A boat towing a water skier in Florida must carry either a second person acting as an observer or a wide-angle rearview mirror, plus a non-inflatable Coast Guard-approved life jacket worn by the skier the entire time, and a wearable PFD on board for every person including the one being towed.1Florida Senate. Florida Code Title XXIV Chapter 327 – Section 327.37 Most tow boats also need a working engine cutoff switch link under federal law, and the operator may need to carry a boating safety education card depending on when they were born.
An Observer or a Wide-Angle Rearview Mirror
The driver cannot watch the water ahead and the skier behind at the same time, so Florida requires one of two things on board: a second person whose job is to watch the skier, or a wide-angle rearview mirror that gives the operator a clear view of the person being towed.1Florida Senate. Florida Code Title XXIV Chapter 327 – Section 327.37
An observer needs no certification, but they must be positioned to see the skier and the tow line continuously, and competent enough to tell the operator what is happening behind the boat. A mirror shifts full monitoring responsibility back onto the operator, which gets harder at speed or in busy water. Many experienced operators prefer a live spotter because a person can trade hand signals with the skier and react faster than someone glancing at a mirror.
Life Jackets for the Skier and Everyone on Board
The person being towed, whether on water skis, a wakeboard, a kneeboard, an aquaplane, or any similar device, must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device the entire time they are under tow.1Florida Senate. Florida Code Title XXIV Chapter 327 – Section 327.37 It must be non-inflatable. Inflatable PFDs are not allowed for anyone being towed because they do not provide immediate buoyancy if the skier hits the water hard enough to be knocked unconscious.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Vessels under 16 feet (Class A)
The vessel itself also has to carry one Coast Guard-approved wearable PFD for every person on board, counting the skier. Passengers do not have to wear theirs, but the jackets must be readily accessible and correctly sized.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Vessels under 16 feet (Class A)
Engine Cutoff Switch Link
Since April 2021, federal law has required the operator of a motorized recreational vessel under 26 feet with 3 or more horsepower to use the boat’s engine cutoff switch link whenever the vessel is on plane or above displacement speed. The link is usually a lanyard clipped to the operator’s PFD or clothing, though wireless electronic versions also qualify. If the operator is thrown from the helm, the engine shuts off automatically, which protects anyone in the water behind the boat.3United States Coast Guard. Engine/Propulsion Cut-Off Devices Most ski boats fall inside those dimensions, so the link needs to be on board and in use.
The Operator’s Boating Safety Card
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, must complete a state-approved boating safety course before operating a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more. While operating, that person must have on board both a photographic ID and their Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card, or an equivalent card from another state, territory, or Canada. An electronic version of the card counts.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 327.395 – Vessel Operation by Youth; Boating Safety Education Operators born before 1988 are exempt and do not need to carry a card.
When These Rules Don’t Apply
The observer-or-mirror and PFD requirements do not apply to a small Class A motorboat under 16 feet that the skier operates directly and that is designed so it cannot carry a separate driver.1Florida Senate. Florida Code Title XXIV Chapter 327 – Section 327.37 They also do not apply to performers in a professional exhibition or to anyone preparing for or competing in an official regatta, boat race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition sanctioned under Florida law. Ordinary recreational skiing does not qualify for that exemption.
Penalties for Missing Equipment
Violating the water skiing equipment rules is a noncriminal infraction with a base civil penalty of $50, similar to a traffic ticket, and does not create a criminal record.5Florida Senate. Florida Code 327.73 – Noncriminal Infractions A missing mirror, an absent observer, an inflatable PFD on the skier, or a shortage of wearable jackets on board are each citable on their own.