SB 571

This bill creates exemptions to certain boating restrictions for operators of

hydro-flight devices and associates watercraft.

Current law prohibits a person from operating a personal watercraft at a speed

in excess of slow-no-wake within 200 feet of the shoreline of any lake or within 100

feet of any other boat. A personal watercraft is a motorboat that uses an inboard

motor powering a water jet pump or a caged propeller as its primary source of motive

power and that is designed to be operated by a person standing on, kneeling on, or

sitting astride the watercraft. Slow-no-wake is the speed at which a boat moves as

slowly as possible while still maintaining steerage control. Current law also

generally prohibits a person from operating any boat within 100 feet of a swimmer.

This bill provides that the restrictions on the operation of a personal watercraft

at speeds exceeding slow-no-wake near a shoreline or another boat and the

restrictions against operating a boat within 100 feet of a swimmer do not apply to a

person operating a hydro-flight device or to a person operating a personal watercraft

that is used to assist in powering the hydro-flight device. The bill defines a

hydro-flight device as a jet powered device, attached by hose to a personal

watercraft, that propels a person wearing, holding, or standing on the device into the

air by the use of water forced under pressure through the hose.