Lighthouse Point Marina

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)

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)

From Toms River, you can follow the Toms River into Barnegat Bay, join the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway or explore Kettle Creek. NOAA describes the Toms River as a well-marked but shallow channel leading to the bay. Barnegat Bay offers open water, but NJDEP also describes it as narrow and shallow, so stay in marked channels. The Intracoastal Waterway is the dredged through-route for a longer cruise. Named launch points include Pine Beach Municipal Boat Ramp on the Toms River and a concrete ramp on Kettle Creek in Toms River.

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

Popular day-trip choices from Toms River are Tices Shoal, the Sedge Islands, and the Seaside Heights bayfront, all on Barnegat Bay. Tices Shoal draws boaters for anchoring and walkway access to Island Beach State Park’s oceanside beach. The Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone offers tidal marshes, creeks, ponds, open water, and wildlife viewing. Seaside Heights combines a boat ramp and marina with crabbing and fishing docks, public restrooms, rentals, and seasonal dining overlooking the bay.

Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, dep.nj.gov and nj.gov (nj.gov)