The Short Version
If you ride a jet ski in Dania Beach, you will use two kinds of docks: a ramp to get the ski in the water, and a day dock to tie up when you want to eat, rest or walk to the beach. They are different places.
- Tie up for the afternoon: the city-owned Dania Beach Marina at 151 North Beach Road offers free day docking, first come, first served, for up to 4 hours per boat each day (marina FAQ).
- Launch from a trailer: the four I.T. Parker ramps on NE 3rd Street, run by Harbour Towne Marina, or the single ramp at Griffin Marine Park (City of Dania Beach boat ramps).
- Buy fuel: Harbour Towne has a fuel dock. Dania Beach Marina does not.
The rest of this guide covers what each spot is like for a personal watercraft, the hours that matter, and the rules you carry with you from the ramp to the dock. If you are renting instead of trailering, start with our Dania Beach jet ski rental guide.
Dania Beach Marina: Where to Tie Up Near the Beach
The City of Dania Beach describes its municipal marina as sitting across from Dania Beach Ocean Park and the Dania Beach Pier, next to Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and just south of the Port Everglades inlet. The city developed it with support from the Broward County Board of Commissioners, and US Marina Group manages it today.
For a jet ski rider, the useful part is day docking. The marina's FAQ says complimentary day docking is first come, first served, for up to 4 hours per boat each day. Its dockage page adds that the free Dock n Dine slips are on G-Dock, with the same 4 hour limit. That is enough time for lunch nearby or a walk over to the beach.
A few things to know before you pull in:
- There is no boat ramp here. The marina's FAQ says so plainly and points boaters to public ramps nearby.
- There is no fuel dock here. Fill up before you arrive.
- The entrance has a fixed bridge. Clearance is 17 feet at high tide and 20 feet at low tide. A jet ski passes under easily; it matters if you are traveling with a larger boat.
- The whole basin is no wake. The marina's posted rules start with "NO WAKE within or approaching the Marina Premises."
- No swimming or fishing inside the marina. The same rules prohibit both anywhere in the basin.
- The dock office listens on VHF. The marina lists channels 16 and 68.
Dock lines and fenders are your job. A jet ski has a low, soft hull line, and a floating dock edge can scuff it if the ski is left loose. Tie off bow and stern so the ski cannot swing into the slip next to you.
Launching at the I.T. Parker Ramps (Harbour Towne Marina)
The city lists four boat ramps next to the I.T. Parker facility on NE 3rd Street, operated by Harbour Towne Marina, and tells boaters to contact Harbour Towne about pricing (City of Dania Beach).
Harbour Towne's own boat ramp details fill in the rest:
- The launch ramps are open 24 hours a day.
- The fee is $20 per day for launch and parking, paid on arrival.
- The dockmaster's office takes cards from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. From 6:00 pm to 8:00 am, payment is cash only, collected by security at the ramp or the main gate.
- Your truck and trailer must stay hooked up. There is no separate trailer-only parking.
- There are no reservations. Parking is first come, first served, and summer weekends can fill up. When the lot is full you may still launch, but you must park offsite.
The marina also lists a full-service fuel dock with a pump-out station, open water access with no bridges, and a location minutes from the Port Everglades inlet. For a jet ski that means you can launch, fuel and reach the Intracoastal without waiting on a drawbridge.
Griffin Marine Park Ramp
The second public option on the city's list is Griffin Marine Park at 2987 SW 45th Street. The city describes one boat ramp in the park, along with a dock and a parking lot, and lists hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The city's page does not list a launch fee, so call the number on that page if you need to confirm before you tow.
With a single lane, expect to wait your turn on a busy weekend morning. Have the ski ready before you back down: straps off, drain plugs checked, lanyard and life jacket in hand. A quick launch keeps the line moving and keeps tempers calm at the ramp.
Ramp Hours vs. Legal Riding Hours
A ramp being open does not mean you can ride. Florida law bars anyone from operating a personal watercraft from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise (s. 327.39(3), Florida Statutes). The FWC adds that this applies even if navigation lights are used.
That matters most at Harbour Towne, where the ramp itself never closes. You can pull the ski out in the dark, but you cannot ride it in the dark. Plan your last run so the ski is back at the ramp or tied up by the half hour after sunset, then trailer it at your own pace.
At Griffin Marine Park, the park's 8 p.m. closing time is the other limit. In the months when the legal cutoff falls after 8 p.m., the park closes first, so plan to be off the water earlier than the sunset math alone suggests.
How to Dock a Jet Ski Without Damage
Docking a jet ski feels easy until a crosswind or a passing wake pushes you into a piling. These habits help at any dock in Dania Beach:
- Slow down well before the dock. Inside a posted "Idle Speed - No Wake" zone, the FWC says you must run at the minimum speed that keeps headway and steerageway. Approach the dock at that speed even where no sign is posted.
- Remember you steer with throttle. A jet ski needs some thrust to turn. Drop to idle too early and the ski drifts where the wind wants it to go.
- Come in at a shallow angle, into the wind or current when you can, so the ski slows itself.
- Have lines ready before you arrive. One at the bow eye and one at a rear cleat if your model has one.
- Shut the engine off and pull the lanyard once you are tied up and before anyone steps off. Florida law requires the lanyard to be attached to the operator while riding (s. 327.39(2)), so it is already in your hand.
- Step off onto the dock, never onto the ski's edge. The hull rolls easily under one person's weight.
Leaving is the reverse. Untie the stern first, push the back of the ski away from the dock, then start the engine once everyone is seated and the lanyard is clipped on.
Fuel Before You Tie Up
Since Dania Beach Marina has no fuel dock, plan fuel from the ramp. Harbour Towne lists a fuel dock on site, so the cleanest plan for a full day is to launch there, top off, and ride.
Our walkthrough on safe fueling procedures at Dania Beach marinas covers shutting down, keeping the nozzle in contact, and handling a spill, step by step.
Speed Zones and Manatees Between the Ramps and the Beach
The ramps and the marina sit on busy, protected water. Port Everglades says manatee season runs from November 15 through March 31, and that manatees gather in the Dania Cutoff Canal, which has a warm water source at the Lauderdale power plant cooling lakes (Port Everglades).
Port Everglades also describes a 6,000 foot idle-speed zone in the Intracoastal Waterway, from the south end of Berth 25 to about the middle of Berth 31, in effect from November 15 to March 31, with a slow-speed zone in all other port waters year round. The Florida Power & Light discharge canal is closed year round to unauthorized vessels.
Know what the signs mean before you see them. The FWC defines "Slow Speed, Minimum Wake" as fully off plane and completely settled in the water, and "Idle Speed - No Wake" as the minimum speed that keeps headway and steerageway. Our Dania Beach to Fort Lauderdale route guide covers the port crossing in detail.
What to Carry From the Ramp to the Dock
The rules travel with you whether you are at the ramp, underway or tied up at a day dock:
- A non-inflatable life jacket for every rider. Everyone riding a personal watercraft, or towed behind one, must wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device that is not an inflatable (s. 327.39(1)).
- Your boating education card and photo ID. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 needs photo identification and a Florida boating safety identification card, or another accepted document, on board to operate a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more (s. 327.395).
- An operator who is at least 14. No one under 14 may operate a personal watercraft in Florida (s. 327.39(5)). The FWC also notes that you must be at least 18 to rent one.
For the full list of age, hours and equipment rules, see our Florida jet ski and PWC laws guide. If you still need your card, you can start the Boat Skill course online.
Dania Beach Jet Ski Docks at a Glance
| Spot | What it is for | Ramp | Fuel | Hours listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dania Beach Marina, 151 N Beach Rd | Free day docking, up to 4 hours | No | No | Day docking, first come, first served |
| I.T. Parker ramps (Harbour Towne), NE 3rd St | Trailer launch and parking | Four ramps | Yes, at Harbour Towne | Ramps open 24 hours |
| Griffin Marine Park, 2987 SW 45th St | Trailer launch | One ramp | Not listed | 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
Sources for each row: Dania Beach Marina FAQ, Harbour Towne Marina, City of Dania Beach boat ramps. Ramp hours are the facility's hours; riding hours still end one-half hour after sunset under Florida law.
