Fort Myers Beach Boating Safety Rules & Equipment

Florida law requires all boaters on Fort Myers Beach waterways to carry U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, fire extinguishers, sound-producing devices, and visual distress signals. Children under 6 must wear life jackets at all times on vessels under 26 feet.

Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988, must hold a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card to operate a motorized vessel. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and San Carlos Bay Sail & Power Squadron offer boating safety courses.

America's Boating Club Fort Myers Beach provides free vessel safety inspections. Call (239) 466-4040 for details.

Boaters should stay within marked navigation channels, watch for changing water depths and tides, and observe manatee and idle-speed zones. The waterways include shallow flats, sandbars, and high-traffic corridors that demand constant attention to other vessels, kayakers, paddleboarders, and wildlife.