Take an Official State-Approved Boater Safety Course
Quick Answer
To legally operate a jet ski (thrill craft) in Hawaii, you need two certifications: first, a standard Boater Education Card from a NASBLA-approved boating safety course, and second, a separate Thrill Craft Operator Certification from a DLNR-approved thrill craft course. You must be at least 15 years old.
Get your boating safety course and your thrill craft certification.
Hawaii uses the term “thrill craft” for what most people call jet skis or personal watercraft (PWC). Unlike most states, where a standard boating safety course covers all motorized vessels, including PWCs, Hawaii requires a two-step certification process specifically for thrill craft operators.
You must first complete a NASBLA- and DLNR-approved boating safety course for motorized vessels. This is the same course required for all motorboat operators in Hawaii. It covers general boating safety, navigation rules, equipment requirements, and Hawaii-specific laws. This course is a prerequisite — you cannot take the Thrill Craft course without it.
After earning your Boater Education Card, you must complete a separate Hawaii-specific thrill craft course. This course covers ocean safety principles and practices specific to PWC operation in Hawaiian waters, including thrill craft zone rules, speed restrictions, PFD requirements, and environmental considerations. The thrill craft course is available online through Recademics.
No person under the age of 15 may operate a thrill craft in Hawaii. This is a hard minimum — there is no exception for supervised operation by younger minors. It is also illegal for anyone to permit or mislead another person into permitting someone under 15 to operate a thrill craft. For general boating age rules, see our article on how old you have to be to drive a boat in Hawaii.
Under Hawaii law, a thrill craft is a small, fast motorized vessel — typically less than 13 feet long, capable of exceeding 20 mph, and designed for personal watercraft-style operation. This includes jet skis (Yamaha WaveRunners, Sea-Doos, Kawasaki Jet Skis, etc.) and similar high-speed personal watercraft. The definition is based on the vessel’s size, engine power, and hull design rather than a specific brand or model.
Visitors who want to ride a jet ski without going through the two-course certification process can rent from a commercial vendor. Rental customers must complete a mandatory safety demonstration conducted by the vendor before riding. However, rented thrill craft may only be operated within a designated commercial thrill craft zone — a small, state-authorized area typically with a 200-foot radius.
These zones are located within Ocean Recreation Management Areas. For more, see our article on thrill craft zones.
Explore more Hawaii boating guides:
Recademics is a nationally recognized provider of outdoor recreation safety education, offering online certification courses for boating, hunter education, bowhunter education, off-highway vehicles (OHV/off-road), snowmobiles, and personal watercraft (PWC). Our courses are built around nationally established standards and regulatory frameworks, with alignment to NASBLA (boater education) and IHEA-USA (hunter and bowhunter education).
We currently have more than 26 state-approved courses issued directly by state agencies across the United States, including approvals in Texas, New York, Florida, California, Georgia, Alabama plus many more & with additional states pending. Every course is developed and maintained by subject-matter specialists, instructional designers, and state-reviewing authorities to ensure accuracy, compliance, and a high-quality learning experience.
Recademics focuses on clear instruction, accuracy, and straightforward pathways to certification for outdoor enthusiasts across multiple disciplines. Our goal is simple: make it easier to get certified, stay compliant, and enjoy the outdoors with confidence.
