lagoon, and mangrove waterways. At Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Whiskey Creek offers a sheltered, sandy-bottom spot where boaters can beach their vessels, picnic, and visit the ocean beach.

Source: Miami-Dade County (miamidade.gov)