Boaties who aren't wearing life jackets whilst on board and those who speed on the water will face a fine of $300 as part of the "no excuses" trial.
The Director of Maritime NZ, Keith Manch says boaties who break councils' lifejacket and speed rules will be given infringement notices of up to $300, depending on each council's existing bylaws.
The trial will be run for about five days by each council at different times during summer. After summer, the trial will be reviewed and decisions made about whether it will be extended in future.
“We are focusing on boaties who do not carry or wear lifejackets (as required by the Maritime Transport Act and Regional Council bylaws) and also unsafe speed because they are two of the biggest risks of death and injury,” Mr Manch said.
Mr Manch said New Zealand's tragic statistics are that up to two-thirds of recreational boaties who died might have been saved if they wore lifejackets.
"Wearing your lifejacket is the single most important thing you can do to avoid drowning if you end up unexpectedly in the water," he said.
"Boaties speeding in congested areas is dangerous and can cause injuries to children, swimmers, divers and people in small craft. There is a five-knot speed limit when you are near the shore, swimmers, divers and other boats.
"Each regional council will be letting boaties know in their communities that enforcement action will happen sometime during summer. The specific days when this action will occur will not be publicised. Our expectation is that safe boaties follow the requirements each and every time they go on the water.
"For Maritime NZ it is an important addition to the mix of education and promotional activities that we traditionally use to encourage safer boating.
"The intention is to deter those boaties who do not prioritise safety and choose to break the rules. Our aim is to reduce boating fatalities and injuries."
Councils taking part in the trial include Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Tasman, Nelson, Malborough and Canterbury.