The Christmas-New Year holiday period drowning toll nationally was 14 - the highest in 25 years.
Rotorua Community Lakes Board chairman Phill Thomass said he has seen many near misses.
"We have a lot of first-time boat owners and I don't think they're necessarily behaving badly as much as not being fully aware of the rules," Thomass said.
"There's no boat driver's licence you have to get or anything like that.
"You can just go in and buy a boat and put it in the water, so a lot of people are learning as they go.
"They're not necessarily aware of the rules and regulations of our lakes."
He said jet skiers had a poor reputation in general.
"I think they're one of those things that people buy and it's their first experience of being on the water.
"They don't quite realise how hard it is to control a jet ski when you're going slowly.
"They lose all steerage when you're going very slowly and so they're not aware of how far away they have to be from people before they slow down."
Bagshaw said it was important boaties stuck to the five-knot rule, wore life jackets and stayed in designated areas.
"Our primary concern is looking after boaties that are on the water and understanding that they know the rules," Bagshaw said.
"Certainly, freshwater can be exceptionally dangerous.
"You sink faster in freshwater than you will in saltwater, so it's even more important on the lakes to be wearing your life jacket.
"Again wear your life jacket and understand the rules and be safe.
"Know the environmental conditions and what the weather is doing and if there's any bad weather coming, plan for that," Bagshaw said.
