Hidden Harbor Water Rentals

Rentals from Hidden Harbor Water Rentals include life jackets, safety equipment, fuel, cooler storage, fishing gear, a bimini top, a Bluetooth stereo and GPS navigation. Amenities vary by boat and by season, so confirm what comes with the boat you book.

Under Pennsylvania law, a rented personal watercraft operator must be at least 16; for other motorboats, the operating minimum depends on motor power. Boats with motors of 25 horsepower or less have no age restriction, while anyone 11 or younger may not operate a boat powered by more than 25 horsepower.

All personal watercraft operators normally need a Boating Safety Education Certificate, and operators born on or after January 1, 1982, need one for boats over 25 horsepower. The rental operator may set a higher minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (pa.gov)

Pennsylvania does not issue a general recreational boating license, but certain operators need a Boating Safety Education Certificate. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission requires it of people born on or after January 1, 1982 who operate boats with motors greater than 25 horsepower, and of all personal watercraft operators regardless of birth year.

Operators 11 or younger may not operate a personal watercraft or a boat over 25 horsepower, and a renter of a personal watercraft must be at least 16. Rental businesses must give customers a safety and operation orientation before rental, but that is a duty on the rental business and does not excuse the renter from holding a certificate. A temporary certificate issued after an approved course is valid for 60 days.

Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (pa.gov)

From Erie, you can cruise sheltered Presque Isle Bay, follow the Erie Harbor Entrance into open Lake Erie, or slow down inside Presque Isle State Park. The harbor entrance is a slow, no wake area, as are Misery Bay and Marina Lake within the park. The connected interior lagoons between Misery Bay and Marina Lake allow electric motors only. Common put-ins are West Pier Launch for larger boats, Vista Launch for small craft and personal watercraft, and Niagara or Lagoon launches for small to medium boats.

Source: Pennsylvania DCNR and Fish and Boat Commission, pa.gov and pfbc.pa.gov (pa.gov)

Good day-trip destinations from Erie include Dobbins Landing, where the Bayfront offers restaurants, museums and the Bicentennial Tower; the Waterworks Ferry Dock, a cross-bay landing inside Presque Isle State Park; Misery Bay and Perry Monument, for history connected to Commodore Perry’s Lake Erie fleet; and Presque Isle’s interior lagoons, a natural water trail for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Together, these stops give boaters a mix of downtown waterfront activity, park access, maritime history and quieter paddling water around Presque Isle Bay.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (pa.gov)