Personal Water Craft (Jet Skiing)/Water Skiing/Board Sailing/Surfing and Swimming - KHM General Direction No. 2/25
Published 23:56 on 3 Apr 2025
1. Mariners are advised that the Kings Harbour Master Portsmouth has made the following General Direction with regard to Personal Watercraft (Jet Skiing), Water Skiing, Board Sailing (Wind Surfing), / Kite Boarding (Kite Surfing) / Wing Surfing / Wing Foiling (Power and Wind Driven), and Swimming.
2. Personal Watercraft/Jet Ski (PWC) use is not permitted within Portsmouth Harbour or within half a nautical mile from shore outside the harbour without a licence from KHM. The licences are free and application can be made at https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/khm/portsmouth/using-the-port-for-recreation/personal-watercraft/pwc-license. Operators of PWCs are to obtain third party insurance cover for their vessel and to have them data tagged.
3. Licenced PWC users may use their craft anywhere within the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth with due regard for the speed limits stated within General Direction 5/23, the designated PWC areas the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and The Dockyard Port of Portsmouth Regulations.
4. Designated PWC areas, within which PWCs may exceed 10 knots, have been established as follows:
a. Lee-on-Solent. At Lee-on-Solent the PWC Area (See Figure 1 on line) is bounded by the following positions: 50° 48 .47 N 001° 12 .75 W 50° 48 .35 N 001° 12 .58 W 50° 48 .05 N 001° 13 .17 W 50° 48 .15 N 001° 13 .34 W b
b. This area is marked by yellow buoys at the east and west limits extending out from the groynes either side of the slipway. A buoy is placed either side of the outermost buoys, indicating half a nautical mile distance from shore.
c. Eastney. A PWC area is established 600m south of the beach at Eastney and 400m west of the approaches to the Langstone Harbour entrance. The area is bounded by the following positions: 50° 46 78 N 001° 02 73 W 50° 46 88 N 001° 02 09 W 50° 46 69 N 001° 01 96 W 50° 46 58 N 001° 02 58 W d. This area is not marked by buoys.
5. Board Sailing (Wind Surfing) Kite Boarding (Kite Surfing) / Wing Surfing / Wing Foiling (Power and Wind Driven is prohibited in the following areas (See Figure 2 on line):
a. Portsmouth Harbour Approach Channels. The buoyed channel extending from a line joining Outer Spit Buoy and Horse Sand Buoy at its southerly limit to a line joining the easternmost point of Fort Blockhouse and the Round Tower (Old Portsmouth) at the Harbour entrance. It is bounded on either side by the channel buoys marking the limits of the dredged channel.
b. Portsmouth Harbour Main Navigable Channels. All the waters of the Harbour south of a line joining the northern end of Shell Pier head and the south-west corner of Whale Island and to the south of Whale Island Bridge but excluding the waters above Haslar Bridge and Forton Bridge.
c. Fareham Lake. In the navigable channel of Fareham Lake from the limits defined in paragraph b northward to latitude 504900N and bounded to the east and west by the drying line as defined on current Admiralty Charts.
6. Water Skiing/Wakeboarding Areas. Water skiing is not permitted inside Portsmouth Harbour north of the harbour entrance, nor within half a nautical mile from any shore within the Dockyard Port (Eastern Solent) except in a designated water skiing area.
a. The designated water skiing area to the northwest of Wootton Creek is bounded by the following positions: 50° 44 78 N 001° 12 61 W 50° 45 27 N 001° 14 05 W 50° 45 05 N 001° 14 22 W 50° 44 55 N 001° 12 80 W
b. This area is not buoyed and vessel operators are to take care that they remain within the designated area when towing water skiers/wakeboarders. Within the designated area vessel may exceed 10 knots. Vessel operators should note and have due regard of the applicable COLREGS, specifically the requirement to maintain an effective lookout and proceed at a safe speed.
7. Swimming (Eastney). An area solely for swimming is established and bounded by four yellow unlit spherical buoys approximately 100 metres offshore running easterly from 50°4680N, 001°0365W to 50°4685N, 001°0350W. Mariners are advised that this is a measure to reduce risk of casualties between swimmers and small leisure craft. Mariners are to remain seaward of the swim area, maintaining a good all-round lookout at all times and to proceed at a safe speed, taking full regard of any effect their wake or wash may have on swimmers in the water.
8. Contravention of the rules contained within this General Direction is a criminal offence.
9. Portsmouth GD 7/23 is hereby superseded.
Last updated 23:56 on 3 April 2025