I let my 14 yo take his kayak out by himself in well-defined areas. He's been out in Big Lake, da West Side Weirs, the Mississippi River, LSU University Lake, and several other fresh water locations. I usually set up and fish the bank near the launching point, but he's often out of immediate sight (but within 1/2 mile). He's planning to fish the Ride the Bull tournament in Caminada pass in a few weeks. I plan to be within sight to summon help if there is a problem, but there will already be a lot of boats in the pass, and I don't think I need to be in a boat.
Some of my teenagers have taken the Coast Guard boating course, and I don't have a big problem turning them loose with our 16 ft V hulled Alumacraft with 20 hp motor in a well defined area with a float plan and a defined return time. Handing the car keys to a 16 year old to navigate I-10 and I-12 rush hour traffic in Baton Rouge is actually much scarier for my wife and I as parents.
In areas with cell service, it is not too hard to set up a smart phone to track their location in real time so that a parent can confirm they are staying within their approved boundaries and quickly determine a last known location should they not return home or check in at an expected time.
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