Here's what you need to know to stay safe on the water
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and the upcoming National Safe Boating week, May 21-27, is geared toward everyone having a safe and enjoyable time on the water.
Having life jackets for everyone on your vessel is paramount, according to Rachael Thurner-Diaz, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission waterways conservation officer for Adams and Western York counties.
“With this holiday weekend, make sure whenever we are getting our boat out, we’re doing a preliminary check of our boat not only for safety equipment, just for everything to run correctly on the boat. Just because it starts, doesn’t mean something hadn’t hit the electrical lines. Make sure the hull’s integrity is still good,” she said about ensuring everything is in good working order.
Another point for the start of the season is making sure all of your passengers are aware of what’s expected of them and where the safety equipment is found on your boat.
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Because the operator is responsible for what happens on the boat, “you do need to make sure all your passengers are cognizant of at least those basic safety concerns and different rules and regulations while out on your boat.”
As an officer since 2015, she has had to deal with boating accidents involving people not wearing life jackets.
They are “required on every single boat. Whether it’s a stand up paddle board or it’s a big old house boat. Everyone on board is required to have a life jacket that’s the proper size and fit,” she said, adding that there should be no tears in the material.
When you pull your boat out of storage, it’s good to check your life jackets to make sure mice didn’t chew a hole into them or the fabric has begun to deteriorate from past years in the sun.
“Every time you go out on your boat, you should be doing a compliance check of your safety equipment,” she said.
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She said the life jacket may have been torn when it was stowed last time or you may have a different number of adults or children on the boat.
You need to have life jackets for everyone in a size that fits them. “This time you may have five people on the boat instead of three people. Last time you may have had five adults, and this time and you have three children on the boat. So make sure you have the proper life jackets.”
Life jackets need to be U.S. Coast Guard-approved models. She said with children, there are a lot of items that are designed as swimming aids, but they are not U.S. Coast Guard approved to help a child float, especially if they become unconscious.
For those on stand-up paddle boards, she said some adults wear inflatable life jackets that fit into a fanny pack during the summer months when a life jacket is not required to be worn.
If your type of boat requires a fire extinguisher, make sure it’s charged. She said she has talked to boaters who had receipts for a recently purchased fire extinguisher, but the charge had already leaked out. There should be a gauge on most extinguishers to test to show that it’s operational.
For small crafts, she said it’s common to have incidents of people falling in the water when trying to board or depart their boat. She said many state parks are installing better docking areas that include kayak launches to make the process safer.
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Another area of concern is overloading a boat. She said in the colder months, waterfowl hunters have their gear and decoys on their boats and the water can sometimes be choppy.
From November to April 30, when the water is colder, life jackets are required to be worn at all times on vessels under 16 feet.
She said the requirement, which started about 10 years ago, has decreased the number of fatalities the agency has investigated when people fall in frigid water and experience cold water shock.
The agency reports over the last 15 years, cold water incidents represented 8% of the boating related accidents, but they resulted in 24% of the fatalities.
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Boats are all required to have a sound-producing device like an air horn or whistle. She said it will get other people’s attention faster than if the person tries to yell, especially when it's a busy day on the water.
Boats longer than 16 feet need to have a throwable bag or cushion that’s designed to tether someone back to the boat.
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Another concern involves boaters driving while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
The legal limit for drinking alcohol and operating a boat is .08, the same as it is for motorists. She points out that alcohol can affect your body differently while in the hot sun on a lake versus how the same amount of alcohol makes you feel watching television in your home. The penalties for driving a boat under the influence mirror the penalties of a DUI on the highway.
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If you are drinking, make sure you have a designated driver not only on the water, but for the drive home.
“Although a lot of things are required of you on a boat, we do want you to be out there having fun with your friends and family," Thurner-Diaz said. "We just want to make sure you’re doing it the proper and safe way.”
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on your website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on social media @whipkeyoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Life jackets, safety checks improving boating safety
