Boat Dealers in Wildwood, NJ

The best time to boat Wildwood’s back bays and the Intracoastal Waterway through Grassy Sound is late June through September. A Wildwoods tourism listing shows local boat rentals operating from May through September, while NOAA’s Cape May coastal averages climb from the upper 60s in June to the mid-70s in July and August, then stay in the low 70s in September.

Favor mornings when possible. NOAA says summer land-sea breezes are common and thunderstorms occur most often near coastal waters in the afternoon. Check tides before leaving marked channels because NOAA describes shallow approaches around Wildwood, including Beach Creek.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (ncei.noaa.gov)

From Wildwood, you can boat the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway through Grassy Sound, explore Ottens Harbor and Sunset Lake, or head toward Hereford Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. Grassy Sound offers a well-marked back-bay channel; Ottens Harbor is a dredged slip reached from Post Creek; and Sunset Lake is a comparatively deep basin with two entrances from the Intracoastal route.

Public put-ins include New Jersey Avenue at Orchid Road and Park Boulevard at Sweet Briar Road in Wildwood Crest, plus 5th Avenue at the bay in North Wildwood. Hereford Inlet is the open-water option, but NOAA says it changes rapidly and should not be attempted without local knowledge.

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

From Wildwood, boaters can head to Champagne Island, Otten’s Harbor, or Schellenger’s Landing in Cape May Harbor. Champagne Island is a sandbar stop for time on the bay; Otten’s Harbor pairs a short local cruise with recreational boating scenery and waterfront restaurants; and Schellenger’s Landing offers a working commercial fishing wharf plus harbor-view dining. Together, they cover a sandbar outing, an in-town meal stop, and a Cape May harbor visit.

Source: NJ Southern Shore (njsouthernshore.com)

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 dealers on this page, Wildwood has 4 boat rentals and 5 marinas.