Under Florida law, anyone being towed on water skis (or any aquaplaning device) must wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved non‑inflatable wearable personal flotation device (life jacket/PFD).

Direct legal requirement

  • Florida requires every person who is water skiing or being towed on an aquaplaning device to wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved wearable personal flotation device (PFD), such as a properly fitted life jacket.
  • The PFD must be non‑inflatable; inflatable life jackets are specifically not allowed for skiing or similar towed sports.

Extra context for skiers

  • The rule applies regardless of the skier’s age or swimming ability, and applies to any towed device (skis, wakeboard, kneeboard, tube, etc.).
  • In addition to the PFD requirement, Florida also prohibits skiing while impaired by alcohol or drugs and restricts skiing to daylight hours (from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset).

In short: in Florida, if you are waterskiing, you are legally required to wear a Coast Guard–approved, non‑inflatable life jacket.

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