From Beer Can Island to Shell Key, the Tampa Bay area offers plenty of scenic waters for boating — whether you own a vessel or rent one online. But maritime experts caution that Florida’s lax boating requirements leave newcomers especially vulnerable to accidents.

“People think boats are just toys, but they’re powerful machines,” Griffin Sher, a Florida maritime attorney with Sher & Volk, P.A. told WTVT. “All Florida law requires is an online boating safety course. It takes an afternoon, and no one verifies if you actually pay attention. I know people who have someone else take the test for them or barely follow along.”

Michael Cecere, a pontoon captain and owner of Your Boat For The Day, said safety should always come first. He often sees visitors unfamiliar with local waters run aground on sandbars. “I want you to have fun, but I also want you safe,” he said, recommending that renters hire a licensed captain. “I’ve had guests do dangerous things, like climbing under a pontoon as waves lifted and dropped it. Without a captain there, that could’ve ended badly.”

The 2022 Boating Safety Act added requirements for rental operators, including permits, insurance, and safety briefings. Still, both Sher and Cecere say enforcement remains difficult for Florida Fish and Wildlife officers.

This year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed “Lucy’s Law,” named for a 17-year-old who died in a 2022 Labor Day boating crash in Key Largo. The law increases penalties for reckless operation, deadly crashes, and leaving the scene, and expands boater education requirements. Anyone who has lived in Florida for less than five years must now complete a state-approved safety course.

Safety tips from experts include:

• Get hands-on instruction from an experienced boater or certified program.
• Hire a licensed captain if you’re unfamiliar with the waters.
• Stay aware — propellers, currents, and changing conditions can turn dangerous fast.

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(Image credit: WTVT)

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