(A) No person shall, in any waters of the city:
(1) Operate a personal watercraft while carrying a number of passengers in excess of the number of which the craft was designed by the manufacturer;
(2) Operate a personal watercraft at a speed in excess of ten mph from the point at which Knobbs Creek enters the Pasquotank River to Buoy #8 and also within any area of the river that abuts the shoreline that is part of the corporate limits of the city that falls in that area that is between 50 feet to 300 feet from the shore; or
(3) Operate, at all, personal watercraft at a distance of less than 50 feet from the shore, except when proceeding to and from waters where operation of personal watercraft is not prohibited and when launching or landing such craft, approach or depart from any landing, pier and the like at other than an angle perpendicular to the shoreline or proceed at a speed greater than that which is necessary to maintain control of such watercraft until reaching an area where the craft is not prohibited.
(B) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person under 14 years of age shall operate a personal watercraft on any waters of the city, nor shall the owner of a personal watercraft knowingly allow a person under the age of 14 to operate a personal watercraft on the waters of the city unless:
(1) The person is accompanied by a person at least 16 years of age who physically occupies the watercraft; or
(2) The person possess a boating safety certificate or a photographic identification card certifying that the person has completed a boating safety course approved by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
(C) No livery shall lease, hire or rent a personal watercraft to or for operation by a person under 14 years of age, except as provided in division (B) above.
(D) For purposes of this section, the term PERSONAL WATERCRAFT means a small vessel which uses an outboard motor, or an inboard motor powering a water jet pump, as its primary source of motive power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on, or being towed behind the vessel, rather than in the conventional manner of standing inside the vehicle, as defined in G.S. § 75A-13.3.
(2005 Code, § 26-6) (Ord. passed 8-17-1998) Penalty, see § 10.99