eFoil regulations & spots in Chile

Chile regulates all recreational navigation through DIRECTEMAR (Dirección General del Territorio Marítimo y de Marina Mercante, Armada de Chile) and its local Capitanías de Puerto under the Reglamento General de Deportes Náuticos y Buceo Deportivo (TM-002, updated 2022). The regulation does not name eFoils. Article 2 defines an artefacto náutico deportivo as an apparatus for nautical sport whose design, use or propulsive power does not, in the Maritime Authority's judgement, qualify it as a sport vessel, while embarcación deportiva de bahía expressly includes jet skis and motos de agua. An eFoil will therefore be classed case by case by the local Capitanía, either as a motorised bay craft under the jet-ski regime or as an artefacto náutico.

If treated like a moto de agua, the rider needs the Licencia de Patrón de Lancha Deportiva de Bahía or higher (minimum age 14, notarised authorisation for minors, who may not carry passengers), must wear a helmet and life jacket at all times, and the craft must be registered at a Capitanía de Puerto, because motorised craft over 10 HP require matrícula. Craft under 10 HP are exempt from registration, and TM-002 lists activities that need no licence at all: sail under 5 m and/or motor under 10 hp, rowing, water-skiing, surf and derived activities. Many eFoil motors are rated below 10 HP, so a board may fall inside that exemption, but the decision rests with the Capitanía; ask before riding. Every licence requires the Certificado de examen médico para deportistas náuticos.

Rides must take place in areas, hours and conditions authorised by the Autoridad Marítima Local, with adequate safety equipment and respect for the aquatic environment (TM-002, and Circular Marítima A-41/003 of 2020 for adventure-tourism nautical activities). Bay licences are valid only in protected waters up to the bay limit fixed by the Capitanía, meaning ports, bays, caletas, rivers and lakes; open-coast riding is not covered. Rental and instruction businesses must run motos de agua from a buoyed corridor between the beach and the operating zone, keep clients 18 or over (14 to 17 only under conditions) and use an instructor holding at least a Patrón Deportivo de Bahía licence, per the SERNATUR/DIRECTEMAR tourism standard. Expect no-go zones at swimming beaches, commercial ports and naval areas set by each Capitanía.

Capitanías de Puerto enforce TM-002; fine amounts are not published in the sources reviewed. Because classification is discretionary, practice varies between Capitanías on the central coast, in the Lake District and in Patagonia. Before riding, take the board's specifications to the local Capitanía, ask whether a licence and matrícula are required, get the authorised zone and hours in writing, and always wear a PFD and helmet.