The Sea Tow Foundation™ is showcasing the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

Bayliner Boats won the 2024 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Marine Manufacturer.

Photo courtesy of Bayliner Boats

     1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

The Bayliner Boats National Safe Boating Week Daily Safety Tips campaign was a social media-driven initiative to raise awareness about boating safety. In collaboration with Captain Scott from the South Florida Freedom Boat Club, we created and shared daily safety tips through engaging videos across our social media channels. These tips covered essential topics such as safe anchoring, key safety accessories, and best practices for beaching and docking and the tips ran on platforms like Instagram. The campaign ran for a full week, from May 18–24, 2024 and also included a supporting blog on our website and targeted email outreach to engage with our community.

     2. What does winning this award mean for your company? If your company has won more than once, does that change anything?

Winning this award is a tremendous honor for Bayliner Boats, and it reinforces our dedication to promoting boating safety. It validates the effort we put into creating meaningful, impactful campaigns that resonate with boaters. As we continue to innovate in this space, the recognition boosts our motivation to keep delivering quality content and initiatives that foster a safer, more enjoyable boating experience for all.

     3. What was a key takeaway you received because of working on this project or campaign?

A key takeaway from the campaign was the immense power of social media as a tool for engaging with our audience about safety. The response to the daily safety tips far exceeded our expectations, demonstrating that boaters are eager to learn more about how to stay safe on the water. It also highlighted the importance of making safety tips accessible, digestible, and relevant. The more we can connect with boaters in a direct, personal way, the more effective our messaging will be.

     4. Is your company working on a new boating safety project or campaign to debut in 2025? If so, can you share any of the details?

Yes! Bayliner is already planning new initiatives for 2025 that will continue to focus on promoting safe boating practices. We are excited to explore interactive content and new digital tools to make safety education even more engaging for boaters.

© 2025, Sea Tow Services International, Inc. (“STSI”). Subject to Sea Tow Foundation’s licensed use of STSI’s trademarks. All rights reserved. 5-018-25

The Sea Tow Foundation™ is showcasing the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

Freedom Boat Club won the 2024 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Marine Business.

Photo provided courtesy of Freedom Boat Club.

     1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

Freedom Boat Club's winning entry for the National Boating Safety Award involved a comprehensive, year-round approach to promoting boating safety through training, outreach, and community engagement. The project included the development of educational materials, safety protocols, and hands-on training for both new and experienced boaters. With more than 400 locations and 100,000+ members globally, we are proud of our ability to scale our access to training and resources. We continue to lead the Club with a safety-first culture. Our goal is to ensure each member feels comfortable and confident at the helm to maximize their time on the water.

     2. What does winning this award mean for your company?

Winning the National Boating Safety Award is a tremendous honor and a validation of our dedication to boating safety. It reinforces our commitment to ensuring that our members are equipped with the knowledge and tools to boat responsibly. While we’ve always prided ourselves on our focus on safety, receiving this recognition serves as a reminder that our efforts are making a positive impact on the boating community.

     3. What partnerships, media coverage and/or opportunities have you received because of winning this award?

Winning this prestigious award has provided several opportunities for collaboration and exposure. We’ve strengthened our partnerships with safety organizations, local boating communities, and other industry leaders. Media coverage has allowed us to expand our message of boating safety to a wider audience, and the recognition has prompted more boaters to seek out Freedom Boat Club as a trusted resource for safe and enjoyable boating experiences. Our commitment to safety has long involved working with others since this is not our first boating safety initiative; we have consistently promoted safety through programs like our three core boater safety courses, which are all National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) verified courses plus our on-going partnership with the Sea Tow Foundation to promote the Sober Skipper™ program. Our work with other partners is part of an ongoing effort to make boating as safe as it is enjoyable.

     4. What was a key takeaway you received because of working on this project or campaign?

A key takeaway from working on this initiative has been the reinforcement across our Club that boating safety requires a continual, collective effort. While training and education are fundamental, safety on the water is also about creating a culture where every boater feels empowered to make responsible decisions.

© 2025, Sea Tow Services International, Inc. (“STSI”). Subject to Sea Tow Foundation’s licensed use of STSI’s trademarks. All rights reserved. 5-018-25

The Sea Tow Foundation™ is showcasing the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) won the 2024 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Trade Association.

Photo provided courtesy of NMMA.

     1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

The NMMA was honored with a National Boating Safety Award for our 2024 Top Safe Boating Tips video series. Created in partnership with Progressive® Insurance, the video series included five episodes offering essential safety advice on boating with pets, refueling, trailering, safe seating and swimming near boats, and proper navigation light usage.

Filmed during the summer of 2023, the videos were strategically rolled out between March and July, leading up to and during peak boating months when safety is a top priority. After launching on the Discover Boating YouTube channel, the videos were promoted extensively across social media, our website, and email campaigns. Additionally, footage from the series was incorporated into our public service announcement (PSA) campaign to further amplify the message.

     2. What inspired your company to promote boating safety?

This marks Discover Boating’s third boating safety video campaign, reinforcing the NMMA’s commitment to making safe boating practices a top priority. These videos aim to educate both new and experienced boaters on essential safety knowledge. Previous campaigns have covered key topics such as safety tips for boat captains, watersport safety, and celebrating responsibly on the water.

     3. What was a key takeaway you received because of working on this project or campaign?

One of the videos in this safety series focused on boating with pets and it became our highest-performing safety video ever on YouTube. Our second most-viewed video, from last year’s campaign, highlights tips for celebrating safely on the water. The strong engagement with these videos underscores the desire of boaters to safely and confidently enjoy the water with their loved ones, including their furry first mates—while prioritizing safety. Providing approachable, helpful safety content is clearly a valued resource, and we’re committed to continue creating content that resonates with all boating audiences.

     4. Is your company working on a new boating safety project or campaign to debut in 2025? If so, can you share any of the details?

NMMA is excited to debut a new boating safety video series in 2025. We look forward to continuing our mission of educating both new and seasoned boaters on essential safety tips. As with previous series, these videos will be shared across our YouTube channel, website, social media, and other platforms to reach and engage a wide audience.

© 2025, Sea Tow Services International, Inc. (“STSI”). Subject to Sea Tow Foundation’s licensed use of STSI’s trademarks. All rights reserved. 5-018-25

Last month, the spotlight was on boating safety at the International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) in Florida as we announced the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards. The Sea Tow Foundation™, alongside our Boating Safety Advisory Council, recognized companies for their exceptional efforts in promoting safe practices on the water. These organizations, from manufacturers to media outlets, have shown a commitment to spreading life-saving messages and encouraging responsible boating behavior.

Now in its sixth year, the National Boating Safety Awards continue to honor innovative campaigns across the marine industry. This year’s winners stood out for their ability to engage diverse audiences through creative and impactful campaigns.

Let’s take a closer look at the standout efforts that earned these industry leaders their well-deserved recognition:

Marine Manufacturer Award: Bayliner Boats

Bayliner Boats earned the Marine Manufacturer Award for their National Safe Boating Week Daily Safety Tips campaign. Through a combination of engaging videos and social media posts, Bayliner illustrated their dedication to promoting safe boating practices. Their partnership with Freedom Boat Club during National Safe Boating Week helped amplify their safety message.

Yamaha received an Honorable Mention for their National Safe Boating Week Campaign featuring safety ambassador Hunter Bland.

Gear & Equipment Manufacturer Award: Garmin

Garmin earned the Gear & Equipment Manufacturer Award for their 2024 Safe Boating Campaign. They partnered with The Qualified Captain during National Safe Boating Week to extend their year-round efforts of promoting safe boating practices, ensuring that both new and experienced boaters are better equipped to stay safe on the water.

Marine Trade Assocaition Award: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) won the Marine Trade Association Award for their Discover Boating Top Safe Boating Tips video series in partnership with Progressive. By utilizing platforms such as YouTube, social media and email, NMMA successfullly reached millions of boaters across the country. Their freely available materials allowed other organization to share these critical safety messages, furter extending the campaign's reach.

The Marine Industrires Association of Southewest Florida (MIASF) earned an Honorable Mention for their "Know Before You Go" campaign.

Social Media Influencer Award: BoatClass

BoatClass won the Social Media Influencer Award for their Organic Social Media Boating Safety & Instruction Campaign. Using short-form reels, BoatClass created engaging, safety-focused content and built effective partnerships with other marine industry companies. Their strategy sparked high viewer engagement, with audiences actively participating in discussions around alternative safety practices.

Marine Business - General Award: Freedom Boat Club

The Marine Business - General Award was given to Freedom Boat Club for their New Member Safety Orientation and Comprehensive Training Program. Combining face-to-face orientations, dock briefings and digital tools, Freedom Boat Club provided essential safety instruction to boaters, emphasizing the importance of proper training and safe boat operation.

Community Boating Education Award: BoatClass & Whitman Marine Training

This year’s Community Boating Education Award resulted in a tie. BoatClass was recognized for their on-water training program, which offered comprehensive instruction to new and experienced boaters through partnerships with key industry players such as NASBLA and Freedom Boat Club.

Whitman Marine Training stood out for their extensive community outreach and training programs, combining classroom instruction, on-water training modules and partnerships with local marinas to effectively teach boating safety to their community.

The 2024 National Boating Safety Award winners have made an incredible impact in advancing safety on the water. By encouraging responsible boating and raising awareness through creative campaigns, these companies continue to make a difference in the industry and within their communities.

Thank you to everyone who participated – we are already looking forward to next year’s awards! For more information on this year’s winners and next year’s application, visit https://www.boatingsafety.com/page/Awards

©2024, Sea Tow Services International, Inc. (“STSI”). Subject to Sea Tow Foundation’s licensed use of STSI’s trademarks. All rights reserved. 5-031-24

The Sea Tow Foundation is showcasing the winners of the 2023 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

The Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) won the 2023 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Marine Trades Association.

1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

Our entry was about our Wake Responsibly campaign that has long been an effective way to educate homeowners and boaters alike on courteous behavior on the water. The campaign recently underwent a rebrand to reflect our new legislative push featuring events in communities having waterway access issues. These community events are incredibly unique to the industry. The campaign is expansive and is comprised of a variety of resources including hang tags, metal boat ramp signs, downloadable graphics, print and digital ads, its own website, a compliance exam and more. There has been considerable effort in building this campaign to be one of the most respected educational campaigns in the industry.

2. What inspired your company to promote boating safety? Was this the first time doing so or has there been previous boating safety promotions?

Promoting boating safety is key to promoting and protecting our industry. Not only does boating safety support growth within the industry by cultivating a culture of responsibility and trust, but it can also lead to increased participation in our activities. We are enthusiastic about sharing our love of towed watersports and believe the best way to share that passion is by fostering a sense of confidence in recreational boaters. For the sustainability and success of our industry, we all must do our part to encourage safe and responsible boating practices on all waterways.

3. What partnerships, media coverage and/or opportunities have you received as a result of winning the award?

Since earning the Sea Tow Foundation’s award, we have seen an uptick in interest in our Wake Responsibly materials and events. The award reinvigorated communities to continue empowering excellence in towed water sports with advocacy, education, safety, and community. It is endearing to see just how impactful this campaign has become, and we are committed to continuing this level of excellence into the future.

4. What was a key takeaway you received as a result of working on this project or campaign?

Our key takeaway from the Wake Responsibly campaign is that collaboration is key. We are much more effective when we come together to foster peaceful environments on all our waterways. Our campaign relies on community connection and when we all do our part, we know we can protect the watersports we know and love. The watersports community is extraordinarily passionate, and we have loved seeing Wake Responsibly be a vehicle for which that passion thrives.