This year, we are showcasing each winner of the National Boating Industry Safety Awards via an individualized blog that answers questions posed to each winner. This will allow our readers to get to know each of the winners and see some of their winning materials, too.

The next Q&A blog in our winner series comes to us from MarineMax who is the world’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer with over 100 locations worldwide including 79 retail dealership locations. We spoke with Captain Nick Pavlakis, one of the hosts of MarineMax’s weekly “Boating Tips Live” podcast and he also serves as a sales consultant at MarineMax St. Petersburg.

1. Congratulations on winning the National Boating Industry Safety Award! Can you please describe your winning entry for our audience?
   
   Yes, we are honored to have been chosen out of your record number of applications. Our winning award was our “Back to (Boating) School” campaign focused on the back-to-school timeframe to remind even the most seasoned boaters about the importance of ongoing boater education and safety.
   
   
   
2. What inspired you to promote boating safety?
   
   We wanted to help educate our customers so they can make lifelong memories on the water and the best way to do that is to be safe. With the recent "boating boom" from Covid, not only are there many more boats on the water but most are also new boaters. The best way to promote fun boating is to promote safe boating. This is done through continuous education and endless resources. Teach me, service me, show me how to have fun, this is how we provide our customers with the best boating experience.

3. What did you learn from working on this project or campaign?
   
   The “back to boating school” campaign taught me that we can all use a refresher course here and there. Whether you are a first-time boater or a seasoned Captain, it is important to never overlook good fundamentals and preparation. That is why, at MarineMax, we provide our customers with several different classes to continue their education to keep themselves and everyone else safe on the water. I grew up on the water boating and to this day, I still learn something every time I am with my podcast co-host Captain Keith who is shown here teaching a class. These lessons that I learn from him are things that I can use in my work, and in my personal life out on the water. 

4. Are you working on any future boating safety projects or campaigns? If so, is there anything you can share about what you’re planning to do?
   
   Now that you mention it, we are!  With the growth of our Boating Tips series, we are growing into a new segment, yachting safety.  While most of our boating safety projects are tailored to new boaters on smaller boats, we wanted our series to grow with our viewers. As you become more comfortable with boating, the natural progression is to keep moving up. This is where MarineMax comes in to teach safe boating through your whole boating journey. Starting with smaller boats and being there for you as you start to make your journey to a larger vessel, we want to be there for them every step of the way and grow alongside them.

5. Has participating in this project or campaign changed your perspective on boating safety and why it’s so important?
   
   Absolutely. The difference between an unforgettable day on the water, and tragedy is often one small mistake that could have been avoided. Some ways to stay safe on the water are, designating a sober skipper, preparation the day or night before, and continuous education. MarineMax truly provides all the resources you could need for education through their Captain's Orientation, Women on Water classes pictured below, boating tips video podcast and a consultant approach to the sales process that gets you and your family in the right boat.

Congratulations again to MarineMax on winning the 2022 National Boating Industry Safety Award as the top large marine retailer! You can watch MarineMax accepting their award from October 2022 in the video linked below.