What Age Can My Kid Drive The Boat? (CA)

[Chris Lapoint]

So I've been teaching/practicing with my daughter (12) to drive our wakeboard boat and always knew about the age was 16 years old in CA, but after doing some research I am curious about the first portion of this statement.
Does this read that as long as Myself or Anyone 18+ is in the boat she can drive it?
If so, what does that mean if I've had a few beers (asking for a friend lol) am I still able to supervise without have to actually operate?


Boating Age Requirements
In California, all boaters between 12 and 15 years of age require adult supervision (18 years of age or older) to operate any motor powered vessel greater than 15 horsepower (including Personal Watercraft). All boaters 16 years of age or older may operate any motor powered vessel greater than 15 horsepower without adult supervision.

 

[SBMech]

So I've been teaching/practicing with my daughter (12) to drive our wakeboard boat and always knew about the age was 16 years old in CA, but after doing some research I am curious about the first portion of this statement.
Does this read that as long as Myself or Anyone 18+ is in the boat she can drive it?
If so, what does that mean if I've had a few beers (asking for a friend lol) am I still able to supervise without have to actually operate?


Boating Age Requirements
In California, all boaters between 12 and 15 years of age require adult supervision (18 years of age or older) to operate any motor powered vessel greater than 15 horsepower (including Personal Watercraft). All boaters 16 years of age or older may operate any motor powered vessel greater than 15 horsepower without adult supervision.

She can drive at 12 with you or any other 18+ year old, she can drive alone at 16.

 

[SoCalDave]

Yes

 

[Mike Honcho]

She can drive with you or any other adult that is not impaired and able to take control or supervise so you having been drinking will not fly. Lets just say a friend experienced this and they gave a firm warning because the minor had several years of experience. Also followed back to the dock to be sure their were no mishaps and on another note I am not sure what your insurance would cover if she is not a valid driver but that is a different story.

 

[Chris Lapoint]

She can drive with you or any other adult that is not impaired and able to take control or supervise so you having been drinking will not fly. Lets just say a friend experienced this and they gave a firm warning because the minor had several years of experience. Also followed back to the dock to be sure their were no mishaps and on another note I am not sure what your insurance would cover if she is not a valid driver but that is a different story.

Thanks for the heads up, it's not a normal that I do with kids on the trip but none the less was curious and my daughter is going to be stoked to hear about this!

 

[Albert]

Huh ? I always thought is was 6 ... interesting

 

[RiverDave]

Man that wording is kinda bizarre? In one sentence it says 18, and the very next says 16?

RD

 

[Chris Lapoint]

Man that wording is kinda bizarre? In one sentence it says 18, and the very next says 16?

RD

Haha yes! That was part of the reason I posted and I sourced a few different online pages that the exact same thing verbatim. So from 16-18 you can't supervise? but at 16 you can drive solo?
God Damn California Get It TOGETHER!!!

 

[KENDOG689]

Teach her in the flattie.

 

[Chris Lapoint]

Teach her in the flattie.

My Son (9) swears he will drive the flattie before she does, but I guess time will tell!
I do have a 3k chip for the MSD box and lock the plates down, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN!?

 

[Your ad here]

The 16 part is missing the word "not". May not operate a vessel over 15hp solo. Stuff has changed since the late 90s. I spent a lot of my childhood at Dana Point harbor cruising around in a dinghy. It was 18hp and harbor patrol gave a blast of shit for being over 15hp and I was just 7 years old. Go back to the boat crying and tell dad. He got the spray paint and painted the 8 to a 3 and I was on my way. Passed by harbor patrol a hour again with the biggest FU smile on my face. A year later I drive the 35 Viking right by them on the way out of the harbor at 5 in the morning. We waved at each other and no problems. Dad was on board though.

 

[77charger]

When my son was 14 i taught him how to basic drive the boat.He was great at doing so i had some beers at topock for dinner but my wife doesnt drink nor does she care to drive the boat but she was considered the responsible adult supervision.My son got smart on this hold out his habd everytime we leave from there and say 20 bucks for my services.LOL

Now hes 16 so no more worries atleast til i have to get him his boaters card or maybe i could "rent "him the boat for 30 minutes.

 

[highvoltagehands]

Here's a snap shot out of newest edition of California Boating manual from Division of Boating and Waterways.

 

[CJ_Donahue]

My kids started driving on my lap at 5 or 6 max and alone in the seat with life jackets behind them, so they could reach the foot pedal, by 8. I was always standing just over them or in the seat next to them and they were given a max RPM (No MPH in our boat). I am huge on giving as many supervised responsibilities as possible as early as possible. I'm not saying they drove down the channel on a busy weekend but they had full control.

 

[RIVERDAZE]

Not entirely sure of the rule but may want to think about if you are driving CA registered boat and/or the river I would make sure they have the CA boat licence regardless of age. I told my 15yo to get hers so she could drive if we go out again.

 

[J DUNN]

When I was 11 or 12 we were out at Blythe and I was riding in a family friends jet bote back up to McIntyre after a day on the river. I hadn't had much seat time because we had the Mandella at the time and Pops didn't hand over the reigns very often. Anyways, it's only Rick and I in the bote, yellow and orange Bahner I believe, and he leans over and asks if I want to drive back and pull it in. I'm feeling like I'm in way over my head but my Dad raised me to be a confident kid and trust in my abilities so I took the opportunity seriously and did fine driving back and pulled it in to McIntyre. Years later I'm reminiscing with Rick and my Dad, swapping stories and I tell this tale to which Rick responds that he was probably drunk and knew that I could drive better than him at that point. We all laughed about it and the fact that I had no idea, I thought he just wanted me to drive, little did I know he was trying to save MY life. Good times, I miss those days.

 

[nowski]

Teach them as early as possible...

 

[DrunkenSailor]

My son drives every time we are out he's 6. He sits in my lap and we go. This is the same way that I was taught. Boating is like cigarettes. Hook em early and they will have an addiction for life.

 

[hallett21]

2001

We pull the boat off the trailer and a bunk floats off. Dad says crap and tells mom me and my brother to go cruise and he’ll go get the trailer fixed.

Well we find good water and my mom says she wants to ski. I’m 10 my brother is 5. My only concern is my brother is not old enough to observe. She says you’ll be fine lol

Sure enough we go right by a cop with my mom skiing. I still remember being in my life vest trying to “look older”. They waved and didn’t look twice. I couldn’t stop smiling lol.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris Lapoint]

Not entirely sure of the rule but may want to think about if you are driving CA registered boat and/or the river I would make sure they have the CA boat licence regardless of age. I told my 15yo to get hers so she could drive if we go out again.

Yeah, I am going to get the information for her to start studying for the boaters licence.
That way she can just slowly study as she keeps practicing.

 

[stephenkatsea]

This is a 28 ft sailboat. So a 5 year old could operate this boat by themselves? Say, in Newport or San Diego bays on a busy weekend. WTF is the state of Calf thinking?

 

[CJ_Donahue]

My wife can but has no desire to drive. My son doesn't want to get out of the seat. Honestly, I would have had my son at 9 dock or trailer in an emergency over my wife. One of my favorite pictures is my son at maybe 10 driving my brother's boat next to my dad in the passenger's seat. At about 45 I had to tell him fsst enough and both he and my dad asked if the could go faster.