Guide · What to wear

Do you need water shoes to jet ski? What to wear in Tenerife

Do you need water shoes to jet ski? Not on the guided rides here. What you do need is simpler than you think, and a few things are better left in the locker.

Check availabilityfrom $47 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, jetskisafaritenerife.comUpdated October 26, 2026Reading time 6 min7 sources

The tour this guide is about Jet ski safari on the south coast of Tenerife 4.5 (3,005 reviews) 40 minNo licence and no experience neededDrinks, life jacket and lockers included from$47per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

Pack list in short

01Wear: Swimwear, plus a light top in cooler months.
02Lent to you: Life jacket, goggles and a wetsuit if needed.
03Bring: Passport or ID, a copy is fine, and cash.
04Leave behind: Your phone: not allowed on the ride booked here.
05Afterwards: A towel; a shower is 100 m from the base.

The short answer on shoes

Do you need water shoes to jet ski? On the guided rides in Tenerife, no. The ride booked on this site asks you to bring only a passport or ID card, of which a copy is accepted, and cash. You step from a pontoon onto the jet ski and sit with your feet in the footwells, so bare feet are fine, and they grip a wet deck better than sandals do.

If you have tender feet, a pair of thin neoprene water shoes does no harm. They help on hot pontoons and on rocky stops where you climb back aboard after a swim. Avoid anything loose: flip-flops come off at the first jump and float away, and heavy trainers fill with water and drag on your feet if you fall in.

The rule is different on the quad half of a combo day, where fully closed shoes are required. If you are combining the two, bring a pair of closed shoes in your bag and change between the activities. The jet ski ride itself can be a barefoot affair, and nobody will think twice about it.

Getting ready

From the hotel to the water

At the hotel

Swimwear on

Put it on under your clothes, with sun cream applied early.
In your bag

ID and cash

A passport or ID copy and cash for the deposit.
At the base

Lock it away

Phone, keys and valuables go in the lockers.
Before boarding

Kit on

Life jacket and goggles from the operator.
Afterwards

Rinse off

A shower and toilet stand about 100 m from the base.

What the operators lend you

The essential safety kit is provided. Spanish rules require every rider and passenger to wear an approved life jacket with at least 100 N of buoyancy and a whistle.¹ ² On the ride booked here, a life jacket and goggles are included, a wetsuit is lent if you need one, and lockers keep your things dry.

Other operators include similar kit. The double ride from Los Cristianos includes life vests and glasses against sun, wind and water, plus a safe place for your belongings. One Puerto Colón operator lists changing rooms and lockers in its office. Check the listing you book, but in practice you arrive in swimwear and leave the rest to the operator.

Goggles matter more than people expect. Salt spray in the eyes is a real nuisance on a choppy day, and a pair that sits tight keeps you seeing clearly. If you wear prescription glasses, bring an old pair on a strap, or contact lenses with goggles over them; a lost pair of glasses at sea is a ruined afternoon.

Dress for the month

Average daily high at Tenerife Sur, °C

°C

AEMET standard climate values 1981 to 2010 for the Tenerife Sur airport station, on land at 64 m.³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶

Listing by listing

What each ride lends you and asks of you

Ride	Provided	Bring or note
San Miguel safari	Life jacket, goggles, lockers	ID, cash; no phones
Double with pickup	Life vests, glasses, insurance	Swimwear
Puerto Colón safari	Changing rooms, lockers	Arrive early
Los Gigantes safari	Safety gear training	No cameras while driving
Quad combo	Helmet, gloves, jacket	Closed shoes

As each GetYourGuide listing states it; check the listing you book again before the day.

Three outfits

Summer, winter, or a combo day

Light

Summer ride

June to September

Wear: Swimwear, lycra
Feet: Bare
Add: Sun cream

Check dates

A layer more

Winter ride

December to March

Wear: Swimwear, top
Ask for: A wetsuit
Add: Warm top after

Check dates

Two outfits

Jet ski and quad

A combo day

Sea: Swimwear
Mountain: Closed shoes
Add: A jacket

Check dates

Decision helper

What should you add to the basics?

A few extras depend on you and the season

Ask for the wetsuit

The ride booked here lends one if you need it.

Use a strap

Or wear contacts under the goggles the ride includes.

Buy the operator's

Phones are not allowed; photos are taken and sold afterwards.

Thin water shoes

They help on hot pontoons and rocky swim stops.

Pack closed shoes

Fully closed shoes are required on the quad trip.

The life jacket shall have a minimum buoyancy of 100 N and must carry a whistle to attract attention.

Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), Spanish Governmentrendered from Spanish · Source 2

What to wear for the season

In summer, swimwear and a lycra or a quick-dry t-shirt are enough. AEMET's normals for Tenerife Sur show average highs of 27.7 °C in July and 28.4 °C in August, and the sea around the island ranges from 19 to 26 degrees across the year.⁵ ⁷ A thin long-sleeved top also protects your shoulders from the sun on the hour out.

In winter the air stays mild, but the wind of your own speed still cools you. Average highs at Tenerife Sur are 21.7 °C in January and 22.8 °C in December, with lows around 15 °C to 16.5 °C.⁴ ⁶ Ask for the wetsuit if you feel the cold, and bring a warm top for the walk back.

Spring and autumn sit in between. In April the average high is 23.1 °C and in October 26.8 °C, comfortable for swimwear with a light top.⁴ ⁶ Whatever the month, pick clothes you do not mind soaking in salt water, and avoid white fabrics that turn see-through when wet.

Packing list

What goes in your bag

Wear

Swimwear and a quick-dry top
Bare feet or thin water shoes
Water-resistant sun cream

Bring

Passport or ID card, a copy is fine
Cash for the deposit
Towel and dry clothes

Leave in the locker

Phone, keys and wallet
Jewellery and loose watches
Caps and loose hats

Video

What to wear on a personal watercraft

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Sun protection on the water

The sun on the water is stronger than it feels with the breeze in your face. Tenerife Sur averages 295 hours of sunshine in July and still 193 in January.⁵ ⁴ Put on a water-resistant sun cream well before the ride, so it has time to settle and does not run into your eyes with the first wave.

A cap blows off at speed, so leave it in the locker; sunglasses on a strap or the goggles provided do the job better. Lips, ears and the tops of feet burn easily on a jet ski because they face the sky the whole hour. A lip balm with sun protection fits in a pocket of your swimwear.

Drink before the ride. The safari booked here includes coffee, tea, soft drinks and juices at the base, so have something before you set off and again afterwards. An hour of riding in the sun and salt dehydrates you more than an hour on the beach.

What to bring, and what to leave behind

Bring your passport or ID card, a copy is accepted, and cash for the deposit on each jet ski, which is not part of the online price. For the double ride, bring your swimwear. Drivers aged 16 or 17 need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, so print it before you leave the hotel.

Leave your phone in the locker. Mobile phones are not allowed on the ride booked here. The Los Gigantes operator does not allow personal cameras while you drive, and another tour accepts action cameras only with a head or chest mount. If you want pictures, the safari booked here takes photos and videos at the best spots and sells them afterwards.

Leave jewellery, watches that are not waterproof, and anything you would miss if it sank, back in your room. Rings slip off cold wet fingers, and a necklace can catch on the life jacket. A small dry bag for the deposit cash and your ID, stored in the locker, is all you really need.

Dressing children and passengers

Passengers need the same basics as drivers, with one extra concern: holding on. On the ride booked here a passenger must be at least 8 and strong enough to hold the driver. Dress children in a snug swimsuit and a close-fitting top, nothing that flaps in the wind or catches on the life jacket straps, and tie long hair back before the life jacket goes on.

Children feel the cold sooner than adults, especially once they are wet and moving at speed. In the cooler months a wetsuit or a thin long-sleeved rash top makes the hour far more pleasant, and a towel and warm hoodie waiting in the locker turn the end of the ride into a treat rather than a shiver. Some tours set a height limit for passengers, such as 125 cm at Las Galletas, so measure before you book.

Sun cream matters even more for young skin. Apply it at the hotel, add a layer at the base, and keep the face, neck and backs of the knees in mind. Sunglasses on a strap or goggles protect young eyes from the glare and the spray, and a small bottle of water after the ride helps them recover.

After the ride: drying off

You will come back wet and salty. The ride booked here has a shower and toilet about 100 m from the base, so you can rinse off before you change. Bring a towel, a dry change of clothes and a plastic bag for the wet swimwear, and you are ready for lunch at the harbor.

Your hands and forearms may feel it the next day, especially after a choppy sea. Stretch a little after the ride and drink plenty of water. If you also booked a quad trip, eat before you drive into the mountains, and put on the closed shoes and a warmer layer.

Finally, check the lockers before you leave the base. Keys, sunglasses and the ID you showed for the paperwork are easy to leave behind. With that, the morning ends as smoothly as it began, and the only thing you carry home is the salt in your hair.

Your hour at sea