Booking choice: The jet ski loop booked per jet ski, 2 hours. Book this Tour details
Jet skis are legal in French Polynesia. The maritime authority, the Direction Polynesienne des Affaires Maritimes (DPAM), sets the rules: who may drive, what must be on board and how far from the coast you may go. Most visitors meet those rules through a tour, where the guide carries the paperwork and you carry out the briefing.
This guide covers the licence, the ages each listing sets, solo and double riding, the safety kit, the places jet skis may not go, and what to bring on the day.
The quick answer
You need no licence on a guided tour: the DPAM lets you drive in an approved convoy behind an approved guide. Renting alone needs a coastal boat licence and a minimum age of 16. On the Moana Adventure Tours listings, drivers must be 16 and passengers 11. Expect a briefing, a life jacket and a kill switch on your wrist.
Do you need a licence to drive a jet ski in Bora Bora?
Not on a guided tour. The DPAM allows people without a licence to drive in an approved convoy, led by an approved guide on a set route.
The DPAM page on regulated water activities describes convoy navigation ("navigation en convoi"). An approved company runs it. The guide holds a professional sea licence and a lifeguard-type certificate. The route is filed on a marine chart after the communes give their opinion. Insurance has to cover drivers and passengers. When those conditions are met, the people following the guide need no licence.
That is the format of the jet ski tours on this site. It is also why you cannot leave the line to explore a bay alone: the route is the one the company had approved.
Can you rent a jet ski in Bora Bora without a tour?
Only with a licence. To hire a jet ski on your own, the DPAM asks for a coastal boat licence (permis cotier) and a minimum age of 16.
The DPAM page on renting a jet ski says the driver of a jet ski over 6 CV must be at least 16 and hold a coastal licence. The same page says any professional water activity has to be declared, and convoy tours need prior approval. Visitors without a French coastal licence will find the guided tour is the practical way to ride.
How old do you have to be to drive a jet ski in Bora Bora?
On the Moana Adventure Tours listings, 16 to drive and 11 to ride as a passenger. The Bora Bora Activities Center listings do not state a driver age.
Ages are listing data, so check the tour you book. Here is what each one says:
| Tour | Driver age | Passenger age | Not suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet ski tour around the island | 16 | 11 | Pregnant women, children under 11 |
| Jet ski and shark safari | 16 | 11 | Pregnant women, people with mobility impairments |
| 4x4 and jet ski day | 16 | 11 | Not stated |
| Jet ski loop, per jet ski | Not stated | Not stated | Children under 8, pregnant women, people with back problems |
| ATV and jet ski day | Not stated | Not stated | Pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users |
| Snorkel and jet ski day | Not stated | Not stated | People with mobility impairments, non-swimmers |
From the GetYourGuide listings as read in October 2026. If a listing is silent, ask the operator before you book for a teenager.
How many people can ride on one jet ski?
Two: a driver and a passenger. Some listings let you choose solo or double per person, others sell the jet ski for up to two.
On the two-hour tour around the island the listing says you can select whether you ride solo or double. The passenger on the back must be at least 11. Operator pages for the same company add that under-16s ride with an adult on the same ski. The loop booked per jet ski, the ATV day and the snorkel day are sold per group of up to two.
One cruise-line excursion page gives a combined weight limit for the two riders. The listings here do not state one, so if it could matter for your pair, ask the operator before the day.
Two hours around the island on one jet ski for up to two, with a guide born on Bora Bora, a motu stop, a swim and tropical fruit on the way.
Book this Tour detailsWhat safety equipment is required on a jet ski?
A life jacket with a light and a kill switch attached to the driver's wrist, plus kit on the ski itself. The DPAM lists it, and the tours provide it.
The DPAM rules for jet skis list the kit:
- A life jacket or buoyancy aid with a light, for each rider. A wetsuit is recommended.
- A kill switch on a cord at the driver's wrist, which stops the engine if you fall off.
- A towing ring and a rope on the ski.
- A sealed compartment with hand flares.
- A guard on the propeller or a grille on the turbine intake.
On the tours, the life jacket is fitted during the briefing. The ATV day also lists a helmet for the land part.
Where can't you ride a jet ski in Bora Bora?
Inside buoyed swimming areas, in the new full reserve off Matira, and fast near the shore. Beyond that, jet skis may go up to 2 nautical miles out, and tours stay on their approved route.
- Povai Bay swimming area: since February 2019 a buoyed 40 by 40 m open-water swimming zone in Povai Bay has been closed to jet skis and motor craft.
- The Matira reserve: in December 2025 about 574 ha on the southern reef off Matira became a full reserve where all activity is banned, the first lagoon reserve of its kind in French Polynesia, per Outremers360. Marking and a management plan were the next steps. Our post on the Matira reef reserve follows it.
- Near shore and people: the DPAM sets a slow speed close to the coast, quays, pontoons and swimmers, and the lagoon navigation rules ask you not to throw wake onto moored boats. Guides set the pace.
- Offshore: the DPAM limits jet skis to 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from the coast. The tour listings describe routes inside the lagoon.
What should you bring on a jet ski tour?
Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses and a camera you can get wet, plus ID. Leave large bags behind.
The per-jet-ski loop asks you to bring sunglasses, swimwear, a towel, a camera and sunscreen, and to give the operator your place of stay for the pickup. The tour around the island asks for a passport or ID card (a copy is accepted) and does not allow luggage, large bags, alcohol or drugs. The ATV day asks for your driver's licence, and lists sunscreen and ponchos among its inclusions.
Practical extras: a strap for sunglasses, a waterproof pouch for your phone, and a top with sleeves for the sun. Your hands are on the bars for most of the ride.
Briefing, life jacket and a native guide in front: the per-jet-ski loop keeps it simple for two people on one ski.
Book thisWho should not do a jet ski tour?
The listings name pregnant women, people with back problems, people with limited mobility and young children. If in doubt, a boat tour covers the same lagoon.
A jet ski bounces on any chop, and you sit astride for long stretches. The per-jet-ski loop excludes people with back problems, and the tour around the island excludes pregnant women. Alcohol and jet skis do not mix, and the Moana listing bars intoxicated riders.
If someone in your group cannot ride, the lagoon safari takes you to the rays, the reef sharks and a motu picnic by boat. It is not suitable for pregnant women or wheelchair users either, so check with the operator.
Frequently asked questions
Is a life jacket provided on Bora Bora jet ski tours?
Yes. A life jacket with a light is required by the DPAM on any jet ski, and the tour listings describe a fitting during the briefing.
Can I bring alcohol on a jet ski tour?
No. The two-hour Moana listing bars alcohol, drugs and intoxicated riders, and the ATV day does not allow alcohol either.
Do I need my driver's licence?
Not for the jet ski on a guided tour. The ATV and jet ski day asks you to bring a driver's licence, most likely for the ATV.
Can I leave the group to explore on my own?
No. A guided convoy follows a route approved in advance. To ride freely you would need a coastal boat licence and a rental.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Each option opens on GetYourGuide with the operator named and the inclusions listed.
Jet Ski Around Bora Bora with Motu Stop
- Pickup and drop-off at main-island hotels and Vaitape
- A local guide, born on the island
- Jet ski equipment and a safety briefing
Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour Around the Island
- Pickup from your hotel or the Vaitape pier
- A local guide and all the equipment, life jacket included
- Two swim stops, one on a motu with a coconut husking demonstration
Full-Day Lagoon Safari & Lunch on a Motu
The lagoon from a boat instead of a jet ski: rays, reef sharks, coral and a motu picnic
