Outer Banks Jet Ski Rentals

Visitors who check into Outer Banks jet skis might find it one of the more high speed adventures of their trip. With open waters for miles to explore and local businesses selling and renting equipment, it is easy to find a way to jet ski around Outer Banks. Jet Skiing is a watersport anyone can pick up with a lesson and safety points. Find out why so many people are trying out Outer Banks jet skis.

Jet Ski Rentals On The Outer Banks

Visitors to the Outer Banks come for surfing, sand and fun. Outer Banks jet ski rentals offer a great way to explore the open waters with the thrill of adventure. Local businesses offer rentals by the hour, half or full day depending on what you’re looking for. Teens and adults will enjoy exploring the coast. Take it nice and easy on a tour or put the pedal down for a bit more fun (but still practicing safety). Plan a morning, afternoon or even all day excursion on your next trip to the Outer Banks. Come and find out more about how to get the best jet ski rentals, where to find them and where to put them in the water. 

Where to Jet Ski

The Outer Banks coastline has regulations and rules for Jet Skiers. It is helpful to become familiar with local rules to avoid fines or have the jet ski rental ended due to an infraction. Public boat ramps are one place to look if you’re starting at one of these spots.

Where to Jet Ski On The Outer Banks

Currituck Sound is a great place to jet ski. No public ramps are available in the North Beach area but plenty of local companies are close to the launch point. Check them out here. Corolla does not permit jet skis on the oceanside of the beaches including Carova or Swan Beach so that is a great place to start at the ramps. 

Duck and Southern Shores have regulations about where to jet ski. Both towns require operators to be at least 16-years-old. No jet skis are allowed between sunrise and sunset or in Southern Shores after 6 pm or before 9 am. The rules help the safety of beach-goers and riders. On the soundside of Duck, jet skiing is allowed as long as riders go straight out to Currituck Sound at 5-10 mph for at least 900 feet. This keeps swimmers and surfers safe in the water. In Southern Shores, jet skiers can access the sound and ocean provided they stay 200 yards offshore of the oceanside and 400 years from the soundside. A boater safety course is required in Southern Shores before embarking on an adventure.

Getting Started

Think before you leap into the waters with a jet ski. There are a few things to know before heading out that will keep you and your visitors safe with you. 

  • Keep the engine shut-off clip attached to your wrist so if you fall off, you shut off the ski for protection of you and others around you
  • Life jacket is required and essential
  • Waterproof sunscreen before and after
  • ID in a waterproof plastic bag or in locked location on shore

10 mph is a good speed out on the sound. Watch out for obstacles like waves, watercraft, and others taking to the water. Stay alert in the sounds because kayakers, kiteboarders and others are out for fun, too, and it is safe to keep a good distance from them.

 

Outer Banks Jet Ski Rentals

Take a look around Outer Banks and you’ll find many places to stop and get some adventure under your belt. Waterfront businesses bordering Nags Head and Manteo Causeway along with soundfront shops in Duck and Corolla have lots of options for rent. 

Causeway WaterSports: check out this store in Nags Head. The area is a bunch of small islands with vacation and rental homes or businesses so people love to jet ski the area. Miles of water are open to riders with plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the open water. 

Duck & Corolla: Stop by Duck and Corolla to check out Nor’ Banks Sailing or Corolla Water Sports. Both rental shops are stationed with others along the small shopping centers in Currituck Sound. Spend a morning on the waves or check out their other options for a fun day on the water. 

Ocracoke Island: stop by Jolly Roger Marina near the harbor. This stretch of harbor dockage has cruises, rentals, boat tours and more. Visitors can take off from this point and have fun. Jet skiers can spend time between Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands but should be careful about where they travel beyond Ocracoke Harbor. 

Kitty Hawk Kites: one of the most well-known jet ski rental stores in the area, it is also nationally recognized as a sports chain that uses the Outer Banks as home base. Kitty Hawk Kites has rentals available at Whalebone Watersports on the causeway. Their water sports complex also has it available in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island. 

Whalebone Watersports: look at local and guided tours to Bodie Island or Shallowbag Bay. Cruise around Roanoke Island or tour the Manteo waterfront. Tours last around 75 minutes so people can drive around and see some scenic areas before heading back to shore. 

 

Be sure to check regulations before renting. Most places can put 2-3 people on board and have weight limits. Ages 16-18 are the lower limits of drivers’ ages. Most rentals go for between $50-$100 per hour depending on the season.

 

Jet Ski Rentals On the Outer Banks F.A.Q.

Hatteras Island and visitors to Ocracoke must go north to jet ski as none are allowed within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Jet skis are allowed on the Pamlico sound area. Riders can move over 30 miles of waterfront. Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head allow jet skis in the ocean and soundside beaches. Kill Devil Hills instructs jet skiers to stay 300 ft. offshore in the ocean or sound waves with Nags Head requesting 600 feet away from shore.

In the town of Duck, personal watercraft are prohibited on the town’s ocean beaches. Southern Shores permits personal watercraft with a permit and proof of insurance. A boater’s safety course is required. Kitty Hawk has engine-powered watercraft from its beaches prohibited and no personal watercraft operating within 600 feet of the Atlantic Ocean. Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head both allow them with exceptions.

It can cost anywhere from $50-$100 per hour for an Outer Banks jet ski rental. Location and season determine some of these factors. Lower rates may be offered in lower seasons with less people as demand is slower. The more demand goes up during high season (summer), the more money it may cost.

Boaters born on or after January 1, 1988 must have a North Carolina Boater Education Card to operate any motorcraft of 10 HP or more. The license is good for life. Getting caught without a license can result in fines or even jail time so be sure to get a license!