Tri-County Marine & Sports Center, Inc.

North Carolina sets no general minimum age for operating an ordinary motorboat, but personal watercraft operators must be at least 14. Under G.S. 75A-13.3, a 14- or 15-year-old may operate a PWC only with a person at least 18 physically aboard who complies with G.S. 75A-16.2, or while carrying proof of age and approved boating safety certification. For vessels with motors of 10 horsepower or more, operators born on or after January 1, 1988 must meet the boating education requirement. The rental operator sets its own minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (ncwildlife.gov)

North Carolina uses a boater education requirement rather than a conventional boating license: operators born on or after January 1, 1988 must have proof of approved education when operating a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater on public waters. This includes personal watercraft. PWC operators generally must be 16; ages 14 or 15 may operate with a compliant adult aboard or with proof of age and approved education, while children under 14 may not operate.

Exceptions include an authorized operator named on a rental or lease agreement, a 90 day state temporary certificate for a new or transferred boat, onboard direct supervision by a qualified adult at least 18, and qualifying nonresidents. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission administers the requirement.

Source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (ncwildlife.gov)

North Carolina’s best boating waters range from coastal sounds and broad rivers in the east to large reservoirs and a connected lake chain in the Piedmont and mountains. Pamlico Sound, behind the Outer Banks, offers expansive inshore water, while the wide Neuse River near Oriental is especially suited to sailing and cruising. Inland, Lake Norman near Charlotte is the state’s largest manmade lake and a major watersports choice. It also belongs to the Catawba chain of lakes, which extends west to Lake James near the Blue Ridge, giving boaters a choice of mountain scenery and open reservoir water.

Source: Visit North Carolina (visitnc.com)

Some of North Carolina’s most popular boating destinations are Lake Norman, Wilmington’s Cape Fear River, Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island, Carolina Beach State Park, and Beaufort with Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks. Lake Norman draws boaters with hundreds of coves and dockside dining; Wilmington offers sightseeing, sunset and nature cruises on the Cape Fear. From Wrightsville Beach, visitors can paddle or take a ferry to Masonboro’s barrier island, salt marshes and tidal creeks. Carolina Beach State Park combines boating and fishing with camping, while Beaufort is a departure point for boat or ferry trips to Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks.

Source: Visit North Carolina (visitnc.com)