You know, people do stupid things, especially when you put them on jet skis.
For most people, it’s often a new experience, especially if the only time you’ve ever ridden one is by renting it. That’s totally okay, but with jet skis getting more powerful and playful every year, they’re also getting more dangerous.
What’s really interesting is how reckless people will be, even during the day. Even when the sun is shining, and the air is clear, you got people doing stupid things. But the problem is, these antics don’t stop when the sun sets. That’s exactly why we have such strict rules for jet skis.
With this in mind, is it fine for you to take your own jet ski out when it’s dark?
Is It Legal To ride At Night?
A handful of states legally allow it, but overall, you can’t go out at night. The main reason is the lack of navigation lights and other safety features on jet skis.
The carelessness of riders and the damage that happens is only amplified when it’s hard to see, and why it’s such a strongly banned thing for many locations.
Not to mention, when you can ride a jet ski in many states by yourself starts around 13 years old. It’s just too many variables to go wrong.
The Reasons Why
1. jet skis Are Too Small
Jet skis are much smaller than boats, combined with not having any lights from the factory, they’re difficult to see. Even during the daytime, they’re difficult to see, and why a few models have a rooster tail.
Even if you put navigation lights on, your jet ski can still cause confusion for other vessels, especially from a distance.
It’s not just about their length… their width is significantly narrower compared to other boats of similar size, adding to the visibility issue.
It’s like seeing a darting arrow with tiny nav lights – it’s hard to focus on which leads to the next point. And you bet you’ll have jet ski riders spinning out and doing wheelies, which makes it so much worse.
2. Quick Movements
Your jet ski’s high-speed capabilities and ability to swiftly change direction frequently cause confusion among other boaters.
Their compact dimensions further exacerbate this potential for misunderstandings on the lake.
When you’re cruising the lake when it’s dark, there aren’t any streetlights or reflectors like you have on the road—often, it’s pitch black, making it incredibly difficult to see someone darting around. Sure, motorcycles are small, but they’re on roads with lines, reflectors, and streetlights, plus they follow the rules of the road.
Out on the water, there are no lines, and while there are rules, not enough people follow them. Well, not enough jet skiers follow them. Not that jet skiers are bad, but a lot of them tend to be new, and it’s a fun and nimble toy by the nature of it.
3. They Go Too Fast
When it’s dark, you need to go slow and be extremely cautious!!! I need to stress this—no matter what, you have to slow down when visibility is down!
Slowing down is absolutely critical because obstacles like floating logs, rocks, shallow waters, and other hazards are much harder to detect when it’s night. What might already be challenging in daylight becomes nearly impossible when it’s dark, making it essential to maintain a cautious pace to stay safe.
It’s not just an issue of hitting and damaging your hull, but also sucking up debris and killing the pump while leaving you stranded in the water.
Which leads us to the next point…
4. More Reckless
Considering that even in broad daylight, some individuals engage in reckless behaviors they absolutely shouldn’t, it’s a safe bet that such antics don’t stop when it’s nighttime.
Under the cover of darkness, these reckless actions not only become more dangerous, but also significantly complicate rescue and assistance efforts.
From seeing the consequences of many crashes, particularly from dangerous games like playing chicken, leaves no doubt in my mind about the severity of such recklessness.
If such foolish behavior occurs during daylight, there’s every reason to believe it would continue, if not worsen, at night.
5. No Reflectors
Another reason you cannot go out after sunset is that the life jackets and gear don’t have reflectors.
Falling off the jet ski happens often, and without reflectors it’s dangerous.
And no: adding reflectors won’t fix this or be okay, either.
6. No visual Cues
Many jet skis come with a visual enhancements specifically designed to make you more visible to other boaters.
For example, the distinctive rooster tail spray and vibrant colors on life jackets and gear are deliberate industry choices aimed at enhancing visibility.
However, the issue arises during the night when these visual cues lose effectiveness, rendering you invisible.
Another cue is that jet skis tend to be louder than other boats. This helps other boaters see you during the day. But when it’s dark, hearing something isn’t as useful as actually seeing the thing to confirm it.
What If You Become Trapped?
If you get trapped after sunset, you need to head directly to the nearest boat launch or shore. Jet skis lack navigational lighting. This means you’re virtually invisible when during the night.
It’s crucial to reach land where you’re more likely to be seen and safer.
Get Your Towed Back In
Use your boat towing membership, I suggest calling them and let them tow the jet ski back.
Reach out to friends or family with boats to help tow your jet ski back home.
However, be aware that many people are not keen driving through the dark either, as it’s generally agreed to be an unpleasant experience for everyone involved.
Use Your Phone To Call For Help
The silver lining is that most people now carry smartphones.
In the after hours and with your smartphone in hand, call for assistance, utilize GPS for navigation, or signal for help.
If you have to, leave your jet ski overnight in the water somewhere safe until you can get it back the next day.
DJ Khaled got stuck after dark, and it’s easy to see how confusing it is. I know it’s funny now, but it’s a legit problem for him.
Who can ride a jet ski At Any time?
There are special watercraft used in government agencies and for special situations. You’ll get these machines geared to run in all kinds of condition no matter the time.
One example is the Sea-Doo SAR, it has navigation lights for running during the night.
This jet ski is also much larger, slower, and sturdier than your normal models. It’s also not cheap, but meant to put many hours on it.
Sometimes a special type of vessels are needed to for nighttime operations and rescue missions.
The sad part is that these were not a huge hit, even though it was a great machine, it was too costly and many of these teams opted for the cheaper versions and put a sticker on them to make them more “official looking”.
I have lights on my fishpro. Its legal in QLD Australia to ride jetski at night
Last month we got to the boat ramp about 30 minutes before dark with a few boats ahead of us in line, no big deal we thought. Figured we would wait 10 minutes or so for our turn, nothing unusual and everyone was happily loading up their boats after a day out on the water. All of the sudden, 12 jet skis (must have been some sort of club) come flying through the no wake zone at 20 knots and cut off everyone at the boat ramp. Literally zipped up right in front of boats approaching the ramp and cut everyone off like it was their private boat ramp and they were entitled to special privileges (and not to mention the near collisions they almost caused by cutting off moving boats who had to abruptly cut throttle and the slam into reverse). They then proceeded to tie up both lanes of the boat ramp up for almost an hour while taking their time getting their trailers backed in and skis loaded up.
This of course after seeing them earlier in the day running wide open inside a 6 knot zone in a swimming area where people were swimming.
For those of you who like to push the time limits and head back just before dark, remember that you getting back before dark doesn’t give you special rights on the water – maritime navigational rules, rights of way, and speed limits still apply. You’re not entitled to special treatment because you’re on a jet ski and out of time due to poor planning. Also, had they been present, I don’t think DNR would have minded at all if there were jet skis patiently waiting on the water at the ramp after dark but they definitely would have issued fines (if not made arrests) for the dangerous and ignorant behavior of these jet skiers.
80% of PWC operators are consummate professionals on the water but the other 20% are absolute degenerates who are so dangerous on the water that almost every state has had to impose restrictions on PWC usage. When you wonder why there are draconian laws applied to you operating your PWC, just take a look around next time you’re out and when you see one or two PWC operators doing something so completely asinine that you know the state is going to have to pass a law about it, that’s why.
What state? I’d be surprised they’d pull that in South Carolina. Some of these good ole boys with boats would have knocked a few PWC guys out cold if they pulled that stunt here.
What about waveboat like Sealver? as long nav lights are attached to the boat part or does that still make it too small?
The last time I checked the Sealver didn’t have nav lights. But even then I would side on no because it would ultimately be up to water patrol and I have a good feeling they would not allow it.
Good information.
Sadly, I see a lot of PWC operators break laws designed to make PWC ownership a safe, fun activity. Driving at night is one of them.
My biggest pet peeve is adults letting their children drive a PWC alone. For some reason, some adults think their child is immune to the laws of physics. They aren’t.
There is a reason there are rules about operating watercraft. Just like with ATVs, it’s sad some children have to pay the price for an adult’s bad, irresponsible decision.