In Florida, all passengers on a personal watercraft (PWC) are legally required to wear a properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard–approved, non‑inflatable life jacket (Type I, II, III, or V) at all times while underway.

Core legal requirement

  • Every person on board or being towed by a PWC must wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket (PFD) whenever the PWC is operating, not just carried on board.
  • Inflatable life jackets are not allowed for PWC riders; the vest must be a standard, non‑inflatable Type I, II, III, or V PFD, worn according to its approval label.

Other key passenger-related rules

  • The PWC cannot carry more people than the manufacturer’s rated capacity; you may not overload with extra passengers or people being towed.
  • If towing a skier or tuber, Florida requires the PWC to have room for the operator, a rear-facing observer, and the person being towed (or the PWC must be equipped with an approved wide‑angle mirror, depending on setup).

Why Florida is strict about this

  • PWCs are fast and highly maneuverable, so sudden turns or stops can easily throw passengers into the water, which is why constant life jacket use is mandated for everyone, regardless of age.
  • These life jacket rules are actively enforced and are a common focus of boating safety exams and on‑water checks in Florida.

TL;DR: In Florida, passengers on a PWC must always wear a properly fitting, non‑inflatable, USCG‑approved life jacket while the craft is operating, and the craft cannot exceed its passenger capacity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.