The moment a skier, biscuit or wakeboarder leaves the transom, the boat has two jobs.
Drive well, and watch the person you're towing. One skipper cannot do both alone.
If there's no observer, there's no towing. It's that simple.
The Observer Rule
Every state requires a competent observer, aged over a set minimum, whose only job is watching the person being towed and communicating with the skipper. Rear-view mirrors don't replace the observer.
Time-of-Day and Distance Rules
Towing is generally prohibited between sunset and sunrise. Minimum distances from other vessels, moored boats and swimmers vary by state — usually 30 to 60 metres. Speed limits inside restricted zones still apply.
PWCs Are Boats
A jet ski is a vessel. Licensing, registration, safety gear and COLREGs all apply. Additional PWC rules cover behaviour — no wave jumping too close to others, no continuous circling, no operating within set distances of shore or swimmers.
- Observer over the age of the licence minimum, every time.
- Ski flag up whenever a person is in the water.
- PWC riders wear appropriate life jackets — inflatable jackets are generally not allowed.
- Do your regular crew know they'll be the observer, not passengers?
- Are you familiar with the PWC-specific rules where you ride?
- Have you ever towed at speed in a busy waterway — and should you have?
- Observers are non-negotiable — no observer, no towing.
- Time-of-day and distance rules apply to every towed activity.
- PWCs are vessels with additional behavioural rules.