6 Tips to Boating Safety

You must possess a certain amount of knowledge and skill before you can effectively manage a personal watercraft.  With the right knowledge, you and your passengers can remain safe and you can prevent damage to your boat.

Keeping Your Vessel Safe

It has been shown, time and time again, that the more boating experience and the more boating safety education you can get under your belt, the better. Although there is no substitute for comprehensive boater safety education, the following six tips can help guide you when learning about boating safety:

1. Make it a priority to learn about the laws and requirements in your state, such as the state’s legal age and education requirements.
2. Take a boating safety course and practice boating on quiet waterways before venturing out to busier, more congested areas.
3. Never, ever operate a boat after consuming alcohol. Even a small amount can alter your reaction time and decision-making capabilities.
4. Always wear a personal flotation device and require that your passengers do the same.
5. Always maintain a safe distance from other watercraft. Remember that is takes much longer to stop a personal watercraft than it does a motor vehicle.
6. Never exceed the maximum occupancy number for passengers, and make sure all of your passengers understand – and respect – basic boating safety.

In addition to practicing boating safety and making a point to educate yourself on all aspects of operating a personal watercraft, it is also important to secure a comprehensive boat insurance policy.

Double Check Your Boat Insurance Policy

Carefully read and understand your boat insurance policy so that you can make sure that you are fully covered in case of a boating accident. The purchase of a boat insurance policy should be taken as seriously as your auto insurance policy, as it needs to cover yourself, your passengers, other watercraft and other boaters.

Boating safety is the number one important factor to consider before taking your personal watercraft out onto the water. And remember: you can enjoy boating and still maintain boat safety!

Steve Wyrostek -BoatInsurance.org Expert A 20 year plus veteran of the insurance industry, Steve managed departments in the personal and commercial lines areas of major insurers. He’s familiar with how insurance—ranging from boat to workers compensation—works.