Study Guide For The Florida Boater Education Temporary Certificate
Florida law states “Anyone born after January 1, 1988 must have proof of Boater Safety Education, like a Florida Safe Boater Card or a Florida Boater Education Temporary Certificate or other acceptable proof of boater education, to operate a vessel with more than 10 hp”.
If you want to take the test for a Florida Boater Education Temporary Certificate when you visit Hollywood Jet Ski you can ride by yourself at age 18, if you pass the test. It is a 25 question test and only takes minutes to complete. You must get 19 out of 25 questions correct to pass, and if you study the information below you should have no problem passing with flying colors.
1. Anyone born after January 1, 1988 must have proof of Boater Safety Education – like a Florida Safe Boater Card or a Florida Boater Education Temporary Certificate – to operate a vessel of 10hp or more, along with a picture ID. That means if you are 23 years old or younger you cannot operate a vessel, unless you
2. An example of not operating a PWC (Personal Water Craft) defensively is Being Careful When You Spray Other Vessels. You should never spray other vessels to drive defensively.
3. The engine cutoff lanyard or “kill switch” is important to wear and Is Required By Law For All PWC Operators to shut the engine off if the operator falls off. This keeps the jet ski from leaving the rider or running into anything around it.
4. When your vessel is being passed (overtaken) by another vessel you are required to Maintain Your Speed And Direction.
5. If two vessels (A&B) should collide and driver B is injured, driver A should Help The Injured Person (B) And Then Report The Accident.
6. Constant awareness is required On All Boats At All Hours to avoid collisions and accidents. Look all around you to stay safe, not just in front of you.
7. If you back off the throttle on a PWC You Will Lose Steering.
8. The main cause of boating fatalities is Falling Overboard And Drowning.
9. When you see a red buoy returning from the open sea you Keep The Red Buoy On Your Right – red, right returning.
10. An example of safe PWC operation is to Keep A Safe Distance From Other Vessels.
11. When operating in shallow water or seagrass and you see a mud trail behind you Stop Your Vessel and Walk or Pole It Out Of The Area. That means to get off and walk the jet ski to deeper water to keep from sucking up sand or seagrass into the engine.
12. In Florida it is illegal to operate a vessel at a speed that Endangers The Life Or Property Of Another Person.
13. Everyone Riding Or Being Towed By A PWC (Personal Water Craft) must wear a PFD (personal floatation device / life jacket) at all times while riding.
14. All Children Under 6 Years Old are required by law to wear a life jacket at all times on any vessel under 26 feet long.
15. Courteous PWC operation does not include Circling Fishing Boats. You don’t want to interfere with anyone trying to fish.
16. While operating a PWC the engine shuts off for any reason – The Vessel Will Lose Steering And Continue To Move In The Direction You Are Moving.
17. If you and a friend are riding PWC’s, he is in front of you and stops very abruptly – you must Use The Throttle To Turn And Avoid The Collision. This is example of why you should not be too close to other vessels.
18. When crossing paths with another vessel the give-way vessel (the one that must give the other the right-of-way) should Slow Down Or Change Course.
19. PWC (Personal Water Craft) are small and fast so they are Difficult To See On The Water.
20. Florida law prohibits anyone under 14 Years Of Age to operate a PWC.
21. You DO NOT have to report a boating accident when the damage is Less Than $1000.
22. The most critical part of boating is Staying Alert.
23. Red and green markers indicate The Edge Of The Channel.
24. If two powered vessels approach each other in a head-on situation Both Should Stay Right And Prepare To Give Way. That means to pass each other port to port, or left side to left side, just like cars on a highway.
25. Ways to avoid having a collision include Not Riding Too Close To A Boat To Jump Wakes. You should never get too close to any vessels while riding.
26. The safety lanyard’s purpose is to Shut The Engine Off If The Rider Falls Off.
27.” Slow speed / minimum wake” means your vessel should be Completely Settled In The Water. This means you are moving slowly and creating no wake.
28. Florida law requires a Whistle Or Horn be on all vessels.
29. When you see a “Diver Down” flag (red square with a white diagonal line) you MUST go to idle speed If You Are Within 100 ft. Of The Flag In A Channel and also If You Are Within 300 ft. in the Open Ocean.
30. When you see a boat approaching from your right the action you should take is to Slow Down And Give Way To That Boat, as they have the right-of-way.
31. The Florida Boater Education Temporary Certificate is good for 12 months and must be carried with a photo ID.
32. When crossing paths the give way vessel is responsible to Slow Down And Change Course. That means if the other boat has the right-of-way then you are the give way vessel and must slow down to avoid the other vessel.
33. A boater is considered “Under The Influence” in Florida at 0.08 blood alcohol level, just like an automobile driver.
34. Drinking alcohol before operating a vessel will Slow Your Judgement And Reaction Time.
35. To re-board a PWC if you fall off you should roll it over in the direction Shown On The Label on the back of the vessel. There is a label on the back near where you climb on board that shows you to roll it clockwise or counter clockwise to avoid causing damage to the engine.
36. A way to CAUSE a collision is Riding Too Close To A Boat In Order To Jump Its Wake.
37. Letting off of the throttle on a PWC will cause Loss Of Steering Ability.
38. A first indicator of bad weather is A Build Up Of Dark Clouds.
39. The primary cause of boating accidents is Careless Operation.
40. On operation that is OKAY and not reckless is Operating A PWC In The Rain.