What must a rental craft carry in Sweden?
The required safety equipment for a rental SUP, kayak, jet ski, motorboat and sailboat — every line with the section of the act and a link to it. Then what to tell customers at check-out.
Official guidance No statutory equipment list for recreational craft — Transportstyrelsen guidance “Utrustning”
Authority: Transportstyrelsen
Sweden has no statutory equipment list for recreational boats. Transportstyrelsen publishes guidance instead, and that is what you’ll see.
Read the official text ↗ · Rules checked 2 October 2026
General guidance: the lists below are the equipment rules for recreational craft. Hiring craft out is a business, and some countries add rules for rental or commercial craft, or ask for a permit. Before the season, check with Transportstyrelsen or the local harbour master which rules apply to your fleet.
SUP board rental
Worked out for One paddler on a SUP board, no engine, by day.
Official guidance 0
Sweden’s equipment rules cover boats. A SUP board isn’t one, so no statutory carriage list applies — local bylaws, beach rules or wearing duties still may.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid and say whether wearing it is required here (see “Licence, lifejacket and charter rules”).
- Show the leash: coiled ankle leash on flat water, quick-release waist leash on rivers and in current.
- Point out the area they may use, the swimming zones and the boat traffic, on a map.
- Offshore wind: kneel or lie on the board, paddle across the wind towards the nearest shore — not back to base.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below, stay with the board.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Quick-release waist leashMoving water demands a quick-release waist leash — an ankle leash in current is a hazard, not a safety device.
- Coiled ankle leashFlatwater. Your board is your biggest flotation device; stay attached to it.
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)A belt-pack inflatable is unobtrusive enough that people actually wear it.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchFloating, on you, not strapped to the board.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitCold shock off a paddleboard is the classic early-season incident.
- Whistle on the vestCosts nothing, carries far.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Kayak / canoe rental
Worked out for One paddler in a kayak or canoe, no engine, by day.
Official guidance 0
Sweden’s equipment rules cover boats. A kayak / canoe isn’t one, so no statutory carriage list applies — local bylaws, beach rules or wearing duties still may.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid; check the spraydeck release loop is outside and they can pull it.
- Capsize: stay with the kayak, hold on, swim it to shore or wait for help; show the paddle float if you supply one.
- Point out the area, the weirs, current or shipping lanes, and where they may land.
- Groups stay together; the strongest paddler last.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)Worn the whole time. A buoyancy aid in the day hatch has saved nobody.
- Paddle float + hand pumpWith a hand pump, this is the actual self-rescue kit — practise before you need it.
- SpraydeckA swamped cockpit ends the trip.
- Buoyancy bagsKeeps the boat recoverable after a capsize.
- Handheld VHF, floatingSea kayaking: waterproof handheld, on your person.
- Personal strobe / vest lightYou sit very low. Being seen is the whole problem.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Jet ski / PWC rental
Worked out for A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots.
Official guidance 4
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)per person
Guidance, not a statutory list: a lifejacket for everyone aboard, worn whenever there is any risk of going in.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Kill cord / wireless kill switch
The kill cord should be attached to the driver so the boat stops if they go over.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
Guidance: at least one 2 kg powder extinguisher; a CE-marked boat’s manual states the size and type.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Boarding ladder reachable from the water
A rescue ladder so a person in the water can get back aboard.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the wrist or the vest, every time the engine runs.
- Lifejackets on the rider and the passenger, fastened — check the wearing rule below.
- Show the area, the no-go zones, swimmers and the speed limits near the shore and in harbours (local rules).
- Licence and age: check the renter is allowed to drive it here (see below) before handing over the key.
- Capsize: how to right it (sticker on the hull) and climb back on from the stern.
- Fuel, return time, and how to call for help.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Impact / buoyancy vestImpact protection as well as buoyancy — you hit the water hard.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchOn you, not in the hull.
- Whistle on the vestEngine off, voice gone — a whistle carries.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitImmersion is a matter of when, not if.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Motorboat rental
Worked out for An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard.
Official guidance 4
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)per person
Guidance, not a statutory list: a lifejacket for everyone aboard, worn whenever there is any risk of going in.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Kill cord / wireless kill switch
The kill cord should be attached to the driver so the boat stops if they go over.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
Guidance: at least one 2 kg powder extinguisher; a CE-marked boat’s manual states the size and type.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Boarding ladder reachable from the water
A rescue ladder so a person in the water can get back aboard.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the driver, every time the engine runs.
- Where the lifejackets are, how to put them on — children’s sizes by weight.
- Engine start and stop, fuel, the anchor, and how to come alongside.
- Show the area, the shallows, channels and no-go zones on a chart; propeller near swimmers.
- Weather limits and the return time; lights if they could be out after sunset.
- How to call for help: VHF channel 16 if fitted, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateAuto-inflate, so it works whether or not you were conscious when you hit the water.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress with position, monitored by everyone around you.
- PLB, 406 MHz, registeredFor when you’re beyond VHF range or the set has drowned.
- CO alarmPetrol engines and an enclosed cabin.
- Electronic distress light (SOS)Electronic SOS light — no expiry and usable every night of its life.
- Rearm kit + CO₂ cylinder (spare)One spare rearm kit aboard — an inflated jacket is single-use until rearmed.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Sailboat rental
Worked out for A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day.
Official guidance 4
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)per person
Guidance, not a statutory list: a lifejacket for everyone aboard, worn whenever there is any risk of going in.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Kill cord / wireless kill switch
The kill cord should be attached to the driver so the boat stops if they go over.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
Guidance: at least one 2 kg powder extinguisher; a CE-marked boat’s manual states the size and type.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source - Boarding ladder reachable from the water
A rescue ladder so a person in the water can get back aboard.
Transportstyrelsen guidance · source
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Lifejackets and harnesses: where they are, when to wear them, how to clip on.
- Man overboard: who throws the lifebuoy, who points, how to come back under engine.
- Gas cooker: valve shut after use, ventilation; the fire extinguisher and blanket.
- Reefing, the engine, the bilge pump and the anchor.
- Weather limits, the area and the charts; return time and check-in.
- VHF: channel 16, the DSC distress button, and the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateOffshore, a 150 N auto jacket with sprayhood, light, harness point and crotch strap — a 100 N jacket won’t turn an unconscious person in a seaway.
- Jackstays + tethersClipping on is what stops a man-overboard from happening at all.
- AIS-MOB beacon, on the lifejacketOne per crew, on the jacket. It puts a mark on your own plotter — a flare only helps if someone is already looking.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress at the press of a button, with your position attached.
- EPIRB, 406 MHz, registeredThe alert that doesn’t depend on anyone being within VHF range.
- Radar reflectorBusy shipping lanes — the Gulf of Finland, the Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar — are heavy and fast.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Licence, lifejacket and charter rules
For renters and skippers, from the authorities’ own texts. Checked 14 October 2026.
No licence is required for recreational boats under 12 m long and under 4 m wide, except personal watercraft (förarbevis). The master of a recreational vessel over 12 m long and over 4 m wide needs skepparexamen, kustskepparexamen or higher.
Transportstyrelsen (Swedish Transport Agency) · Transportstyrelsen (Swedish Transport Agency)Transportstyrelsen's guidance: a life jacket for everyone on board, worn except when there is no risk of falling in; a kill-cord should be attached. In its 2025 boating survey 72% of respondents said wearing one should be required by law.
Transportstyrelsen (Swedish Transport Agency) · Transportstyrelsen (Swedish Transport Agency)If a rental needs rescue
The maritime rescue centre for Sweden’s waters — put it on your briefing card and in your staff phones.
Where Fleet helps
Fleet doesn’t replace a single item above. It helps your staff keep an eye on every rental once it is out — we are building it with pilot operators for the 2027 season.
Printable checklist for Sweden
A sheet per craft for the waters you rent in: the required kit with the section of the act, what to tell the customer, and a sign-off line for your staff. Print it or save it as a PDF.
Questions operators ask
What safety equipment must a rental SUP board carry in Sweden?
Sweden’s equipment rules for recreational craft do not cover a SUP board, so no statutory carriage list applies to it. Wearing duties, beach rules or local bylaws may still apply — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental kayak / canoe carry in Sweden?
Sweden’s equipment rules for recreational craft do not cover a kayak / canoe, so no statutory carriage list applies to it. Wearing duties, beach rules or local bylaws may still apply — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental jet ski / PWC carry in Sweden?
There is no statutory list; the official guidance (No statutory equipment list for recreational craft — Transportstyrelsen guidance “Utrustning”) recommends, for the rental we assume (A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots): Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE), Kill cord / wireless kill switch, Fire extinguisher, 2 kg, and Boarding ladder reachable from the water.
What safety equipment must a rental motorboat carry in Sweden?
There is no statutory list; the official guidance (No statutory equipment list for recreational craft — Transportstyrelsen guidance “Utrustning”) recommends, for the rental we assume (An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard): Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE), Kill cord / wireless kill switch, Fire extinguisher, 2 kg, and Boarding ladder reachable from the water.
What safety equipment must a rental sailboat carry in Sweden?
There is no statutory list; the official guidance (No statutory equipment list for recreational craft — Transportstyrelsen guidance “Utrustning”) recommends, for the rental we assume (A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day): Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE), Kill cord / wireless kill switch, Fire extinguisher, 2 kg, and Boarding ladder reachable from the water.
Do renters need a licence in Sweden?
No licence is required for recreational boats under 12 m long and under 4 m wide, except personal watercraft (förarbevis). The master of a recreational vessel over 12 m long and over 4 m wide needs skepparexamen, kustskepparexamen or higher.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a summary of the official texts, with a link to each one, to help you prepare. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment; when in doubt, the cited act and the national authority win.
A summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment and its condition. Rules change — when in doubt, the cited act wins, and local bylaws, permits or your insurer may ask for more.
Other countries
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