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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 Sarasota, point into Sarasota Bay for protected but shallow water, follow the Intracoastal Waterway for an inside cruise, or use New Pass or Big Sarasota Pass to reach open Gulf waters. Stay in marked channels in Sarasota Bay because broad seagrass flats are shallow. New Pass has a dredged channel but is subject to shoaling; Big Sarasota Pass also changes continually, so both require careful navigation. Hudson Bayou offers excellent shelter for small craft near downtown. The city’s public boat ramps include Ken Thompson Park on City Island and Centennial Park on North Tamiami Trail.

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

Boaters leaving Sarasota can make day trips to Jewfish Key’s sandbar for shallow-water anchoring and socializing, Beer Can Island for driftwood formations, tidepools and shade, and the New Pass sandbar for views of the downtown skyline. Sharker’s Island near Lido Key attracts lively gatherings on its bayside sandbar, while Edwards Islands Park in Roberts Bay offers a quieter stop for a picnic. Sandbars shift and may be submerged as the tide rises, so approach cautiously.

Source: Visit Sarasota County (visitsarasota.com)