Boating and Personal Watercraft
on Swan Lake 

Personal Water Craft 

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These are Excerpts from the Personal WaterCraft Brochure from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Boat and Water Safety Section, 500 Lafayette Rd., Saint Paul, MN 55155-4039  (651) 259-5400 toll free 1-888-646-6367 TTY (651) 296-5484 TTY toll free 1-800-657-3929  boatandwater.dnr@state.mn.us mndnr.gov/boatingsafety facebook.com/MnDNRBoatandWaterSafety

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Personal watercrafts are considered motorboats under the law so they must follow all the regulations that govern other motorboats. In addition, personal watercraft. . . 

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• Are required to have a rules decal (provided at no charge by the DNR) in full view of the operator. 

• Operators and passengers must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket. 

• Are required to carry a USCG approved fire extinguisher. 

• Must travel at slow-no wake speed (5 mph or less) within 150 feet of: shore (except when a PWC is launching or landing a water skier by the most direct route to open water), docks, swimmers, swimming rafts, any moored or anchored watercraft or non- motorized watercraft.

• While towing a person on water skis or other device, must have an additional person on board to act as observer. Wide-angle rearview mirrors may be substituted for an observer, but they must be factory-installed or specified by the PWC manufacturer. 

• Cutoff lanyards must be properly used and attached to the person, life jacket or clothing of the operator. 

• May only operate between 9:30 a.m. and one hour before sunset. 

 

You may not . . . 

• Chase or harass wildlife.

• Operate while facing backward. 

• Operate in a way that endangers life, limb or property. 

• Operate a personal watercraft if the spring-loaded throttle mechanism has been removed or tampered with so it interferes with the return-to-idle system. 

• Weave through congested watercraft traffic or jump the wake of another water- craft within 150 feet of the other boat. 

• Travel through emergent or floating vegetation at greater than a slow-no wake speed. 

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AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR PERSONAL WATERCRAFT

Contact the MN DNR for home-study materials for a youth watercraft operator’s permit. It is unlawful for a PWC owner to permit its operation in violation of the age restrictions. 

• Less than 13 years old - May not operate, even with and adult on board 

• 13 years old - Must either have someone at least 21 on board OR a watercraft operators permit and be in continuous visual observation by someone at least 21. 

• 14 - 17 years old - Must either have a watercraft operators permit or someone at least 21 on board. 

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