It's mostly common sense. Get out there and have fun, BUT watch out for other boaters/personal watercraft. Take plenty of sunscreen, shade (hats, etc...) and hydrating beverages. Around here we have A LOT of rental pontoons with inexperienced captains behind the wheel. Couple that with a boatload of young, drunk folks and the waters around Destin can get pretty interesting, pretty quick. I shy away from "the hot spots." As for owning a boat, they're high maintenance. I'd suggest learning/doing as much of the maintenance as you can. When you get right down to it, they're pretty basic.