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We wanted to share some guidelines on boating safety requirements and recommendations to help ensure your upcoming season is nothing but good times and tan lines.
Life jackets are arguably the most important component of safety on the water. Countless boaters lives have been saved by life jackets. Check to make sure your life jacket is in good condition and there are enough on board for all your passengers.You can look at the National Safe Boating Council’s campaign, “saved by the jacket", to read about the lives that were saved.
Make sure you have a U.S. Coast Guard approved, marine-type fire extinguisher(s) on board and it is in proper working condition. Check below to see how many and which type of fire extinguisher is right for your boat.
Next up is a distress beacon. Several types of emergency radio beacons have been developed for marine environments in case of an emergency. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has led the efforts taken by the Cospas-Sarsat System, an international satellite search and rescue system that is used to locate emergency signals from boaters through the use of emergency radios and Personal Locator Beacons or 406 MHz EPIRBs, category I and II. You should purchase an Emergency Position Radio Beacon, if you haven’t already, and register the device at https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov/RGDB/index.
In the case of severe weather conditions, develop a clear plan. For example, depending on the storm’s severity you’ll either head to a safe harbor or wait out the storm. Do some research as to what conditions your specific craft can handle, such as its rating on the Beaufort scale and where the safe harbors along your route are located, and create a plan from there. Finally, always consult the latest marine forecast at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm or on NOAA Weather Radio before heading out on the water.
If anyone has additional tips to stay safe on the water, please feel free to comment below!
Thanks for reading,
The SkiSafe Team
Life jackets are arguably the most important component of safety on the water. Countless boaters lives have been saved by life jackets. Check to make sure your life jacket is in good condition and there are enough on board for all your passengers.You can look at the National Safe Boating Council’s campaign, “saved by the jacket", to read about the lives that were saved.
Make sure you have a U.S. Coast Guard approved, marine-type fire extinguisher(s) on board and it is in proper working condition. Check below to see how many and which type of fire extinguisher is right for your boat.
- Boats with a length less than 26' must have one B-I fire extinguisher.
- 26'-40' boats must have two B-I extinguishers or one B-II extinguisher.
- 40'-65' boats must have three B-I extinguishers or one B-II and one B-I extinguisher.
Next up is a distress beacon. Several types of emergency radio beacons have been developed for marine environments in case of an emergency. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has led the efforts taken by the Cospas-Sarsat System, an international satellite search and rescue system that is used to locate emergency signals from boaters through the use of emergency radios and Personal Locator Beacons or 406 MHz EPIRBs, category I and II. You should purchase an Emergency Position Radio Beacon, if you haven’t already, and register the device at https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov/RGDB/index.
In the case of severe weather conditions, develop a clear plan. For example, depending on the storm’s severity you’ll either head to a safe harbor or wait out the storm. Do some research as to what conditions your specific craft can handle, such as its rating on the Beaufort scale and where the safe harbors along your route are located, and create a plan from there. Finally, always consult the latest marine forecast at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm or on NOAA Weather Radio before heading out on the water.
If anyone has additional tips to stay safe on the water, please feel free to comment below!
Thanks for reading,
The SkiSafe Team
