On the Maroochy above the confluence at Yandina, a jet ski is held to 6 knots for the whole reach. Slow control is the skill that matters most up here.
Above the spot where the Maroochy's two arms meet, a jet ski never gets past 6 knots. MSQ describes the North and South arms joining at Yandina and applies that limit to every vessel upstream of the join. It covers the whole reach, so there's no stretch where you can open up. That makes low-speed handling the thing a Yandina rider needs most. The course runs downstream at our Maroochydore venue. You finish the theory online, then the course day gives you a recap, the assessment and a one-on-one practical on the jet ski. We supply the ski and all the gear. No boat licence yet? The Boat and Jet Ski Combo covers both.
A jet ski at 6 knots is a different machine. There's less water pushing through the jet, so it steers less sharply, and wind and current push it around more than riders expect. On the upper Maroochy, that's the only speed you get. So a Yandina rider's first real test isn't speed at all. It's holding a line at walking pace, stopping where you mean to, and backing away from a bank without drama.
MSQ's limit above the confluence dates from 21 May 2004 and applies to all ships. It isn't a go-slow patch near a ramp. It's the rule for the reach. Up here the PWC 60 metre rule barely changes anything, because you're already at 6 knots everywhere.
The reach is small water, too. MSQ classes it as confined, navigable for powered craft up to five metres, where the reach below allows seven and the river below the David Low Bridge allows twelve. At the top, Brown's Rocks and two rock bars upstream of Caboolture Creek form the barrier, and MSQ notes there are no signs or aids to navigation marking them. Riding slowly past hazards nobody has marked is exactly the moment good low-speed control earns its keep.
Finding somewhere to launch takes some planning. MSQ says there are no public boat ramps in the reach. The nearest recorded ramp to Yandina is Lake Dunethin Road, listed by MSQ as MA31 and reached via the Yandina to Bli Bli road, and it has no water and no toilets. Pack drinking water and sort the other thing before you leave home. If the tide matters to your plans, note that Muller Park at Bli Bli (MA21) is flagged Low Tide Restricted, while the Cod Hole (MA11) and Fishermans Road (MA14) aren't.
Want to go faster? You'll ride downstream for it. Upstream of the David Low Bridge, MSQ posts 20 knots through the shallow water near the Bli Bli Islands. Further down again, the 6-knot zone around Chambers Island takes you back to idle. The whole river is a series of changes, and a Yandina rider meets more of them than most.
That's why the course practical suits you. You'll ride ABC Boating's Seadoo, which comes with braking, reversing and a learner mode. Those features give novices a head start, and the ski is stable enough to make docking and the figure 8 easier. It's your own one-on-one session on the Maroochy at Maroochydore. If you need more time on the water to feel competent, we'd rather you took it.
The theory side is flexible. You work through it online at your own pace, and it has to be finished no more than three months before your practical day. There's a free Queensland learner guide and eight free practice quizzes you can use beforehand, and you can go back over the online course and its quizzes as often as you like before the assessment. Most people find the rules about speed and distance stick better once they've read them twice.
Plan for a wet day. Bring photo ID, sun protection, a towel and a change of clothes. You'll need to be 16 to hold the licence, and once it's issued it never expires.
The course itself is the same wherever you sit it: the theory online first, in your own time, then a day on the water with a trainer before the assessment. You need a licence for any boat with an engine over 4.5 kilowatts, which is nearly every tinny, runabout and cruiser. Pass, and the Queensland licence never expires. Pick the date that suits you and book online.
The upper Maroochy can look like open river, and most riders only know about speed limits near ramps and canals.
MSQ applies 6 knots to every vessel upstream of the confluence at Yandina, gazetted in May 2004. There's no gap in it.
We treat slow riding as a real skill on the course day, so holding 6 knots feels normal instead of frustrating.
A jet ski steers by pushing water out the back. Ease off the throttle and it turns far less, which catches riders used to boats.
On a narrow, confined reach, a ski that won't turn when you need it to ends up on the bank or the rocks.
The training Seadoo has braking and reversing, and we use them on the practical so you can stop and back off under control.
The town sits on the river, so people assume there's a launch nearby.
MSQ says the reach has no public boat ramps. The nearest recorded ramp, Lake Dunethin Road (MA31), has no water and no toilets.
We name the ramp and what it lacks, so you turn up with water and a plan. ABC Boating's ramp guide adds two habits worth keeping: walk a ramp you've never used before you back down it, and never launch then try to start the engine while you're drifting.
People expect hazards on a speed-limited reach to have signs.
Brown's Rocks and two rock bars upstream of Caboolture Creek have no signs or navigation aids, according to MSQ. At idle or not, you won't be warned.
We encourage you to plan a ride from published information, and to treat any water you haven't ridden as unknown until you've seen it. On a first run up the reach, go slower than the limit asks and turn back early.
It's all called the Maroochy, so it feels like one set of rules.
Upstream of the David Low Bridge the limit is 20 knots, and below it there's a 6-knot zone around Chambers Island. The limit under you keeps changing.
Your practical runs on the lower river, so you've seen one of those changes before you ride into it on your own.
Where you train
Maroochydore
Apex Park, 107 Fishermans Road, Maroochydore QLD 4558
The Maroochydore venue sits further down the same river, and it's listed on the Queensland Government's BoatSafe register under Australian Boating College and 0427 110 025. Australian Boating College trades under ABC Licence Training Pty Ltd, which holds RTO 3399. After her course, Sarah Dadd wrote: 'Darryn took the time and explained everything really well.' In Queensland a marine licence can only come from an approved BoatSafe provider, so that listing is the one that counts. The training organisation behind the courses, Australian Boating College, is current on the national training register. Every approved provider works to the same floor: trainers hold a commercial marine qualification and pass a criminal history check, the training vessel is commercially certified and carries sun protection, and the organisation running it has to carry public liability cover of at least 20 million dollars. Maritime Safety Queensland audits providers and can suspend one that cuts corners.
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Approved by Maritime Safety Queensland to deliver the BoatSafe recreational marine and PWC licence courses.
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Courses are delivered under the registration of Australian Boating College, RTO #3399, so the training is nationally accredited.
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From Yandina, near the Ginger Factory and the upper Maroochy River, it is down the Bruce Highway and along the river flats to the Maroochy River base at Maroochydore. Yandina sits upstream on the upper Maroochy River, while the course runs on the sheltered lower Maroochy River at Maroochydore. We run the jet ski licence there with all equipment provided, so Yandina locals can get licensed close to home.
Tell us the date that suits you near Yandina and our team will come back to you, usually within one business day. Prefer to talk it through? Give us a call.
Not on the reach itself. MSQ says there are no public boat ramps upstream of the confluence. The nearest recorded ramp is Lake Dunethin Road (MA31), reached via the Yandina to Bli Bli road, and MSQ lists it with no water and no toilets. Take drinking water, and check the tide if you're heading to Muller Park instead.
Yes. Speed doesn't change it. To operate a jet ski in Queensland you need a boat licence and a PWC licence. The only exception is riding with someone on board who holds a valid marine licence and can take control straight away. Once you want to ride on your own, even slowly, you need your own.
It steers less sharply than it does under power, because the jet provides the steering. Wind and current push it around more too. The Seadoo used on the course has braking, reversing and a learner mode, and it's stable, which makes slow work and docking easier to learn. That's the handling you'll use most above the confluence.
Yes. Brown's Rocks and two rock bars upstream of Caboolture Creek form the barrier at the top of the navigable water, and MSQ records no signs or aids to navigation marking them. Ride that stretch slowly, keep a lookout, and don't assume open-looking water is deep.
Downstream. Above the David Low Bridge, MSQ posts 20 knots through the shallows near the Bli Bli Islands. Remember the PWC rules still apply there: 6 knots within 60 metres of the shore, people in the water, moored boats, ramps and pontoons. Further down, the Chambers Island zone drops you back to 6 knots.
It suits slow-speed practice, since the whole reach is 6 knots. Just go in knowing the downsides. There's no public ramp in the reach, the rocks at the top aren't marked, and MSQ classes it as confined water for craft up to five metres. Short, careful sessions work best.
It's worth checking. MSQ classes the reach upstream of the confluence as confined water navigable for powered craft up to five metres, compared with seven metres in the reach below and twelve below the David Low Bridge. Look up your ski's length on its spec sheet before planning a ride up there, and remember the family boat may be a different story.
Yes. You do not need your own boat, jet ski or gear. We provide the vessels, lifejackets and all training equipment, plus the launch sites and sheltered water at all three locations. Just bring photo ID, sun protection and clothes you do not mind getting a little wet, and we take care of the rest.
The course fee covers your online theory, the theory recap and assessment on the day, your one-on-one practical session on the jet ski, and your first practical assessment. Current pricing shows in the booking calendar once you pick a date and location. Remember the jet ski course assumes you already hold a boat licence, so if you do not, the combo is the course you want.
You must be at least 16 to hold a recreational marine or PWC licence in Queensland. You can operate a powered boat without holding one at any age, as long as someone with a valid marine licence is supervising you on board. Sixteenth birthdays are a popular time to book, so it is worth getting the course done early.
What a personal watercraft licence covers in Queensland, how it differs from a boat licence, the age rules, and how to get your jet ski licence in a day on the Sunshine Coast.
A simple checklist for your boat or jet ski licence course day on the Sunshine Coast: ID, what to wear, sun protection, and what we provide so you can just turn up and learn.
Get your slow-speed control sorted on the lower river, then bring it home to the upper Maroochy. Pick a Maroochydore date, or call 0427 110 025 and tell us whether you already hold a boat licence.
