Booking choice: The Maunalua Bay jet ski ride, solo or tandem, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Family questions about jet skis come in two kinds: how old do you have to be, and how many people, or how much weight, can a ski take. The answers come from three places, state law, the GetYourGuide listing and the operator's own website, and they do not all say the same thing.
This guide sets each out and says where to check. It also covers the water activities around Waikiki that suit younger children or mixed-age groups better than a ski.
The quick answer
Children ride as passengers. Hawaii law sets 15 as the minimum age to operate a thrill craft. The tandem listing requires one person on each ski to be 18 or over to drive and is not suitable for children under 4. The operator's own website gives different age bands, so confirm at booking. Every rider wears a life vest and must be able to climb back on after a fall. Rides run on weekdays only.
Can a 12 year old drive a jet ski in Hawaii?
State law says no person under fifteen years of age shall operate a thrill craft. A 12-year-old can ride behind an adult instead.
The age-15 rule is in HRS 200-37 and HAR 13-256-16, and it is absolute. On top of it, the tandem listing on Maunalua Bay states that one person on each ski must be 18 or over to drive. The usual arrangement for a family is therefore an adult at the handlebars and a child behind.
The operator's website sets out its own age bands for drivers and passengers, including a solo driving age of 16 and arrangements for younger teenagers under adult supervision. These differ from the listing, and how they sit with the state rule is a question to put to the operator at booking. The licence and age rules has the legal detail.
How young can a child ride on a jet ski?
Not under 4 on the tandem listing. The operator's website gives a passenger age of 5 with an adult, so check at booking.
The tandem listing states that the ride is not suitable for children under 4. The operator's own site says passengers can ride from age 5 with an adult and that two minors may not ride together. Where the listing and the operator's site differ, the stricter reading is the safe one to plan around, and the booking is the place to confirm it.
Every rider, child or adult, must wear a life vest under state rule, and the operator supplies them. A small child should be able to hold on firmly and sit through 30 minutes of spray and noise; parents know better than any rule whether that is their child.
How many people can ride a jet ski?
On these listings, one or two per ski. The operator's site says up to three riders per ski.
The flagship listing can be booked solo or tandem, and the tandem listing is two to a ski, with each rider needing a separate ticket and solo drivers paying a higher rate. The operator's website states that a ski can carry up to three riders. A family of four would usually take two skis, each with an adult driving.
The flagship listing is limited to 10 participants per slot, so a larger family should book early in the week. Both listings allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The flagship ride is the more flexible for mixed groups because each ski can go solo or tandem.
Solo or two-up on each ski, with an instructor and hotel pickup: room to arrange a family across two skis.
Book thisCan a 400 lb person ride a jet ski?
The operator's site limits a tandem ski to 500 lbs in total and requires every rider to be able to remount after a fall. No single-rider maximum is stated.
The two rules that matter come from the operator's website: a tandem ski carries no more than 500 lbs combined, and riders must be able to climb back on after falling off. Neither listing states a per-person weight limit. A heavier rider riding solo, or paired with a light passenger within the combined limit, may be within the rules; the remount is the practical test.
Anyone near either limit should contact the operator before booking rather than at the dock. The parasails set separate limits per flyer, covered below.
How heavy is a 2 person jet ski?
The listings do not state the weight of the craft. What they and the operator state is how much the riders may weigh together.
The weight of the WaveRunner itself is not given on either listing or on the operator's page, and it does not affect a visitor, because nobody lifts or launches the ski. The hydro hoist at the floating platform holds it steady while riders climb aboard.
The figure a family needs is the riders' combined weight on a two-up ski, which the operator's site caps at 500 lbs. Balance matters too: the passenger should sit centred, hold on and lean with the driver into each turn.
Can kids go parasailing instead?
Yes, from age 5 and 50 lbs on the Kewalo Basin listings. Observers can ride along on several parasail boats.
The Kewalo Basin parasails, Waikiki Parasailing and Go Hawaii Watersports, set a minimum age of 5 and a minimum weight of 50 lbs, with 450 lbs maximum on the parachute. The Maunalua Bay parasail sets 50 to 250 lbs per flyer and 500 lbs per flight, and children aged 2 to 5 can come along as observers free. Hawaiian Parasail excludes under-4s and anyone over 300 lbs, with a combined flying weight of 450 lbs, and requires a parent for under-15s.
Observer places mean a family can share a boat even when not everyone flies.
Over the same bay as the jet skis, with observer places for family members who stay in the boat.
Book thisWhat other water activities suit a family in Waikiki?
A beginner surf lesson for ages 12 and up, and a small-group speedboat snorkel from age 3.
The beginner surf lesson runs for 2 hours from the Ala Wai end of Waikiki Beach, with 20 to 30 minutes on land and about 70 in the water, one instructor for every four learners and a maximum of eight. Board, leash, rash guard and reef shoes are included, and it is not for under-12s. One learner on that listing mentioned being 71, so it is not only for the young.
The turtle snorkel speedboat from Kewalo Basin takes up to six people for about an hour snorkelling at Turtle Canyon, with snacks and pickup. It is not suitable for children under 3, and there are no bathrooms on board, worth knowing with small children.
When should a family book the jet ski?
On a weekday morning. The bay's commercial rides are closed on weekends and holidays, and mornings are usually calmer.
State rules close Maunalua Bay's commercial thrill craft zones on Saturdays, Sundays and state or federal holidays, so a family trip needs a weekday. The flagship listing shows slots from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mornings usually bring lighter winds, which makes for a smoother ride for a child in the back seat.
Allow about 90 minutes at the marina plus the pickup each way. One rider advised others to be prepared for the whole thing to take two hours. Bring water, a towel, sunscreen and a hat, as the tandem listing suggests. Where the rides are explains the trip from Waikiki.
Frequently asked questions
What age can you drive a jet ski in Hawaii?
Hawaii law sets 15 as the minimum to operate a thrill craft. The tandem listing requires one driver aged 18 or over on each ski; the operator's own rules differ, so check at booking.
Can a child ride on a jet ski with a parent?
Yes, as a passenger behind an adult driver. The tandem listing is not suitable for children under 4, and the operator's site gives 5 as the passenger minimum.
Can two children ride a jet ski together?
No, per the operator's website: two minors may not ride together.
Do kids need a life jacket on a jet ski?
Yes. Hawaii requires the operator and every passenger on a thrill craft to wear a personal flotation device, and the operator supplies them.
Ready to book
Choose your ride
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Rides booked on GetYourGuide.
Maunalua Bay Jet Ski Ride with an Instructor
- Jet ski for 30 minutes, solo or tandem, with safety equipment and instruction
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Waikiki, per the listing
- Listed as limited to 10 participants; runs Monday to Friday except holidays
Tandem Jet Ski Adventure on Maunalua Bay
- Tandem WaveRunner for 30 minutes; each rider needs a separate ticket, per the listing
- Instruction, life vests, water taxi to the launch platform and goggle rental
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Beginner-Friendly Waikiki Beach Surfing Lesson
The water in front of your hotel is a surf break, not a jet ski zone, and this is the way to use it: twenty to thirty minutes of land instruction, then about seventy minutes in the water with one instructor to every four learners. Board, leash, rash guard and reef shoes are included; the listing says ages 12 and up.
