New Jersey Statutes Title 12. Commerce and Navigation 12 § 7-77

A person shall not operate or allow another person to operate a vessel on the waters of this State unless the vessel has a serviceable United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device for each person on board. Such devices shall be of a type and in sufficient number as required by the United States Coast Guard for a vessel of that class operating on navigable waters. Such devices shall be readily accessible when the vessel is under way or worn as required by regulation.

For the purpose of this section, the term “vessel” does not include surfboards, windsurfers, racing shells, rowing sculls and racing kayaks.