Visitors to Kamloops and the Okanagan this summer are likely looking to play in the water. And while stand-up paddleboards are all the rage, if you want something with more horsepower, there's actually nothing stopping you from renting a boat.

You don't even need a licence.

Anyone who owns a boat will need their Pleasure Craft Licence through Transport Canada. They're mandatory for anyone who wants to operate a boat with 10 horsepower or more.

If you don't own a boat, you can still legally operate them through rental companies, which offer temporary licenses.

One local business that offers temporary licenses with its rentals is the Penticton Boat Club. Owner Jordan McCallum requires renters to be at least 21 years old.

“I have my own rules to make it a little safer – we could have the minimum age lower but I choose not to,” said McCallum, who’s owned the business since he was 22. At that age he remembers feeling confident that people in their early 20s were mature enough to rent a boat. But now that he’s closer to 30, he said the idea of raising the minimum age has crossed his mind.

READ MORE: Penticton company innovates with hassle-free 'boat share' club

Another safety measure at the Penticton Boat Club is the requirement of a drivers license, which is not legally required to rent a boat.

McCallum takes extra precautions to feel more comfortable about who's renting his equipment, not because boats are difficult to drive. Even for people with no experience, he said operating a boat is pretty easy out in open waters, however docking requires extra focus. There’s still breathing room – not everybody docks perfectly, but as long as it’s done at a smooth pace it’s easy to correct.

“It’s all about going slow and steady.”

McCallum ensures all renters – whether they have their own boat license or not – are comfortable and familiar with controls before he lets them go out. He has noticed that people without their own license tend to be more attentive during his instructions. 

"Our orientations cover lake-specific issues," he said. Compared to coastal waters, new and novice boaters have less to worry about in Interior lakes because there is very little commercial traffic.

READ MORE: New fee to licence pleasure craft being considered by Transport Canada

When Transport Canada was asked for comment, Sau Sau Liu, senior communications advisor, said in an email that everybody operating a motorized pleasurecraft must carry proof of operator competency on board to show they have knowledge of basic boating safety. They can do so through one of four ways – the most common is with the Pleasure Craft Operator Card; they can show proof they passed a boating safety course; provide ­a marine certificate from Transport Canada; or a completed rental boat safety checklist which only remains valid for the rental period.

"No person in charge of a pleasure craft shall allow another person to operate the pleasure craft unless the other person is a person referred to above or is a person who meets these requirements," Liu said. 

A completed rental boat safety checklist is accepted as proof of competency under the Competency of Operators of Pleasure Regulations. The rental boat agency or a representative from a rental agency must complete a safety briefing with their client."

Businesses are required to brief renters on how to safely operate the pleasure craft, how use its safety equipment in an emergency, the principal boating safety rules, and geographic features and hazards in the area.

"A rental boat safety checklist (provided by the rental agency) is used as a reference for this orientation. Once the safety briefing is completed, both parties (rental boat agency and the boat operator) sign the checklist. The boat operator must carry the completed rental boat safety checklist on board, which serves as proof of competency for the entire rental period.  If the rental boat agency determines that the client is not capable of safely operating the pleasure craft they want to rent, they can refuse to rent their pleasure craft."

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