Bay of Plenty boating rules: lifejackets, speed and the local bylaw
The rules on Bay of Plenty waters, from the regional authority and Maritime NZ, linked line by line: lifejackets, speed limits, jet skis, paddle craft and who looks after the water.
From Friday 9 October 2026, everyone on board recreational craft 6 m or under must wear a lifejacket while underway.
It applies on all waters — coast, harbours, lakes and rivers — and covers kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis, dinghies and tenders. “Underway” means not at anchor, aground, or tied to a dock or the shore, so drifting counts. Penalties for the new rule have not been created yet. Who must wear one, exemptions and how to measure 6 m →
Emergency on the water
How to call Coastguard: 111, Channel 16 or *500
Navigation safety bylaw in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024 (in force 1 October 2026)
Bay of Plenty Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024 (in force 1 October 2026)
Who looks after the water: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana – Harbourmaster and Maritime Team
Lifejacket rules in the bylaw
From 1 October 2026 (Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024), everyone on board any recreational craft 6 m or under must wear a correctly fitting lifejacket while underway. This includes paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, dinghies, trailer sailors and powerboats. Anyone being towed must wear a securely fastened lifejacket. All vessels must carry enough correctly fitting lifejackets for everyone. Lifejackets must be worn in heightened risk, such as crossing a bar, rough weather or emergencies. SUPs in the surf are exempt from the lifejacket and communications rules if a leash is worn. BoPRC describes the rule as consistent with the national rule from 9 October 2026.
Source: boprc.govt.nz
Where the bylaw conflicts with the national law above, the national law applies from 9 October 2026 (Coastguard: councils have up to five years to update their bylaws).
Harbourmaster and council contacts
Duty Harbourmaster: 0800 5 KNOTS (0800 55 66 87), harbourmaster@boprc.govt.nz. 24/7 Pollution Hotline: 0800 884 883. Council: 0800 884 880. The council says: 'If your call is an emergency, dial 111 in the first instance', and Coastguard is available on marine radio.
These are published contacts for reporting hazards and asking about the rules. In an emergency call 111 and ask for Police, or use VHF Channel 16.
Speed limits on Bay of Plenty waters
5 knots maximum within 200 m of the shore or a structure; within 200 m of any vessel flying Flag A (dive flag); within 50 m of another boat, raft or person in the water; and when anyone has part of their body over the bow or side. New in the 2024 bylaw, for Ōhiwa Harbour: in a designated transit area, powered vessels may go above 5 knots, up to 20 knots, where safe, and a separate uplift area allows more than 5 knots when crossing the harbour entrance and bar. The 5-knot limit stays everywhere else in the harbour. Designated ski lanes and areas give priority to towing.
Jet ski (PWC) rules and registration
All jet skis and other PWC used on Bay of Plenty waterways must be registered. Registration is done through the Auckland Transport / Auckland harbourmaster register: a one-off fee, valid for the craft's lifetime, covering Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Waikato and Northland. There are designated areas where jet skis may go fast, and areas where they are not allowed. Minimum age: skippers of powerboats capable of more than 10 knots must be 15 or older.
Kayak, paddle board and kite rules
From 1 Oct 2026, kayakers and paddleboarders must wear a lifejacket while underway. SUPs in the surf are exempt from carrying communications or a PFD if a leash is worn. The council recommends a leash on flat water but not in fast-flowing rivers, and two waterproof forms of communication. Paddlers at night must carry a torch (Maritime Rules). We could not confirm kite rules from the bylaw text.
Other Bay of Plenty rules
New in the 2024 bylaw: anchoring and mooring in the Tauranga Harbour shipping lane are no longer allowed, though drift fishing or fishing on a trolling motor is still permitted. Some infringement fines are increasing. Towing: an observer aged 10 or older, tow anti-clockwise, ski only between sunrise and sunset, and stay in ski lanes or areas, or more than 200 m offshore. Powered vessels over 4 m and unpowered vessels over 6 m must show a name or number. Bars: Tauranga entrance, Bowentown, Kaituna, Whakatāne (bar cameras online). The council says everyone must wear a lifejacket on a bar crossing and should call Coastguard on VHF before and after crossing. Motiti Protection Area: no taking of marine life, but anchoring is allowed under guidelines.
Popular boating waters in the Bay of Plenty
- Tauranga Harbour (incl. Bowentown entrance)
- Rotorua lakes (Rotorua, Rotoiti, Tarawera, Ōkāreka, Rotomā, Rotoehu)
- Ōhiwa Harbour
- Whakatāne River entrance
- Kaituna River / Maketū
- Motiti Island
- Mayor Island (Tūhua)
Some of the waters local boaties know best. This is our list, not an official one, and it isn’t complete.
VesselSOS on Bay of Plenty waters
- Life in danger? Tap “Yes” and the app dials 111. The screen shows your GPS position in words and a word-for-word script that starts “Police. Boat emergency, I’m on the water.”, then where you are and what happened.
- The rescue-centre list also has RCCNZ (0508 472 269) as a second Call button for offshore, and a VHF Channel 16 MAYDAY text filled with your boat’s details for you to read on your own radio.
- A live link for family ashore (Plus, free during the beta): your position, speed, course and phone battery in any browser, no app needed on their end. You send it by text yourself.
- Not an emergency? Tap “No” for Coastguard’s non-urgent line, 0800 262 843 option 1 (the same help as *500, which iPhone apps can’t dial).
What it doesn’t do: it doesn’t log a Coastguard trip report or bar crossing report, and it isn’t connected to 111, Police, Coastguard or RCCNZ. Nobody is alerted automatically if you’re late: the return-time check only asks “Are you OK?” on your own phone. The Coastguard app does text your shore contact after three unanswered prompts, so log your trip with Coastguard as well. A phone doesn’t replace a VHF radio, an EPIRB or PLB, or a lifejacket.
iPhone only, in invite-only TestFlight beta. Not in the App Store yet, no Android. New Zealand support (111 routing) is in beta version 1.5 and later.
Quick answers
Do you have to wear a lifejacket in the Bay of Plenty?
From Friday 9 October 2026, everyone on board recreational craft 6 m or under must wear a lifejacket while underway, everywhere in New Zealand, the Bay of Plenty included. The regional rule: From 1 October 2026 (Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024), everyone on board any recreational craft 6 m or under must wear a correctly fitting lifejacket while underway. This includes paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, dinghies, trailer sailors and powerboats. Anyone being towed must wear a securely fastened lifejacket. All vessels must carry enough correctly fitting lifejackets for everyone. Lifejackets must be worn in heightened risk, such as crossing a bar, rough weather or emergencies. SUPs in the surf are exempt from the lifejacket and communications rules if a leash is worn. BoPRC describes the rule as consistent with the national rule from 9 October 2026.
What is the speed limit near the shore in the Bay of Plenty?
5 knots maximum within 200 m of the shore or a structure; within 200 m of any vessel flying Flag A (dive flag); within 50 m of another boat, raft or person in the water; and when anyone has part of their body over the bow or side. New in the 2024 bylaw, for Ōhiwa Harbour: in a designated transit area, powered vessels may go above 5 knots, up to 20 knots, where safe, and a separate uplift area allows more than 5 knots when crossing the harbour entrance and bar. The 5-knot limit stays everywhere else in the harbour. Designated ski lanes and areas give priority to towing.
Do jet skis need to be registered in the Bay of Plenty?
All jet skis and other PWC used on Bay of Plenty waterways must be registered. Registration is done through the Auckland Transport / Auckland harbourmaster register: a one-off fee, valid for the craft's lifetime, covering Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Waikato and Northland. There are designated areas where jet skis may go fast, and areas where they are not allowed. Minimum age: skippers of powerboats capable of more than 10 knots must be 15 or older.
Sources
Regional authority: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana – Harbourmaster and Maritime Team
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/your-council/news/news-and-media-releases/media-releases-2026/september-2026/new-bay-of-plenty-maritime-safety-rules/
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/boating-in-the-bay/
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/boating-in-the-bay/recreational-boating/lifejackets/
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/boating-in-the-bay/recreational-boating/responsible-boating/
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/boating-in-the-bay/recreational-boating/being-safe-on-the-water/
- https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/boating-in-the-bay/recreational-boating/bar-crossing/
- https://atlas.boprc.govt.nz/api/v1/edms/document/BOPRC-654055934-43919/content
- https://www.coastguard.nz/lifejacket-changes
Checked October 2026. Rules change — confirm with Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana before you go.
This page summarises the rules for planning; it isn’t legal advice. Where this page and the official text differ, the official text wins. Spotted an error? Email support@vesselsos.com.