Jet skis, eFoils and water toys in Italy: what is allowed

In Italy, jet skis may only be ridden within one nautical mile of the coast, and a boating licence is always required. Jet skis and water skiing are banned in the marine protected areas of Portofino, Cinque Terre, Meloria, Tavolara and Punta Campanella. For eFoils, the only rule of their own we found is a hydrofoil ban at Punta Campanella.

Italian law sets the national frame, but the local harbour authority, the Capitaneria di Porto, fills in the details. Every point below links to the official source.

What are the jet ski rules in Italy?

Jet skis, called "moto d'acqua" in Italian law, may navigate within one mile of the coast (Codice della nautica da diporto, Art. 27(5)).

• Licence: For craft up to 24 metres, a boating licence is required beyond six miles from the coast "or, in any case, on a jet ski" (Codice della nautica, Art. 39(1)(a)).
• Special licence D1: It is limited to daytime navigation only and, on a jet ski, to within one mile of the coast (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 27-bis).
• Life jacket: Riders of jet skis, sailboards and similar craft, and their passengers, wear a personal flotation device at all times, whatever the distance from the coast (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 54(3)).
• Commercial use: Anyone using a jet ski for commercial purposes must hold a boating licence (Codice della nautica, Art. 27(7)(a)).
• Jet ski as tender: A tender registered as a jet ski or small craft under the yacht's identification needs no safety equipment other than personal life-saving gear when used within one mile of the coast or of the yacht (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 56(1)).

How and where jet skis may be used locally is set by the competent maritime authority (Codice della nautica, Art. 27(6)).

Which speed limits and distances apply near the coast?

• 500 metres: Within 500 metres of the coast, breakwaters, harbour entrances, landing and mooring points, motor navigation is limited to 8 knots, unless a local ordinance says otherwise (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 91-bis(1)).
• Harbours and anchorages: Inside ports and in roadsteads and bays with boats at anchor, no more than 3 knots and maximum caution (same article, (2)).
• Fines: Exceeding the speed limits in port waters, near mooring fields, beaches, launch corridors or anchored boats costs 414 to 2,066 euros (Codice della nautica, Art. 53(6)).
• Divers: Staying closer than 100 metres to a diver's marker suspends the boating licence for one to three months (same article, (9)).

Navigation and distance limits along the coast are set by the head of the maritime district by ordinance, among other things to protect bathers and divers (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 91-ter).

Where are jet skis and water toys banned?

Five marine protected areas ("aree marine protette", AMP) ban jet skis:

At Tavolara, the ban applies except where the maritime authority decides otherwise for safety reasons only. At Punta Campanella, using a jet ski or water skiing in the protected area is fined 300 to 1,031.91 euros (Disciplinare 2025, table of fines).

Portofino bans entry into bathing zones marked by red buoys (Regolamento, Art. 16(3)). At Punta Campanella, boats keep at least 200 metres from beaches and 100 metres from cliffs, at no more than 5 knots within 300 metres of the coast (Disciplinare 2025, Art. 7(1)).

What about eFoils and jetboards?

The only rule of their own we found is at Punta Campanella: in addition to the jet ski ban, the use of craft with a "hydrofoil" is not allowed in the protected area (Disciplinare 2025, Art. 7(2)). That document states it is valid for 2025, and no 2026 version was found.

Nationally, the Codice lists "tavole autopropulse o non autopropulse", self-propelled or non-self-propelled boards, among the small craft that may go no further than one mile from the coast (Codice della nautica, Art. 27(3)(c)). Whether an eFoil or a jetboard counts as such a board, the source does not say. Outside Punta Campanella, no specific rule for eFoils, jetboards or electric boards was found.

What about underwater scooters, water skis and tubes?

Underwater scooters are banned in Portofino, Cinque Terre and Meloria (see the table). Water skiing is banned in Portofino, Cinque Terre, Meloria and Punta Campanella, and towed water sports at Tavolara. Outside these protected areas, no rule of their own was found for underwater scooters, water skis or tubes.

What is still open?

The ordinances of the Capitanerie di Porto could not be accessed for this research. They set bathing zones, jet ski corridors and distances from beaches outside the protected areas, so those local rules are missing here. Also unchecked:

• La Maddalena: a jet ski ban in the national park could not be verified, because the park's ordinances were not accessible.
• Tuscan Archipelago: jet ski rules appear only in a 2024 draft plan that has not been approved.
• Regno di Nettuno (Ischia, Procida): the founding decree lists jet skis and water skiing in its Art. 5 (D.M. 27.12.2007, Art. 5), but the zone rules were not available as text.

Before guests ride anywhere outside the protected areas, ask the local Capitaneria di Porto.

How does Italy compare with France and the Balearics?

France has a category of its own for eFoils and jetboards, with daylight-only use within 2 miles of a shelter (our Côte d'Azur guide). Spain lists motorised boards (tablas deslizantes con motor) as floating devices that need no licence from 18, by day and within 2 nautical miles of the point of departure (Real Decreto 875/2014, Art. 3 and 10; more in our Balearics guide). Italy has less: no category for eFoils, only the "tavole autopropulse" in the Codice, but the one protected area with an explicit hydrofoil ban.

What should be on board before guests ride?

• A boating licence for every jet ski rider.
• Life jackets for every jet ski rider and passenger.
• A plan for where to ride: jet skis within one mile of the coast, and no jet skis or towed toys inside the five protected areas above.
• No foils at Punta Campanella and no underwater scooters at Portofino, Cinque Terre or Meloria.
• The local ordinance from the Capitaneria di Porto for bathing zones and jet ski corridors.

Sources

All sources are official texts from Italian authorities and the managing bodies of the marine protected areas, checked on 4 October 2026 and linked at each point above. The Punta Campanella Disciplinare is quoted in its 2025 version; no 2026 version was found. Ordinances of the Capitanerie di Porto were not accessible and are not included.