FL S0320

Officially cited as the "White-Miskell Act," establishing regulations for commercial parasailing, kite boarding, kite surfing, and moored ballooning on Florida waters, effective October 1, 2014

Commercial parasailing operators must obtain liability insurance with at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million annual aggregate, hold a valid U.S. Coast Guard passenger-for-hire license, and equip vessels with a VHF marine transceiver and a device capable of accessing National Weather Service forecasts

Commercial parasailing is prohibited when sustained wind speeds exceed 20 mph, gusts exceed 25 mph or are 15+ mph above sustained speed, visibility drops below 0.5 mile due to rain or fog, or lightning is within 7 miles of the parasailing area

Parasailing and moored ballooning are prohibited within 100 feet of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway marked channel and within 2 miles of any airport boundary; kite boarding and kite surfing are restricted within 1 mile along a runway centerline and one-half mile in width

Violations of the commercial parasailing provisions constitute a second-degree misdemeanor, and operators must maintain a weather log recording prevailing and forecasted conditions each time passengers are taken on the water