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Lawmakers consider tighter safety rules for personal watercraft; industry and dealers urge caution
Summary
Representative Will Darby presented HB 582 to tighten safety requirements for modern personal watercraft (PWCs), including operator age and PFD use. Marine trade groups, dealers and manufacturers opposed reclassification and said existing laws and enforcement are preferable to new, PWC‑specific mandates.
CONCORD — Representative Will Darby opened the hearing on House Bill 582, saying the bill is narrowly focused on safety measures for modern personal watercraft (PWCs) and is not intended to restrict lawful use or access to lakes.
“Many of my friends own jet skis,” Darby said, and described PWC performance: “Some can accelerate to 60 miles an hour in under 4 seconds… These are effectively motorcycles on water.” He proposed aligning PWC safety requirements with manufacturer guidance, including requiring operators to be at least 16 years old, mandating personal flotation device (PFD) wear while operating and prohibiting operation between sunset and sunrise.
Darby said he worked with the Department of Safety and the Marine Patrol on the language. He cited safety incidents, including a drowning he described from 2017, and said clearer statutory standards would help marine patrol officers educate operators and improve compliance.
Representatives of the New Hampshire Marine Trades Association, dealers and rental businesses opposed the bill in written and oral testimony. John Wally, president of the Marine Trades Association, and Jody Grimbelas told the committee that most PWC operators routinely wear life jackets and that many of the proposed items are already covered by existing boating laws. The industry group warned that redefining PWCs or creating a new statewide classification risks triggering lengthy debates and restrictive measures that could follow reclassification.
Dealers including Jake DeSilva of DeSilva Motorsports and Lisa Miles of HK Powersports told the committee that nearly 90 percent of PWCs sold in New Hampshire are three‑person models already regulated as boats, and they said manufacturers include safety features such as lanyarded engine cutoff switches and restricted “learning” modes to limit speed for new operators.
Marine patrol staffing was a recurring theme. Industry witnesses said enforcement of existing laws, and more marine‑patrol resources, would better address unsafe conduct than new PWC‑specific statutes. The Marine Trades Association noted recent revisions to careless/negligent operation statutes that became effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Why it matters: The legislation would update safety standards to match modern PWC capabilities and the industry’s changes since older “ski craft” laws. Supporters say it would reduce accidents; opponents say it risks overbroad reclassification and that current laws and manufacturer and dealer practices already manage safety.
Next steps: Committee members heard industry data and marine‑patrol statistics; no vote was recorded at the hearing. Members asked for additional data from the Department of Safety and discussed whether existing statutes already cover the conduct the bill seeks to address.
