Jet skis and water toys in the Balearics: what is allowed

In the Balearics, jet skis may be ridden from 18, or from 16 with written parental consent, only in daylight, and with a Spanish boating licence or the special jet ski licence. Jetboards are named in Spanish law as floating devices: no licence from 18, by day and within 2 nautical miles. eFoils and underwater scooters are not named.

Here is what the Spanish rules say for jet skis and other water toys, with the official source for each point.

Who may ride a jet ski?

• Jet skis may be ridden from the age of 18, or from 16 with written consent from the parents (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 4).
• Privately used jet skis need a Spanish boating licence (PNB, PER, Patrón or Capitán de Yate) or the licence under Art. 11 of Real Decreto 875/2014 (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 5). A licence from another country only helps if it is valid for that use in Spain (Real Decreto 875/2014).

When and where may you ride?

• Only in daylight; in channels and marinas the limit is 3 knots (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 11).
• In marked swimming zones, recreational boats are not allowed at all, and the 3-knot limit applies within 200 metres of beaches and 50 metres of the rest of the coast (Real Decreto 876/2014, Art. 73).
• When towing water skiers or tubes, the route must stay outside every bathing area (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 6).
• Some marinas ban jet skis completely. At Club de Mar in Palma, riding a jet ski inside the port area is not allowed (Club de Mar port regulations, Art. 46).
• New techniques or devices operated with jet skis need approval from the Capitanía Marítima (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 13).

What about eFoils, jetboards and underwater scooters?

Spanish law names motorised boards. The licensing decree lists tablas deslizantes con motor y otros ingenios similares, motorised gliding boards and similar devices, as recreational floating devices (Real Decreto 875/2014, Art. 3(3)(e)), and the registration decree does the same (Real Decreto 1435/2010, Art. 2). These "artefactos flotantes o de playa" need no boating licence, may only be used by day and no more than 2 nautical miles from the harbour, marina or beach of departure, and the rider must be at least 18 (Real Decreto 875/2014, Art. 10). Jet skis are excluded from this exemption. Article 10 was amended with effect from 1 October 2026 (Real Decreto 1188/2025); the exemption for floating devices, from 18 and within 2 miles, applied under the old wording as well.

Jetboards fit the wording directly. A petrol jetboard with a jet pump also matches the Spanish definition of a jet ski (moto náutica), and which definition prevails is not stated (Real Decreto 875/2014, Art. 3(4)). eFoils are motorised boards too, but the decrees do not mention hydrofoils, and underwater scooters are not mentioned at all.

Three other rules give captains a clearer picture:

• Licence: Motor boats up to 5 metres long and 15 CV (about 11 kW) may be driven without a Spanish boating licence (Real Decreto 875/2014, Art. 10). Most eFoils and jetboards are far shorter than 5 metres; the motor rating in the manual shows whether a model stays below 15 CV. This limit is from the wording before 1 October 2026 and was not rechecked against the amended article.
• Registration: Beach devices and craft shorter than 2.5 metres are exempt from Spanish registration (Real Decreto 1435/2010, Art. 3.2). For typical eFoils, jetboards and underwater scooters, that points to no registration.
• Insurance: Spain's compulsory third-party insurance covers "objetos flotantes propulsados a motor", motor-driven floating objects, with no minimum length (Real Decreto 607/1999, Art. 2 and 3). Electric water toys are very likely included, so liability cover is the safe assumption.

None of these rules names eFoils or underwater scooters, so for them they are the closest fit rather than a final answer.

What should be on board before guests ride?

• Proof of liability insurance that covers the water toys, not only the yacht.
• A licence check for anyone riding a jet ski, before the guests arrive.
• The motor rating of each eFoil and jetboard, in case a patrol asks whether a licence is needed.
• A plan for where to ride: outside bathing areas, slowly through the 200-metre strip off beaches, daylight only.

Sources

All sources were checked on 4 October 2026; the Spanish rules for motorised boards were rechecked on 7 October 2026. Each source is linked at the point above.