Hawaii SUP Laws

  • PFD Requirement:  One life jacket on board per person. And children 12 and under must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II or III PFD., While underway, All length vessels
  • Approved life jackets: USCG-approved Type I, II, or III, or Type V
  • Alcohol Law Hawaii has Boating Under the Influence (BUI) laws—0.08% BAL is considered under the influence.
  • Lights: Non-Motorized vessels less than 23.0 feet long must have, if practical, red and green sidelights visible from two miles away on a clear, dark night, and a stern light visible from two miles away. If not practical, a lantern or flashlight shining a white light is acceptable.
  • Sounding Devices – Vessels less than 65.6 feet long must carry a whistle, horn, or some other means of making a signal audible for at least half a mile.
  • Registration – vessels that are manually propelled, like SUP, kayaks and canoes, are exempted from registration.
  • Operator Licensing – There is no minimum age or minimum education requirement to operate a kayak in Hawaii.
  • Visual Distress Signaling Law – All vessels are required to carry night signaling devices. Manually propelled vessels are exempt from carrying day signaling devices. On federally controlled waters (coastline), all vessels are required to carry U.S. Coast Guard-approved night VDS devices.
  • Other Communication Devices – Most vessels going one mile off shore are required to carry a U.S. Coast Guard-approved radio beacon or VHF radio. Manually propelled vessels are exempt.