Marinas in Lighthouse Point, FL

November through April is generally the best time to boat Lighthouse Point’s stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway, when South Florida is in its drier season. The city’s canal network connects with the Intracoastal, and Hillsboro Inlet is adjacent to Lighthouse Point.

There is no cold-weather opening or closing here. NOAA’s nearby South Florida Atlantic stations show water temperatures around the mid-70s in winter, rising into the low 80s in late spring and the mid-80s in summer. May through October is wetter, so keep plans flexible and choose the day using the local marine forecast.

Source: City of Lighthouse Point (lighthousepointfl.gov)

From Lighthouse Point, the main choices are the city canals, the Intracoastal Waterway, Hillsboro Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. The local canal network is man-made and bulkheaded, making it the enclosed neighborhood-water option; it connects to the Intracoastal at several points. The Intracoastal runs the city’s full length and provides the main through route. Hillsboro Inlet is the passage between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic, where boating shifts to open ocean water. If you are trailering, Alsdorf Park provides boat launching directly on the Intracoastal at NE 14th Street Causeway.

Source: City of Lighthouse Point (lighthousepointfl.gov)

From Lighthouse Point, boaters head to Lake Sylvia to float beside their boats or pull tubes; downtown Fort Lauderdale’s New River and Las Olas Boulevard for high-rise views and waterside dining; Whiskey Creek for sandy-bottom beaching, picnics and beach access; and Pompano Beach’s Shipwreck Park for wreck diving and underwater art. The New River passes through downtown and along Riverwalk, while Whiskey Creek runs through Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.

Source: Visit Lauderdale (visitlauderdale.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)

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules require boaters to carry life jackets, stay sober, use properly registered vessels, follow personal watercraft limits, and obey posted no wake and manatee zones. Every vessel must carry an accessible U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable life jacket for each person; children under 6 must wear one while underway on vessels under 26 feet. Operating while impaired is illegal; a .08 blood or breath alcohol level creates a presumption of impairment. Most vessels must be registered and carry the certificate aboard. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 14, wear a noninflatable PFD, and not operate from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com)

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)

Alongside the marinas on this page, Lighthouse Point has 3 boat rentals, 2 boat clubs and 1 boat dealer.