Life jacket laws by state: kids, jet skis, kayaks and paddle boards

Everyone aboard or towed wears a USCG-approved life jacket; cut-off switch (lanyard attached) or self-circling feature required; daylight operation strongly recommended and nav lights required at night; no weaving at speed, following a skier closely, cutting between a boat and its skier, wake-jumping too close, buzzing, or chasing wildlife.

PWC are boats under Alaska law: register and number with DMV, carry the same federal equipment, display navigation lights sunset to sunrise. The state handbook advises wearing a life jacket designed for PWC (inflatables not appropriate), attaching the engine cut-off lanyard, and checking local land-manager restrictions. Local example: in the Kenai River Special Management Area PWC may run only on a designated part of Kenai Lake, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and no faster than 5 mph or on plane within 300 ft of shore. The former PWC ban in the Kachemak Bay and Fox River Flats Critical Habitat Areas was repealed in 2021 and the repeal was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court in Sept 2025.

Canoes, kayaks, SUPs and packrafts are vessels under Alaska boating law; nonmotorized paddlecraft need not be registered; children under 13 must wear a life jacket and one life jacket per adult must be aboard. The state handbook stresses using a leash and life jacket on SUP and dressing for immersion in cold water. No Alaska-specific kiteboarding rules were found.

Everyone aboard must wear a fastened USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard; no operation sunset to sunrise or in restricted visibility without proper navigation lights; reckless operation includes jumping wakes or sharp turns within 60 ft of another vessel; do not exceed the manufacturer's capacity.

Paddleboards and kayaks must carry a wearable life jacket per person; sailboards are exempt from life jacket carriage. No statewide kiteboarding rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (inflatables not allowed); attach the engine cut-off lanyard; operate only from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; no getting airborne crossing a wake within 100 ft of the boat that made it; slow no-wake within 100 ft of anchored boats, shoreline, docks, swimmers, anglers or paddlecraft; no weaving or following too closely.

Everyone on a PWC must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to your body; no PWC operation from sunset to sunrise, even with navigation lights; anyone towed must wear a life jacket and an observer aged 12+ is required when towing.

Paddleboards, kayaks and canoes count as human-powered vessels: each must carry a USCG-approved life jacket, and children under 13 must wear one while underway. Many lakes and reservoirs have local rules (some ban PWC or two-stroke engines). No statewide kiteboarding rule found.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (inflatables not approved for PWC); attach the engine cut-off lanyard if the PWC has one; PWC must pass mandatory aquatic nuisance species inspection and Clean, Drain and Dry on every entry and exit.

Paddleboards and kayaks without motor or sail need no registration or ANS stamp, but must carry a life jacket per person; CPW asks paddlers to Clean, Drain and Dry. Sailboarders may substitute a flotation wetsuit. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved non-inflatable life jacket; lanyard attached to the operator if equipped; no operation between sunset and sunrise or in reduced visibility; slow-no-wake within 200 ft of shore, docks, piers, floats or anchored/moored vessels; no wake-jumping within 100 ft of the vessel making the wake; no passenger in front of the operator; towing a skier requires a Safe Water Skiing Endorsement and a PWC rated for three with an observer 12+.

SUPs, kayaks and canoes: life jacket must be worn Oct 1 to May 31 (all ages) and always by children under 13; owner contact info must be attached (Public Act 26-60). Kite-skiing (kiteboarding) and parasailing are banned wherever water skiing is banned or restricted, and kites may not fly over or under utility lines, bridges, dams, locks, docks, ramps, swim areas, marinas or congested areas. Jet packs and flyboards need a CPWO and operator age 16+.

Everyone aboard must wear a life jacket; lanyard cut-off must be attached to the operator; no operation from sunset to sunrise or in restricted visibility unless equipped with navigation lights; headway speed within 100 ft of docks, piers, anchored or non-motorized vessels and shoreline, and 300 ft from people in the water (300 ft for everything in the Inland Bays near towns and in the Atlantic Ocean); headway speed in or at the entrance to marinas; no wake-jumping within 100 ft, weaving, or following a skier within 100 ft.

Sailboards are exempt from some equipment rules. No kiteboarding- or SUP-specific state rule found.

Per MPD: no jumping the wake of another vessel within 100 yards of it; when two or more PWC run at 10 mph or more, keep at least 25 yards apart. MPD advises always wearing a life jacket and attaching the engine cut-off lanyard.

Everyone aboard or towed must wear a non-inflatable USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard; no operation from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise (sunrise-sunset only without nav lights); no weaving through congested traffic, last-second swerving, or jumping wakes too close to other vessels.

FWC: canoes, kayaks and paddleboards (except paddleboards used within swimming, surfing or bathing areas) are vessels under USCG rules - carry one USCG-approved wearable life jacket per person (children under 6 must wear it) and a sound device (whistle). Non-motorized craft under 16 ft and canoes/kayaks need no registration. No Florida-specific kiteboarding statute found; local ordinances may restrict launch areas.

Everyone aboard wears a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); self-circling device or lanyard cut-off attached to operator; no operation between sunset and sunrise; no wake-jumping or riding within 100 ft of another moving vessel; idle speed within 100 ft of moored/adrift vessels, docks, piers, bridges, people in the water, shorelines next to residences, parks, beaches, swim areas and marinas.

Jet skis and other 'motorized water recreational craft' (MWRC) may run only in daylight: no operation from 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise (10 GCA § 69119, applied by 10 GAR § 6104). Inside Recreational Water-Use Management Plan (RWUMP) areas, MWRC may operate only on DPR-designated MWRC courses, entering and leaving through marked corridors at slow-no-wake (max 5 mph); speed limit 5 mph on all rivers and lakes. No jet ski or MWRC within the reef or channel from Mannel Channel to Patti Point, Yigo (DPR key map). Leave the reef by the most direct route from a designated launch area or ramp at no more than 5 mph. Commercial jet ski rentals need a DPR Recreation Vendor Permit, $100,000 liability insurance per craft and an on-course Water Safety Coordinator. Federal law requires a USCG-approved life jacket for everyone on a PWC.

Windsurfing (10 GAR § 6106): no windsurfing within 100 ft of shore except in designated supervised instruction areas or when launching/landing; enter and leave by the most direct route; follow sailing-vessel rules of the road; stay at least 100 ft from a dive flag. Manually propelled craft must carry a flashlight or lantern with a white light at night (10 GCA § 69113(c)). No kiteboarding- or SUP-specific rule was found. Whether GPD exempts kayaks and paddleboards from numbering could not be confirmed.

In Hawaii a PWC/jet ski is a 'thrill craft'. Annual DOBOR registration; NASBLA course plus Hawaii Thrill Craft Operator Certification (lifetime, covers local ocean safety, Hawaiian cultural practices and protected species). Operator and every rider must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (inflatables not allowed); engine cut-off lanyard attached when above idle. Slow-no-wake within 300 ft of shore; access by the most direct route, only from harbors/ramps or private beachfront property. Outside designated Ocean Recreation Management Areas (ORMAs), recreational thrill craft must stay 500 ft offshore or beyond the outer edge of the fringing reef, whichever is farther; inside ORMAs only in designated thrill craft zones. Prohibited off Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai and Niihau, in Marine Life Conservation Districts and Natural Area Reserves, and at Ahu o Laka (Kaneohe Sandbar). Designated recreational zones include Kaneohe Bay Zone K (Oahu), Maunalua Bay Zone E (Hawaii Kai, Oahu), Haleiwa Zone E (Oahu), Hilo Bay and Kailua Bay (Kona) zones; many close in humpback whale season, Dec 15 to May 15. Maui Humpback Whale Protected Waters (west and south Maui): no thrill craft, parasailing or water sledding Dec 15 to May 15. Commercial rentals may operate only inside permitted 200-ft-radius commercial thrill craft zones (e.g. Waikiki, Maunalua Bay, Kaanapali, Kalaepaakai Point) with a required customer safety briefing; no thrill craft may be used for profit in a recreational zone.

SUP/paddleboards are vessels outside swimming, surfing and bathing areas: carry a life jacket per person, a whistle or other sound device, a white light (flashlight/headlamp) between sunset and sunrise, and visual distress signals on federally controlled waters; children 12 and under must wear the life jacket. Windsurfing (HAR 13-256-20): use the most direct route to/from shore, follow sailing-vessel rules of the road, stay at least 200 ft from a dive flag. ORMA zones affect sailboarders: Kanaha Beach Park, Maui has swim-only zones A-C, and no sailboard launch before 11:00 a.m. (beginner windsurf instruction near shore after 9 a.m.) under HAR 13-256-130; Kailua Beach Park, Oahu Zone A is designated for windsurfing (no motorboats; no swimming when windsurfers are using it); Hookipa, Maui has restricted zones (HAR 13-256-127). No State rule written specifically for kiteboarding was found in HAR 13-256 or 13-230; the widely cited 'no kiting before 11 a.m.' at Kanaha/Kite Beach is a community-adopted practice extending the sailboard rule, not an explicit kite regulation found in official text.

Everyone riding or towed must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard; no operation sunset to sunrise or in restricted visibility unless factory-equipped with navigation lights; no weaving through traffic, unsafe wake jumping or last-second swerving; a PWC towing a skier must be rated for 3 people.

Paddleboards used outside swim/surf areas must carry a life jacket per person, a whistle, a white light (flashlight/headlamp) from sunset to sunrise, and an Idaho Invasive Species Fund sticker. Sailboards are exempt from registration. No kiteboarding-specific statewide rule found.

Everyone on a PWC or specialty prop-craft must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); lanyard must be attached to the operator, or the wireless cut-off must be active; no riding between sunset and sunrise; no weaving through traffic, unsafe wake-jumping or last-second swerving.

Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards do not need to be registered or carry a stamp. The handbook has no specific rules for kiteboarding.

Everyone riding on or towed behind a PWC must wear a USCG-approved wearable life jacket; the PWC must have a lanyard cut-off (attached to the operator) or a self-circling feature; daylight hours only unless properly lit; all vessels are limited to 10 mph between sunset and sunrise; idle speed within 200 ft of a lake shoreline (some lakes 50 ft); no weaving, following a towing boat, wake-jumping, cutting between a boat and a skier, or riding backward.

Non-motorized canoes, kayaks and paddleboards do not need to be registered. The handbook mentions kite towing only in the life-jacket recommendation above. The DNR offers a free paddle sports safety course.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket (no inflatables); no riding between sunset and sunrise; lanyard must be attached whenever the engine runs; no more than 10 mph within 300 ft of shore on inland lakes and federal impoundments; no more than 5 mph within 100 ft of a vessel going 5 mph or less, or within 50 ft of a faster vessel; no chasing wildlife.

Canoes, kayaks and SUPs over 13 ft, or any with a motor or sail, must be registered. SUPs are vessels and need a life jacket for each person, a whistle and visual distress signals on federally controlled waters, and a white light (a flashlight or headlamp is enough) from sunset to sunrise. The handbook has no specific rules for kiteboarding.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding between sunset and sunrise; no-wake (5 mph or less) within 200 ft of docks, ramps, swimmers, bridges, moored or anchored vessels, pump-outs, non-motorized craft and marinas; must face forward; no weaving or unsafe wake-jumping (K.A.R. 115-30-10).

Operator and passengers must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard cut-off attached to operator (unless self-circling); operate only between sunrise and sunset.

Manually propelled craft (including pedal drives) need no registration or title. No Kentucky-specific SUP/kite rule found.

Everyone aboard wears a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the cut-off lanyard; no operation between sunset and sunrise without USCG navigation lights; no weaving through traffic, wake-jumping with obstructed view, last-second swerving, or chasing wildlife.

Sailboards are exempt from registration. No Louisiana-specific SUP or kiteboarding rule found.

Course required if born after Jan 1, 1999 (no horsepower minimum); everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved non-inflatable life jacket; no operation between sunset and sunrise, even with lights; parent or guardian is responsible for operators under 18; headway speed within 200 ft of any shoreline (including islands); many waters have local PWC bans; Lake and River Protection Sticker required on inland waters.

SUPs are watercraft: each needs a wearable life jacket per person, a sound-producing device (whistle), a white light (flashlight or headlamp) between sunset and sunrise, and visual distress signals on territorial (ocean) waters between sunset and sunrise. Anyone hired to guide paddleboarders must be a licensed Maine guide (inland) or sea kayak guide (coast). No kiteboarding-specific state rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket; operators born after July 1, 1972 must carry a boating safety certificate; no operation from sunset to sunrise or in restricted visibility; lanyard attached to the operator; max 6 knots within 100 ft of shore, piers, pilings, bridges, people in the water, or another vessel; in the Atlantic Ocean, stay 300 ft from people in the water and surf fishermen; idle speed in water under 18 inches; no wake-jumping within 100 ft, following within 100 ft of a skier, or weaving; DNR PWC regulation sticker required.

Sailboards may meet the life-jacket rule with a neoprene wetsuit/drysuit or a closed-cell foam padded harness, and must wear a full-torso wetsuit or drysuit Oct 15 to May 15 (COMAR 08.18.04.02). Canoes, kayaks and other paddlecraft must carry a life jacket per person; manually propelled craft are not registered. No kiteboarding- or SUP-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard must be attached to the operator; sunrise to sunset only; headway speed within 150 ft of swimmers or moored vessels; no operation within 150 ft of a shoreline used for swimming; banned on waters under 75 acres; no towing skiers or tubes with a PWC; no wake-jumping, weaving, or following within 150 ft of a water-skier. Owners are liable if they let others break PWC law.

SUPs used beyond swimming, bathing or surfing areas must carry a wearable USCG-approved life jacket. No kiteboarding-specific state rule found.

Everyone on board or being towed must wear a USCG-approved wearable life jacket (no inflatables); lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding from sunset to 8:00 a.m.; slow, no-wake speed within 200 ft of a Great Lakes shoreline (except heading straight out or in) and when crossing within 150 ft behind another vessel (other than a PWC); slow, no-wake speed in water less than 2 ft deep; no children under 7 on board unless with a parent, guardian or their designee; PWC are banned in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park.

Non-motorized canoes and kayaks do not need to be registered. The handbook has no specific rules for SUP or kiteboarding.

Operator and passengers must wear a USCG-approved wearable life jacket; operate only from 9:30 a.m. to one hour before sunset; slow, no-wake speed (5 mph) within 150 ft of non-motorized boats, shore, docks, swim rafts, swimmers and moored or anchored boats; lanyard must be attached; no wake-jumping or weaving within 150 ft of other craft; an observer or factory wide-angle mirror is required when towing; DNR PWC rules decal must be in view of the operator; never face backward.

SUPs, canoes and kayaks are watercraft. Those over 10 ft must be licensed, and each person needs a wearable life jacket. Sailboards must be licensed if over 10 ft but are exempt from life jacket carriage. The guide has no specific rules for kiteboarding.

Everyone aboard or towed wears a USCG-approved life jacket; no last-second swerving or reckless wake-jumping. South of I-10 (marine waters): lanyard cut-off or self-circling device required, no excessive speed within 100 ft of an occupied vessel, no wake-jumping within 100 ft, no following within 100 ft of a skier. Lanyard use and daylight-only riding strongly recommended elsewhere.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved wearable life jacket while underway; lanyard must be attached to the operator; slow, no-wake speed within 50 ft of any other vessel, PWC or person in the water; no becoming airborne over a wake within 100 ft of the boat making it; no weaving or wake-jumping with an obstructed view; daylight riding is strongly recommended, and navigation lights are required at night.

Non-motorized canoes, kayaks and paddleboards do not need to be registered. The handbook has no specific rules for SUP or kiteboarding.

All operators and riders must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to wrist or life jacket; no-wake speed within 200 ft of a dock, swimmer, swim raft, non-motorized boat or anchored vessel; no crossing or jumping another boat's wake within 100 yards; no weaving through traffic or buzzing others.

Stand-up paddleboards are vessels outside designated swim areas and must carry required safety equipment, including a life jacket. Sailboard operators 14 and under must wear a life jacket. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (LB 979 of 2026 requires one approved for PWC use); lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding at night (see notes on the exact hours).

Paddleboarders must have a life jacket at any age (Game and Parks wording: 'required for all paddleboard users'). Sailboards are exempt from life jacket carriage. No rules specific to kiteboarding were found.

Everyone riding or towed must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); attach the engine cut-off lanyard above 5 mph; no operation sunset to sunrise unless equipped with navigation lights; reckless operation includes jumping wakes or sharp turns within five boat lengths of another vessel. eFoils and motorized surfboards count as PWC.

Stand-up paddleboards are vessels in Nevada: carry a fitting life jacket, and children under 13 must wear one at all times. SUPs are exempt from the AIS decal. Sailboards are exempt from life jacket carriage. eFoils and motorized surfboards are classed as PWC. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Operator must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; daylight only (sunrise to sunset); headway speed within 150 ft of swimmers, other vessels, rafts, docks, swimming areas or mooring fields; no operation in coves under 1,000 ft wide or within 300 ft of shore except at headway speed heading to open water; banned on lakes and ponds under 75 acres and other waters closed by law; no weaving through traffic or last-second swerving. Lanyard use is recommended, not required.

Paddleboarders must carry a wearable life jacket; children under 13 must wear one. A Marine Patrol permit is required to tow a kite glider or parasail. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Operator and passengers must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard must be worn; no operation from sunset to sunrise or in restricted visibility; banned in the Point Pleasant Canal and Cape May Canal; minimum headway speed within 100 ft of swimming-area buoys, the shoreline, people in the water, or homes; no going airborne within 100 ft of another vessel; nobody may ride between the operator and the handlebars; towing a skier only on a 3+ seat PWC with an observer facing the rider.

Stand-up paddleboards are covered by the Nov 1 to May 1 must-wear life jacket rule. Non-powered kayaks, canoes and paddleboards do not need registration. Surfboards are exempt from the life-jacket carriage rule. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone on a PWC must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard; a PWC towing someone needs a skier-down flag, an observer and seating for operator, observer and each towed person; keep 150 ft from swimmers, skiers, anglers and dive flags.

Paddleboards, kayaks and canoes are subject to state boating law: every person must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (since 2025) and carry a paddle and a whistle or horn. Sailboards are exempt from registration but riders must wear a life jacket or flotation aid. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard attached to the operator; no operation from sunset to sunrise; no operation within 500 ft of a designated bathing area (where the opposite shore is under 500 ft, max 10 mph); no reckless wake-jumping close to other vessels; many towns add local hour and distance limits.

Paddlecraft (including SUPs) must carry a life jacket per person, a sound-producing device (whistle or horn), and a white light such as a waterproof flashlight; Nov 1 to May 1 life jackets must be worn on boats under 21 ft. No kiteboarding-specific state rule found.

Everyone aboard or towed wears a life jacket (inflatables do not count); wear the cut-off lanyard; no operation between sunset and sunrise; no-wake speed within 100 ft of anchored/moored vessels, docks, piers, swim areas, swimmers, surfers, anglers or paddlecraft (50 ft in channels under 300 ft wide); no wake-jumping within 100 ft; mirror or observer to tow; no renting to under-16s who do not meet the age rules.

A wearable life jacket is required for each person aboard canoes, kayaks, rowboats and other non-motorized craft; sailboards, racing shells, rowing sculls, racing canoes and racing kayaks are exempt from carrying one. Paddlecraft need no registration. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket; lanyard must be attached if the PWC has one; slow, no-wake speed within 100 ft of shore anglers, swimmers, swim/dive rafts, and occupied, anchored or non-motorized vessels; an observer or mirrors on both sides are needed when towing; no tampering with the throttle return; no chasing wildlife; no weaving or jumping a wake within 100 ft; no towing or skiing from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.

Non-motorized craft (SUPs, canoes, kayaks, pedal boats) must carry a USCG-approved wearable life jacket for each person and a whistle, and show a white light from sunset to sunrise. People 16 and older who are windsurfing or boardsailing are exempt from the towed-device life jacket rule. Kiteboarding is not addressed.

Everyone on board must wear a life jacket; lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding between sunset and sunrise; no reckless operation, such as jumping a wake within 100 ft of the boat making it, weaving through traffic, or running less than 200 ft directly behind a water skier.

Kiteboards, paddleboards and sailboards are exempt from registration and titling. Canoes and kayaks must be registered (the alternative registration is allowed).

Everyone riding or towed must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; keep the engine cut-off lanyard attached at all times; no operation sunset to sunrise unless equipped with navigation lights; slow no-wake within 150 ft of boat ramps, docks and anchored or moored vessels; stay more than 50 ft from moving vessels; no weaving through traffic.

Kiteboards are exempt from registration. Sailboard riders must wear a life jacket. No statewide SUP-specific rule found beyond federal carriage rules.

Everyone aboard must wear an inherently buoyant USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); attach the engine shut-off lanyard; lights required if operating sunset to sunrise; stay 100 ft from boats underway; slow no-wake within 100 ft of anchored boats; stay 200 ft from shore except to land; no operating within 200 ft behind a water skier; jumping wakes close to the boat that made them is reckless operation.

Stand-up paddleboards are boats under Oregon law: carry a wearable life jacket and a whistle, and the operator must carry a Waterway Access Permit (since 2025 no length minimum; under-14s exempt). No statewide kiteboarding rule found.

Operator and all passengers must wear life jackets (inflatables not allowed); lanyard attached to the operator; no operation from sunset to sunrise; carry a fire extinguisher and sound device; a PWC rated for three or fewer may tow only one person; general rule: slow, no-wake within 100 ft of shoreline, docks, launch ramps, swimmers, and anchored or drifting boats; no going airborne crossing a wake within 100 ft of another boat.

Canoes, kayaks and SUPs: children 12 and under must always wear a life jacket, and everyone must wear one Nov 1 to Apr 30; a registration or launch permit is needed at PFBC and state park/forest launches. Boat-towed kite skiing is allowed only where unrestricted skiing is permitted (tow line max 50 ft non-releasable, 500 ft releasable). No rule found for wind-powered kiteboarding.

Operator and every passenger must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (Type III per DRNA guide) at all times. No jet ski operation at night (sunset to sunrise). No more than 5 mph within 150 ft of the shore in areas not marked for swimmers; stay outside a 150-ft radius around a dive flag; stay out of buoyed swimmer areas. Engine cut-off switch required where equipped. Do not modify the engine/exhaust to exceed factory noise levels. Rental customers can skip the license only if the business is authorized, records their ID and gives a verbal orientation (Spanish or English) on navigation rules and the allowed area; minimum age to rent a motor vessel is 21.

Paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, rowboats, sail-only boats and boards 'with or without a sail' (windsurf/kite boards) are legally 'navigation vehicles' under Law 430: they must not be used carelessly or negligently and must respect buoyed swimmer areas and natural-resource protection zones. Boats over 30 hp are prohibited on lakes and lagoons. Max 5 mph, no wake, in marinas and anchorages. Do not anchor or tie up to mangroves, corals or seagrass, or within 15 ft of the shore or a mangrove system. No kitesurf-specific rule was found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard must be attached to the operator; no operation from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise; headway speed within 200 ft of swimmers, divers, shoreline or moored vessels; leave and return to shore at headway speed, as near perpendicular as possible; no reckless wake-jumping or weaving; local PWC bans on some waters.

Kiteboards, sailboards and paddleboards count as paddlecraft: every rider must wear a USCG-approved life jacket at all times while underway, regardless of age.

Everyone aboard wears a USCG-approved life jacket; self-circling device or lanyard cut-off attached to operator; no operation between sunset and sunrise; idle speed within 50 ft of moored/anchored vessels, docks, piers or people in the water and within 100 yd of the Atlantic coastline (100 ft from docks on major lakes); no jumping within 200 ft of a boat whose wake you cross; no chasing wildlife.

Paddleboards are vessels (unless used in the surf like a surfboard): carry a USCG-approved life jacket per person (under 12 must wear), a whistle, and a light (flashlight) between sunset and sunrise. SC Code 50-21-855 bars SCDNR from enforcing life-jacket rules on windsurfers and sailboarders. No kiteboarding-specific statute found.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding between sunset and sunrise or in low visibility unless the PWC has navigation lights; slow, no-wake speed (5 mph) within 150 ft of non-motorized boats, shore, docks, swim rafts, swimmers and moored or anchored boats; no weaving, close wake-jumping, last-second swerving or chasing wildlife.

A paddleboard is a watercraft in South Dakota and must carry a life jacket for every user. Non-motorized craft over 12 ft must be registered. No rules specific to kiteboarding were found.

Everyone aboard wears a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); attach the cut-off lanyard; daylight only (sunrise to sunset); no jumping wakes within 100 ft, weaving, last-second swerving or spraying, more than idle speed near ramps, docks or shoreline, or chasing wildlife.

Everyone aboard or towed wears a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the cut-off lanyard; no operation between sunset and sunrise; stay over 50 ft from other boats, people, platforms and shoreline unless at headway speed; no last-second swerving, reckless wake-jumping or chasing wildlife; do not exceed rated capacity.

All vessels including canoes, kayaks and other paddlecraft must carry a wearable life jacket per person, and children under 13 must wear one on paddlecraft. No Texas-specific SUP/kiteboarding rule found.

Everyone riding or being towed must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard. No operation from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise unless the craft has USCG-approved running lights. Outside harbors, PWC and thrill craft must operate in 'operations areas': St. Thomas/St. John at least 200 ft seaward of any reef and never closer than 500 ft to shore (incl. cays); St. Croix 200 ft from reefs and at least 400 ft from shore; and 500 ft from designated swim, snorkel, dive, surf and windsurf areas. Go straight in and out by the most direct route. No PWC in designated swim areas; slow/no-wake and no interference with swimmers in the dozens of listed 'restricted' bays and harbors (e.g. Charlotte Amalie/St. Thomas Harbor, Magens Bay, Red Hook, Cruz Bay, Coral Bay, Christiansted Harbor). Closed to motorboats: Mangrove Lagoon/Jersey Bay (STT), Altona Lagoon, Great Pond and West End Salt Pond (STX). No running over seagrass or coral in less than 4 ft of water, no beaching, no 'doughnuts' outside operations areas, no wake jumping within 100 ft, max 6 mph within 100 ft of another PWC, idle within 10 ft of anchored boats, no loud or modified exhaust. Only PWC designed for towing may pull a skier, with a rear-facing passenger. Anyone renting out motorized craft or water sports gear needs a DPNR operator permit.

Kayaks and paddleboards must be registered with DPNR. Windsurfing and surfing areas are protected: on St. Croix several bays (e.g. Cane Bay/La Vallee, Grapetree Bay, Jack Bay, Shoy Bay, Sprat Hole, Salt River entrance) are designated non-motorized surf/windsurf areas where motorboats are prohibited while surfers or windsurfers are present, and PWC must stay 500 ft from designated sailboarding areas. Towed boards of any kind count as 'thrill craft'. No kiteboarding-specific rule was found.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (no inflatables); attaching the engine cut-off lanyard is strongly recommended.

Paddleboards count as vessels and must follow life jacket rules; children 12 and under must wear one, and everyone on a river must wear one. Sailboards are exempt from registration. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; operator must attach the engine cut-off lanyard; sunrise to sunset only; boater education required if born after Jan 1, 1974; no-wake speed within 200 ft of shore, people in the water, canoes or other vessels, and docks.

Sailboards: anyone under 16 must wear a life jacket; sailboards are exempt from no-wake-within-200-ft and the one-life-jacket-per-person carry rule. Free ID stickers for canoes, kayaks and rowboats are available from Marine Patrol officers. No kiteboarding- or SUP-specific statute found.

Operator, riders and anyone towed wear a USCG-approved life jacket (inflatables prohibited); attach the cut-off lanyard; no operation between sunset and sunrise; do not exceed the rated passenger load; slowest steerage speed within 50 ft of docks, piers, boathouses, ramps, people in the water and non-PWC vessels; no reckless weaving, wake-jumping too close or spraying.

DWR: stand-up paddleboards are vessels when outside a designated swim zone or beyond the surf zone - a life jacket and a sound-producing device (whistle) are required. Manually propelled craft need no registration. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone aboard must wear a life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to your person, clothing or life jacket; no operation during darkness; no reckless wake jumping close to other boats, weaving through traffic or last-second swerving.

Stand-up paddleboards and kayaks must carry a USCG-approved life jacket per person (Parks runs an annual Paddle Safe Week). No statewide kiteboarding rule found.

Everyone aboard or being towed must wear a USCG-approved non-inflatable life jacket; lanyard attached to the operator; no operation between sunset and sunrise; no weaving through traffic, jumping wakes close to other vessels, going airborne within 100 ft of the vessel making the wake, or following faster than 10 mph within 100 ft behind or 50 ft beside another vessel; towing a skier requires an observer 12+ on board.

Non-motorized canoes, kayaks and SUPs need no registration but must carry a life jacket per person; children under 13 must wear one. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; lanyard must be attached to the operator; no riding between sunset and sunrise; always face forward; slow, no-wake speed within 100 ft of any other vessel, within 100 ft of a dock, pier, raft or restricted area on a lake, and within 200 ft of shore on any lake; no wake-jumping within 100 ft of another boat; no chasing wildlife.

SUPs are vessels. Each one needs a life jacket for each person, a whistle on federally controlled waters, a white light (a flashlight or headlamp is enough) from sunset to sunrise, and visual distress signals on federally controlled waters. Sailboards do not need to be registered and are exempt from life jacket rules. The handbook has no specific rules for kiteboarding.

Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket at all times; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to your person, clothing or life jacket.

Paddleboards (solid or inflatable, any length) are exempt from the AIS decal. No statewide SUP or kiteboarding-specific rule found beyond federal life jacket carriage.