Swimmers and boat users on the Costa Brava have reported unsafe jet ski behaviour to the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police, whose maritime unit is carrying out checks on riders and rental operators. Officers focus on suspected speeding, entry into swimming or protected areas, and failures to keep a safe distance, according to reporting by 3CatInfo.

For beachgoers and other sea users, the practical risk is greatest near marked swimming areas and along the coast, where personal watercraft must stay clear of bathers and restricted waters. Mossos patrols check users' and vehicles' documents, insurance and safety equipment, both at sea and at businesses offering rentals or guided trips.

Maritime Captaincy sets the penalty after a Mossos report

The Mossos enforce rules on the water by detecting suspected offences and filing reports. Those reports are sent to Capitanía Marítima de Palamós, the state Maritime Captaincy, which decides whether an offence is minor, serious or very serious and sets the amount of any penalty.

In an operation reported on 15 August 2024, Mossos issued six reports involving boats in under three hours on the Costa Brava. Three vessels were several metres inside the marked swimming area at Cala Senià in Palamós; two were at Cap de Planes, between Mont-ras and Palamós; and another was anchored at Platja Fonda in Begur.

The same Mossos patrol reported a jet ski rider near the protected Ses Negres fishing area in Begur. The rider was travelling parallel to the coast less than 50 metres offshore and was not wearing the required life jacket, according to the report published by La Vanguardia.

Cap de Creus restrictions apply to jet skis

Jet skis are prohibited in Cap de Creus Natural Park under its 2025 Master Plan for Use and Management, known as the PRUG. The Generalitat's official summer 2025 guidance lists limited exceptions for maritime rescue, people with reduced mobility, guided trips run by authorised companies and registered residents.

  • Check whether a route crosses a swimming area, protected zone or the Cap de Creus Natural Park before setting out.
  • Rental operators should provide the required documents, insurance and safety equipment before a trip begins.
  • Guided excursions in Cap de Creus must be run by authorised companies under the park rules.

Mossos maritime officers say rental firms and guided-trip organisers are among the businesses inspected during the summer season.

Primary sources: sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es, parcsnaturals.gencat.cat. Reported by 3cat.cat, lavanguardia.com, elperiodico.com, EFE, diaridegirona.cat, Llagostera Ràdio, 3CatInfo Barcelona.