Boat and Jetski Rental Regulations and Requirements

Requirements and Regulations for pontoon boat rentals and jetski rentals?

We want everyone to have fun on the water when renting watersports in Ocean City, MD but to keep you safe there are specific regulations and requirements we must follow for each watersport activity. Whether you are renting a pontoon boat or renting a jetski, you will have to follow the regulations listed below while you are in Ocean City, MD.

Many of the regulations you will see below are set by either the United States Coast Guard, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, or Insurance Companies. With that being said, these regulations are not controlled by Odyssea Watersports and can not be changed. The only regulations/requirements that we can be slightly flexible with are highlighted in GREEN.

These are not ALL boating and jetskiing regulations/Requirements and we recommend checking with your local boating agencies for a full list. Below we have highlighted ones that customers asked about most often in hopes to help provide you with valuable information.

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Jetski Rental Regulations:

a man riding on the back of a boat

DRIVERS:
🔺 Must be at least 16 yrs old with a photo ID
🔺 Must wear a life jacket at all times. Life jackets are provided by Odyssea Watersports
🔺 Photo ID required (can have multiple documents)
🔺 No matter your experience level, you WILL have to take an open-book quiz
🔺 Boating License NOT required
🔺 Instructions and Safety guidelines are included prior to going on the water and must be given to each customer who is renting a jetski

PASSENGERS:
🔺 Must wear a life jacket at all times. Life jackets are provided by Odyssea Watersports
🔺 Recommend 3 yrs of age and older
🔺 FREE, you can take turns driving if a passenger meets requirements for drivers (above)
🔺 Any age passenger can ride with a qualified driver
🔺 Recommended for all passengers to sit behind the driver. This is for the safety of the driver and passenger. We can work with you on this one and will discuss the best option for you and your passenger.

JETSKI MISCELLANEOUS:
🔺 All rentals are in the bay area
🔺 Must stay within our riding area marked by buoys and landmarks.
🔺 Max of 3 people with a 400 lb weight limit allowed on the Seadoo GTX Rental Pros

a group of people in a boat on a body of water

PONTOON BOAT RENTAL:

DRIVERS:
🔺 Drivers must be at least 21 yrs of age
🔺 Photo ID required
🔺 Boating License NOT required
🔺 Must fill out the proper paperwork and be given safety/how-to operate a boat instructions prior to leaving the dock

PASSENGERS:
🔺 Max of 12 total people allowed on pontoon boat rentals even if the boat is rated by the factory for more.
🔺 All passengers must arrive at the Odyssea Watersports location in order to fill out and sign the necessary paperwork
🔺 Any age passenger is allowed on a pontoon boat. Please remember that ALL ages are included in the total number, meaning, even a 1 yr old still counts towards the total number of people allowed.
🔺 Passengers 13 yrs old and younger are required to wear a life jacket for the entire rental. Odyssea Watersports has life jackets for all ages.

BOAT MISCELLANEOUS: Specific to Odyssea Watersports
🔺 Gas included
🔺 Everyone onboard can fish and or crab. Both fishing and crabbing licenses are included with your boat rental
🔺 Safety equipment, map, and instructions included with rental
🔺 Food and Drinks (including alcohol) are allowed but must have a designated driver
🔺 Tubing is not allowed. Small floats can be used while the boat is not running. We recommend you attach the float if possible to the boat so that you do not float away from the boat.
🔺 Must stay between Route 50 and Route 90 bridges

The safety of our customers is most important to us, and the requirements and regulations stated above are set for that reason. If you have questions or need more clarification, please reach out to us, we are more than happy to help. We do our best to be as accommodating and helpful as possible and want you and your family/friends to have a memorable, fun, and relaxing experience at our family location. Enjoy your next vacation to Ocean City, MD and we hope to see you on the water with us!