Out of the Blue Celebrations

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 Jupiter, you can boat the connected Loxahatchee River, Intracoastal Waterway and Jupiter Inlet, then continue into the Atlantic when the rental boat and conditions suit open water. The lower Loxahatchee is a mangrove-lined estuary; farther upriver, the river passes beneath a cypress canopy in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where boats must operate at idle speed. The Intracoastal is the inshore route through Jupiter, while the inlet is the ocean gateway. Public launch choices include Burt Reynolds Park and Waterway Park; Burt Reynolds also has day-use slips.

Source: Town of Jupiter (jupiter.fl.us)

Popular boating stops from Jupiter include the Jupiter Sandbar, Fullerton Island and Peanut Island. The Jupiter Sandbar sits by Jupiter Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway, drawing boats at low tide for shallow water wading. Fullerton Island, in Jupiter’s Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve, has a day use floating dock, picnic area, hiking, kayaking and wildlife viewing. Peanut Island in Lake Worth Lagoon adds a beach and snorkeling lagoon with a floating swim platform.

Source: Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation (discover.pbcgov.org)