House Bill 0697
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 697
By Representative Edwards
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to watersports; amending s.
3 327.37, F.S.; providing safety rules for towing
4 parasails from vessels; prescribing safety
5 regulations for persons engaged in waterskiing,
6 parasailing, aquaplaning, or similar
7 activities; prohibiting parasailing or
8 operating a boat towing a parasail in specified
9 waters; providing an effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Section 327.37, Florida Statutes, is
14 amended to read:
15 327.37 Water skis, parasails, and aquaplanes
16 regulated.--
17 (1)(a) A No person may not shall operate a vessel on
18 any waters of this state towing a person on water skis, or an
19 aquaplane, or similar device unless there is in such vessel a
20 person, in addition to the operator, in a position to observe
21 the progress of the person being towed, or the vessel is
22 equipped with a wide-angle rear view mirror mounted in such
23 manner as to permit the operator of the vessel to observe the
24 progress of the person being towed. This subsection does not
25 apply to class A motorboats operated by the person being towed
26 and designed to be incapable of carrying the operator in the
27 motorboat.
28 (b) A person may not operate a vessel on any waters of
29 this state towing a person attached to a parasail or similar
30 device unless there is a person in the vessel, in addition to
31 the operator, in a position to observe the progress of the
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 697
519-161-99
1 person being towed. A wide-angle rear view mirror is not
2 acceptable for this purpose.
3 (2)(a) A No person may not shall engage in water
4 skiing, parasailing, aquaplaning, or similar activity at any
5 time between the hours from one-half hour after sunset to
6 one-half hour before sunrise.
7 (b) A No person may not shall engage in water skiing,
8 parasailing, or aquaplaning, or any similar activity unless
9 such person is wearing a type I, type II, or type III, or
10 noninflatable type V personal flotation device approved by the
11 United States Coast Guard.
12 (3) The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) do not
13 apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or a
14 person preparing to participate or participating in an
15 official regatta, boat race, marine parade, tournament, or
16 exhibition held pursuant to s. 327.48.
17 (4) A No person may not shall operate or manipulate
18 any vessel, tow rope, or other device by which the direction
19 or location of water skis, parasail, aquaplane, innertube,
20 sled, or similar device may be affected or controlled, in such
21 a way as to cause the water skis, parasail, aquaplane,
22 innertube, sled, or similar device or any person thereon to
23 collide or strike against or be likely to collide or strike
24 against any vessel, bridge, wharf, pier, dock, buoy, platform,
25 piling, channel marker, or other object, except slalom buoys,
26 ski jumps, or like objects used normally in competitive or
27 recreational skiing.
28 (5) A person may not operate any vessel towing a
29 parasail or engage in parasailing within 100 feet of the
30 marked channel of the Florida Intercoastal Waterway.
31 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 697
519-161-99
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Establishes safety regulations for persons towing
parasails from vessels. Prescribes regulations for
4 persons engaged in water skiing, parasailing,
aquaplaning, or similar activities. Prohibits parasailing
5 or operating a boat towing a parasail in specified areas
of the Florida Intercoastal Waterway.
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