Miami’s Most Popular Sandbar, Haulover Sandbar, Being Removed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Baker’s Haulover Inlet is a man-made inlet, excavated in 1925 to connect Biscayne Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of creating a man-made inlet, the sand that would have normally replenished the beaches to the south now flows into the inlet instead. This flow from the Atlantic Ocean creates a sandbar in the middle of the intracoastal forming one of Miami’s gems that locals and tourists enjoy together known as the Haulover Sandbar. (https://g.page/hauloversandbar) Unfortunately, on January 21, 2021, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take sand from Haulover Sandbar and use it for beach erosion control and hurricane protection in nearby Bal Harbour Beach. The Bal Harbour Beach Renourishment project includes adding more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand along…
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Jet Ski Rules and Regulations

Each person operating, riding on, or being towed behind a personal watercraft must wear an approved non-inflatable wearable personal flotation device (PFD). Inflatable PFDs are prohibited for personal watercraft use. The operator of a personal watercraft must attach the engine cutoff switch lanyard (if equipped by the manufacturer) to his/her person, clothing or PFD. Personal watercraft may not be operated from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, even if navigation lights are used. Remember, both federal and state law requires the use of navigation lights from sunset to sunrise. Maneuvering a personal watercraft by weaving through congested vessel traffic, jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably close or when visibility around the vessel is obstructed, or swerving at the last possible moment to avoid collision is classified…
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Paddleboard Rules and Regulations

Unless the paddleboard is being used within a “swimming, surfing or bathing area,” the paddleboard must have a USCG-approved life jacket for each person and a sound-producing device on board while on the water. Although persons on the paddleboard are not required to wear the life jacket while on Florida waters (unless they are less than 6 years of age), it is advisable to find a comfortable life jacket that you can wear or easily carry while on the water. A "sound-producing device" is a small whistle or horn that can be heard for a least one-half nautical mile. "Referee-type" whistles or other similar devices that can be attached to your life jacket should work well. If you are operating in limited visibility or at night, you will also need a flashlight…
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Water Ski Rules and Regulations

The operator of a vessel towing someone on skis or another aquaplaning device must either have an observer, in addition to the operator, on board who is attendant to the actions of the skier or have and use a wide-angle rear-view mirror. No one may ski or aquaplane between the hours of 1/2 hour past sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise. No one may water ski or use another aquaplaning device unless they are wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved non-inflatable wearable personal flotation device (PFD). Inflatable PFDs are prohibited for skiing/aquaplaning. No one may ski or use another aquaplaning device while impaired by alcohol or other drugs. The operator of a vessel towing a skier may not pull the skier close enough to a fixed object or another vessel that…
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