Rider Resources for Your Utah Jet Ski Rental

Ride smart, ride legal

We’re a family business, and we want every rider who picks up from us to have a great day and get home safe. That starts with knowing a few Utah water rules before you launch. Most of them are quick, and none of them are hard.

This page covers the safety rules that matter in Utah. Some of it is state law, some of it is just smart, and all of it is linked to the official source. We keep our machines clean and compliant on our end. The rest is a short list, and we’re happy to walk through any of it with you at pickup.

New to jet skis? You’re in good company. Skim the courses below, and call us at (801) 923-8185 if anything’s unclear.

Required reading for Utah waters

These two apply to riding in Utah. The first protects our lakes from invasive mussels; the second is the safety course the state now requires every year.

• Utah AIS Prevention Program (stdofthesea.utah.gov): This is Utah’s official state campaign to stop the spread of invasive quagga mussels. The name is meant to grab attention, but it’s a serious, family-friendly program run by the state. It explains the clean-drain-dry habits for every Utah water, plus the parts that are state law: stop at any inspection station that’s open, tow with the drain plug out, and decontaminate or wait out the dry time after Lake Powell (our machines always get the decontamination; more on that below). Visit the Utah AIS Prevention Program (opens in a new tab)

• Utah’s annual boating safety course (required from January 1, 2027): Everyone who operates a motorboat in Utah, jet skis included, has to complete it once every calendar year (HB 54 (opens in a new tab)), and that includes visitors from other states. It takes under 20 minutes on average and covers life jackets, safe operation and navigation, boating under the influence, and invasive mussels, so it replaces the separate Mussel-Aware Boater course. Proof is good through December 31 of the year you take it. Bring proof, or we’ll go through the state’s safety briefing with you at pickup. Keep your proof with you on the water. Our breakdown of the course covers what’s in it and what happens at pickup if you haven’t taken it, and Utah Outdoor Recreation covers it, as the Mandatory Watercraft Operator Course, in its boating FAQ (opens in a new tab). A NASBLA-approved course from another state doesn’t count for it.

For the full picture of Utah’s on-water rules, bookmark the state’s boating program, Utah Outdoor Recreation: Boating (opens in a new tab), and Utah State Parks (opens in a new tab).

Learn to ride

Not required, but genuinely worth the time, especially if it’s your first season on the water. All three are free and online.

• Water 101 (Tread Lightly!): A short course on water safety, rider etiquette, and taking care of the places we ride. A great starting point for new riders and families. Take the Water 101 course (opens in a new tab)

• Free Utah State Boating Safety Course (BoatUS Foundation): The full Utah boating course, approved by the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation. It covers navigation rules, safety equipment, emergencies, and protecting the water. Plan on 3 to 5 hours online at your own pace, and you can print your state-approved certificate as soon as you pass. A solid refresher even for experienced riders. It’s a separate course from the short annual one Utah requires from January 1, 2027 (above). Take the free Utah course (opens in a new tab)

• USCG Navigation Rules: The official “rules of the road” for the water: who has the right of way, how to pass, and what the markers mean. Worth a skim before a busy summer weekend. Read the USCG Navigation Rules (opens in a new tab)

What we handle vs. what you handle

We split the work so your day stays simple:

We handle:

• Keeping each machine clean-drain-dry and AIS-compliant between rentals, so it’s launch-ready when you pick it up
• Each machine’s current Utah AIS decal (near the registration stickers) and a copy of its AIS enrollment certificate in the storage compartment, plus a second copy we hand you at pickup for your tow vehicle’s dash
• Routine maintenance and safety checks on the fleet
• Two Coast Guard-approved life jackets per machine, gas cans on request, and the trailer we hitch to your vehicle for pickup rentals at no extra charge (add-ons: extra life jackets at $10 a day and a tube package at $30 a day; wakeboards with a tow rope come with the Wake 170 and Wake Pro 230 on request)

You handle:

• Utah’s annual boating safety course (from January 1, 2027), visitors from other states included: bring proof, or we’ll go through the state’s safety briefing with you at pickup
• Fuel: machines go out with an empty tank and come back empty, so fill up on your way to the lake; if you refuel from one of our gas cans, pull the machine out of the water and away from the ramp first, and follow the marina’s own rules
• Following posted rules at your lake: speed zones and no-wake areas
• Being off the water by sunset: Utah law doesn’t allow jet skis on the water between sunset and sunrise (Utah Code 73-18-15.3 (opens in a new tab))
• If you tow a tube or a wakeboarder: Utah requires an observer on board besides the driver, at least 8 years old, and a 12-by-12-inch orange flag displayed when a tow is finished or about to begin (Utah Outdoor Recreation (opens in a new tab)). Ask us about a flag before pickup
• Carrying a copy of your rental agreement on board: Utah’s rules say anyone renting a motorboat must have one with them, so keep the copy from your Recreogo booking on your phone, in a waterproof case
• Keeping that AIS certificate copy on your tow vehicle’s dash while you ride; Utah asks anyone using a boat to keep one on the dash of the launch vehicle (Utah’s AIS FAQ (opens in a new tab))
• If you ride into Idaho (Bear Lake) or Wyoming (Flaming Gorge) water: that state’s own AIS sticker or decal, which we don’t supply (see the Bear Lake and Flaming Gorge pages)
• Stopping at every AIS inspection station that’s open, at the lake or on the road; when one’s closed, cleaning and draining the machine before you leave the water; and always towing with the drain plug out
• If you ride Lake Powell: pulling out while the exit inspection station is staffed, and bringing the machines back inspected and professionally decontaminated, with the inspection and decontamination paperwork for each machine. The state also allows a dry time instead, but our machines need the decontamination; our Lake Powell page explains how to get it done
• If the machines are on Powell from Wahweap six or more days in a row: Arizona’s long-stay rule, which means a decontamination by Arizona Game and Fish or one of its authorized agents before you tow, then 7 consecutive dry days (May through October) or 18 (November through April) before they launch anywhere else or leave the state
• Operating safely and sober, and keeping life jackets on as required (our life jacket guide covers what we provide and what to bring)

The rental basics: you must be 18 or older to rent and to drive, a refundable $500 hold per machine goes on your card on the day of pickup, and cancellations 11 or more days before pickup get a full refund. If the weather is unsafe for your rental day, you can reschedule (a rescheduled booking isn’t refundable). The rest is on our rental policies page.

Lake-specific AIS rules

Utah law says every boat stops at any AIS inspection station that’s open, and you always tow with the drain plug out. When a station is closed, cleaning and draining your machine before you leave the water is still on you. Lake Powell is mussel-infested, so under state law leaving it means decontamination or a set dry time, and if you take our machines there, you bring them back inspected and professionally decontaminated, with the paperwork for each machine. Our AIS inspection walkthrough shows what happens at a station stop, and each of our lake pages spells out what applies where you’re headed. Check the page for your lake before you tow, and see our full fleet for machine details and day rates.