The Wharf

Alabama’s minimum age for unsupervised operation is 14 for a motorized vessel, including a personal watercraft, but rental eligibility is set separately by the rental operator. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says no one under 12 may operate a motorized vessel. An operator age 12 or 13 must first obtain a vessel operator’s license and may operate only with someone 21 or older onboard who also has a vessel operator’s license in possession and is seated in a position to take immediate control if necessary. Operators 14 or older must have their certification or license in possession. Confirm the rental operator’s minimum age when booking.

Source: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (alea.gov)

Yes. Alabama generally requires motorized vessel operators, including personal watercraft operators, to carry a vessel operator certification or license. No one under 12 may operate. Licensed 12 and 13 year olds need a licensed operator age 21 or older aboard and positioned to take control; licensed operators 14 or older may operate alone. Nonresidents need valid home state or country certification, or Alabama nonresident certification.

Renters may operate without certification after safe operation instruction from the rental business if their operating privilege is not suspended or revoked. Thirty day exemptions cover qualifying new boat owners and new Alabama residents. Those born before April 28, 1954 are exempt from the exam, not certification. ALEA Marine Patrol administers the program.

Source: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol (alea.gov)

From Orange Beach, choose Cotton Bayou and Terry Cove for sheltered local cruising, Wolf Bay for a broader Intracoastal Waterway run, or Perdido Pass for open Gulf waters. Bayou St. John is the marked connection between the pass and the Intracoastal Waterway in lower Perdido Bay; the route continues through Arnica Bay and Bay La Launch into Wolf Bay.

Typical public put-ins are Cotton Bayou Launch, Boggy Point beside the busy main channel near the pass, and The Launch at ICW. The marked Perdido Pass channel has jetties and submerged hazards, so it requires extra care.

Source: City of Orange Beach (orangebeachal.gov)

Good day-trip choices from Orange Beach include Robinson Island, Bird Island, Ono Island Reef and Fort McRee. Robinson and Bird islands are favorite summertime stops for boaters and sun seekers in Bayou St. John near Perdido Pass. Anglers can head to Ono Island Reef, part of Alabama’s inshore fishing reef system. Fort McRee at Pensacola Pass is a popular anchoring stop for boaters who want to enjoy the beach at the entrance to Pensacola Bay.

Source: City of Orange Beach (orangebeachal.gov)