Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements
of Boating
Unlawful Operation
South Dakota law states that these dangerous operating practices are illegal.
 Reckless
Operation of a vessel is operating in a manner that causes danger to the life, limb, or property of any person. Examples of reckless operation are:
- Weaving a vessel through congested waterway traffic
- Jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably close to the other vessel or when visibility around the other vessel is obstructed
- Waiting until the last possible moment to swerve and avoid collision
Failure to Follow Navigation
Rules is not following the navigation
rules described in Chapter 3.
Improper Speed or Distance is not maintaining a proper speed and/or distance while operating a vessel. Specifically, it is illegal to:
- Operate a vessel at an excessive speed or too close to other vessels given the waterway traffic, marked speed limits, weather, and other boating conditions.
- Exceed “slow, no wake speed” in any area marked as “No Wake” with buoys or signs.
- Exceed any posted speed limit.
- Operate at a speed that creates a wash or wake that endangers, or causes damage to, others.
- Operate a vessel within an area that has been marked clearly by buoys or other markers as an area for bathing, fishing, or swimming or as an otherwise restricted area.
Insufficient Equipment is operating a vessel that does not have on board the equipment required by South Dakota law.
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