Where can I kayak in Columbus Ohio?
Columbus, Ohio, has many spots where visitors can kayak, canoe, and paddleboard. Popular spots include Hoover Reservoir, Big Darby Creek, Alum Creek, Hocking River, and Scioto River. Registrations are required for every recreational boat in Ohio, including powerboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, and inflatable boats. NOTE: Kiteboards, paddleboards, and belly boats (or float tubes) do NOT have to be registered as boats in Ohio.
Do I need a permit to kayak in Ohio?
You can visit a new lake or river every weekend and still not experience them all. Canoes and kayaks are boats, and in Ohio that means they need to be registered. You have to follow Ohio’s boat operating laws too, including life jacket, lights and sound signal rules [see Required Safety Equipment]. Boat registrations in Ohio are valid for up to three years. Watercraft registrations expire March 1st of the expiration year. The cost of your registration depends on the length of your boat, how it is propelled, and which type of registration you are purchasing.
Can you drink alcohol while kayaking in Ohio?
No person shall operate or be in physical control of any vessel underway, or manipulate any water skis or similar device if the person is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. NOTE: It is an offense to operate a vessel while having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0. Additionally, local city police officers, county sheriffs, and state troopers are allowed to stop you on the water if they suspect a safety violation or an intoxicated operator. Passengers on a boat are allowed to consume alcohol as they please, but the operator must remain completely sober at all times.
Do I have to wear a life jacket on a kayak in Ohio?
Boats (including canoes and kayaks) must be equipped with a wearable life jacket for each person on board. Each PFD must be the appropriate size for the person who wears it. Watercraft that are less than 16 feet in length and canoes or kayaks of any length, are required to carry one, Type I, II or III wearable PFD for each person on the boat.Boats (including canoes and kayaks) must be equipped with a wearable life jacket for each person on board. Each PFD must be the appropriate size for the person who wears it.For a boat less than 16 feet long, or a canoe or a kayak of any length, you are required to: Everyone on board a personal watercraft (popularly known as “jet skis”) and anyone being towed behind a vessel must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.All PWC operators and occupants must be wearing a Type I, II, III or V personal flotation device. All vessels less than 16 feet in length as well as canoes or kayaks of any length are required to have one Type I, II or III wearable PFD per person. Inflatable PFDs are not intended for children under the age of 16 years.