Getting a new boat means you’re in for exciting times. You may have bought your new boat on a whim, or planned the purchase for months–or years.
Whether you bought a smaller boat designed mainly for fishing, or a larger electric boat for wakeboarding, you’d be wise to consider vital safety tips before going on the water.
Though you might be focusing all your attention on your fun plans, boating safety is critical to ensure you and everyone else are as safe as possible. Because boating consists of a motorized vehicle on water, you have to plan for potential issues with the weather and learn safety tips to avoid drowning.
So, whether you’re entirely new to boating or just new to owning a boat of your own, it’s worthwhile to go over essential boating safety tips. Here are the basics you need to know and the gear you should have on hand.
Boating Safety Supplies
Before you take your vessel for a spin across a lake, river, or ocean, you ought to stock up on certain necessary supplies and equipment. Of course, you’ll be thinking about the fun equipment you want to purchase for your excursions, but safety supplies should be acquired before anything else.
Here are the boating essentials you should make sure to get.
- Life jackets: Everyone on board must have a life jacket. You might have to buy a few different sizes, especially if you intend to take others out on the water with you.
- Anchors: When you’re on the water, you’ll need a way to keep the boat from floating away, especially in inclement weather.
- Boat covers: A boat cover might not seem like a safety essential, but a good cover will keep your boat from developing unpleasant problems such as mold or potential electrical issues.
- Emergency radio: Even if you intend to boat on a small lake, storms can arise out of nowhere. If others aren’t around, you could get stranded in bad conditions if you don’t have a way to call for help.
- Extra clothes: It can go from relatively warm on the water to quite cold if a rainstorm commences. So extra clothing or blankets can keep everyone from suffering hypothermia.
- Food and water: Having something to eat and a bit of water on hand will ensure that no one gets sick from dehydration or hunger. Even bringing a couple of snacks and some extra bottles of water ought to be sufficient.
Although these aren’t the only safety essentials that would come in handy, they are the items you shouldn’t go without once you get a boat.
Three Tips for Being a Safe Boat Owner
Aside from supplies, knowing how to drive and behave safely while you’re on the water is a must. These three tips can ensure you keep yourself and others safe on the water.
- Take a boating safety course: If you’ve never operated a boat before, a boating safety course can teach you more about these machines and how to handle them safely.
- Learn your state’s boating laws: It’s also a sharp idea to look over the boating safety laws for your state. If you do, you’ll ensure you don’t break any rules or end up getting ticketed.
- Don’t forget about carbon monoxide: Finally, remember that boats emit carbon dioxide, just like most cars, so make sure you practice the sort of safety habits you would with a motor vehicle on land.
As you become familiar with your new boat and gather experience, boating safely should become second nature. With the tips above in mind and the necessary safety supplies on hand, you’ll have the basics covered.
Ultimately, if you still have questions about best boating practices, seriously think about doing additional research.