Posted By Gail Kulp,
Monday, November 9, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2020
What to Do With Your Kid’s Outgrown Life Jackets
When a young boater outgrows their life jacket, what can you do with it? Or when you decide to get yourself a new inflatable life jacket, what should be done with your foam one? The Sea Tow Foundation has been utilizing new and gently used life jackets to save lives as a part of our Life Jacket Drive. The drive employs these donations in Life Jacket Loaner Stations that can be found across the country.
Before adding a donated life jacket to the Life Jacket Loaner Station, each one is inspected thoroughly and you can also use the same checklist before you donate your life jacket.
Check to make sure the life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard-approved on the label.
Ensure that all zippers, buckles, straps and other fasteners are working properly.
Make sure that there are no rips, tears or mold on the life jacket.
Confirm that the life jacket’s flotation foam is not damaged – so it can float properly in water.
Here’s a tip: By holding a life jacket underwater, you can make sure it will float back to the surface.
Once you check that your gently used life jacket meets the conditions listed above, it can be repurposed by the Sea Tow Foundation to help make sure that boaters everywhere can have a safe and enjoyable time out on the water.
If your life jacket does not meet even one of the conditions above, discard the life jacket and ensure that it is not going to be used by cutting it apart into pieces before putting in the trash.
It is important that all boat passengers have a life jacket that fits them perfectly. By donating your gently used life jackets, you can help bring the joy of boating to other people right in your local community.
If you have a life jacket that no longer fits your boat’s passengers, please fill out this form and donate them to the Sea Tow Foundation.
If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a
donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts
to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate
securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Monday, August 10, 2020
Updated: Thursday, August 6, 2020
PRESS RELEASE
Sea Tow Foundation Needs Your Input to Build a National Database of Life Jacket Loaner Stations
The Sea Tow Foundation – a national nonprofit dedicated to the education and awareness of safe boating practices – announced today that it is collecting data from individuals and organizations around the country that operate life jacket loaner stations in an effort to create a national database of their locations.
As part of a grant through the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Sea Tow Foundation operates more than 650 life jacket loaner stations nationwide. An online map at www.boatingsafety.com/map was developed and maintained by the Foundation of their loaner stations as part of this grant as well. Unfortunately, there is not a national registry or map for all of the life jacket loaner stations operated by state agencies and other non-profit groups around the country, so the Sea Tow Foundation included the development of a national-level database into this year’s grant and hopes to register thousands more loaner stations throughout the U.S. over the coming months.
Individuals and organizations that want to have their life jacket loaner stations included in the database can submit their information via the following link: www.boatingsafety.com/lifejacketdatabase. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2020.
“Preventing drowning is one of the main goals of the Sea Tow Foundation and it is the reason why we started the Life Jacket Loaner Program in 2008,” said Gail R. Kulp, executive director for the Sea Tow Foundation. “The purpose of the Life Jacket Loaner Station Database is to allow any boater within the U.S. to find a place where life jackets can be borrowed and returned, free of charge, so that everyone can have a safe and fun time on the water.”
The Life Jacket Loaner Station Database will offer an interactive map for boaters to find the nearest Life Jacket Loaner Station to their location. Different colored markers on a map will provide the exact address, the host organization for the station, and the name of the marina, park, boat ramp, etc. where it can be found. Life Jacket Loaner Stations are typically placed in locations where boaters will have easy access to life jackets, but they may also be available at local fire departments, community centers, and through the local marine law enforcement officers.
If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a
donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts
to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate
securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Monday, June 15, 2020
Updated: Monday, June 8, 2020
Boating in Flooded Waters – Don’t Do It
The sun is out and the weather is getting warmer making for a fantastic boating season.However, the arrival of warmer weather also means that the chance of spring and summer storms increases which can lead to flooding. Although it may be tempting to take your boat out on your home rivers or lakes while the water is high or even go boating in an area that used to be a field or park but is now covered in water, it is imperative to stay away for your safety and the safety of others.
Some of the dangers that can arise when your local waterways are flooded include:
·Submerged hazards and debris such as entire trees, fence posts, parts of buildings and other structures can be hidden beneath the water’s surface.
·Strong currents can knock power poles and their lines and electrical equipment into the water. This can create energized areas of water where electric shock is a possibility.
·Faster currents make it much more challenging to operate your boat when the current is strong and rapid.
·Markers such as buoys and beacons might be moved or damaged when an area is flooded and cannot be relied upon for safe navigation.
·Water is still very cold this time of year even if the air temperature has started to warm up. Cold water significantly increases the risk of hypothermia and can lead to cold shock.
If you absolutely must go out on your boat when your local waterways are flooded, practice the following safety protocols:
·Do not boat alone. Have an extra set of eyes and hands to look for submerged objects.
·ALWAYS wear a good fitting life jacket. If you don’t have a life jacket, you can find a Life Jacket Loaner station near you at www.boatingsafety.com/map.
·Carry a device that can be used to contact emergency personnel – such as a VHF radio, satellite phone, or personal locator beacon.
·Bring along a lot of rope and practice your knots before heading out in case you need to use the rope to tie up your boat or to throw to someone who has fallen into the swift water. Do not enter the water to rescue anyone or anything during flooding.
It is important to remember that there are so many ways to have a wonderful boating experience. Going out in flood waters is incredibly risky and can cause serious harm. But remember, the best way to avoid the hazards of flood water is to stay away them.
Stay safe and keep boating!
If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a
donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts
to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate
securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Updated: Thursday, April 9, 2020
May 21 - Wearing Life Jackets is Important
Life jackets save lives, but only if they are worn. The U.S. Coast Guard requires children under age 13 to wear them, but anyone older is just required to carry life jackets on board, although a few activities like water skiing require that they be worn. It is best to always wear a life jacket, regardless of this requirement, because you never know when you’ll need one and finding one and putting it on takes too long in an emergency.
It’s also just as important that your life jacket fits properly. Having the wrong size life jacket can prove fatal if you needed it because the life jackets are sized for a certain amount of foam to float a person based on their weight. And, the life jacket fits based on the chest size measurement of the person as well. Click here to learn more about how to properly fit a life jacket on yourself and your children.
If you don’t have enough life jackets for everyone on board or they aren’t the correct sizes for everyone on board, you can stop by a Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Station and borrow one for free! Our life jacket loaner stations are stocked with Onyx brand life jackets in sizes to fit every member of your family from babies to adults. Simply return the borrowed life jacket at the end of your boating trip so that the next person can use it.
Sea Tow Foundation Adds New Life Jacket Loaner Stations
SOUTHOLD, N.Y. – The Sea Tow Foundation – a national nonprofit dedicated to the education and awareness of safe boating practices – announced today that it has partnered with an additional 87 organizations and agencies to add new or restock existing Life Jacket Loaner Stations for the 2020 Summer boating season.
With more than 650 Life Jacket Loaner Stations already located throughout the United States, the Sea Tow Foundation is also offering tips and guidelines for boaters using life jackets from a loaner station, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many agencies and organizations depend on our experience and knowledge in boating safety and our expertise in life jacket loaner programs,” said Gail Kulp, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “Since the virus has impacted all of us in one way or another, we know it is important to provide guidance to boaters that want to borrow life jackets from our loaner stands. We want to continue to ensure that drownings can be prevented through loaner life jackets that are available to be borrowed at no cost.”
With the health and safety of boaters and life jacket loaner station hosts in mind, the Sea Tow Foundation is providing the following tips and guidelines for consideration:
1. Follow local and state guidelines regarding closures of beaches, boat ramps, marinas, and other locations that have traditionally provided life jacket loaner stations. If one of these locations is closed, a loaner station previously located there will not be available.
2. Do not go boating or spend time in public if you have a fever or are feeling sick.
3. Wear your life jacket if you go boating and ensure that children under age 13 are wearing their life jackets while the boat is in motion as required by the U.S. Coast Guard.
4. Be sure to also follow the other Sea Tow Foundation social distancing tips while boating.
The Sea Tow Foundation has also provided some general cleaning and disinfecting guidelines for cleaning life jackets.
“We consulted Onyx Outdoor, the manufacturer we purchase our loaner life jackets from, as well as representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, who oversee our grant for the life jacket loaner program, to help develop signage and language to include on every loaner station,” Kulp noted. “Stickers are being provided to each loaner station host in the coming weeks and new loaner station signage will be printed with the wording already on it.”
All Sea Tow Foundation life jacket loaner stations will contain the following language:
“Life jackets are provided for the community. Each user who borrows a life jacket is obligated to inspect the life jacket prior to use and to return it clean and in good working order for the next user. These life jackets are not inspected or maintained after each use. Life jackets are borrowed at your own risk.”
Through its Life Jacket Loaner program, the Sea Tow Foundation has distributed more than 65,000 life jackets to local businesses, agencies and organizations across the country since 2008 to develop life jacket loaner programs in their local areas.
The more than 650 life jacket loaner stations currently in operation are placed in locations where boaters will have easy access to the life jackets, such as boat ramps, marinas, and parks. Boaters may borrow the life jackets at no cost and are asked to return them when they are finished so that they are available for others to use.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Updated: Thursday, April 16, 2020
Exercise at Home with a Life Jacket to Get Ready for Boating Season
As many states are under stay-at-home orders at this time, exercise is taking on many forms. Some people are taking walks around their neighborhoods or running up and down the stairs in their apartment buildings. Other people are taking advantage of treadmills and stationary bikes that they already owned while others are turning to exercise videos for inspiration. With that in mind, the Sea Tow Foundation has created a unique full-body workout that utilizes a life jacket to help you get ready for boating season.
The life jacket exercise workout video features the Sea Tow Foundation’s Executive Director, Gail Kulp, in her living room. No special equipment is needed other than a pair of athletic shoes and a life jacket. The Sea Tow Foundation has partnered with Onyx life jackets for the nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program which features over 650 life jacket loaner stations at marinas, fuel docks and boat ramps. Kulp explains that the life jacket exercise workout involves six different moves – two that are focused on strength, two that are focused on cardio and the final two that are focused on the abdominal muscles (also known as the abs).Each move is completed for one minute and then at the end of the six moves, there is a one-minute rest before completing the circuit three more times. When including a warm-up and cool-down of a couple of minutes, the entire life jacket exercise routine will take exactly 30 minutes to complete.
A variety of free timers are available to be downloaded to a phone or tablet and can be programmed for the 1-minute intervals for the life jacket exercise workout. Music of your choice can also be played while working out. The full exercise routine is listed at the bottom and Kulp demonstrates all of the moves in the video. She also includes some default moves if jumping or running in place is too difficult for the cardio portion of the life jacket exercise workout.
The life jacket workout exercise video is just one of many tools being debuted by the Sea Tow Foundation to help groups and individuals participate in National Safe Boating Week which takes place from May 16-22, 2020. The Sea Tow Foundation has developed a media kit, images sized for social media and we have recorded a webinar explaining how to use these tools and many others in your local area.
We’d love to hear from you after trying this life jacket exercise workout with your comments below. Was the workout easy or hard? And, we hope that you’ll connect with us on Facebook and Instagram before National Safe Boating Week to join in all the fun!
Circuit (1 minute each – repeat for total of 4 times)
1.Squat while taking life jacket on and off
2.Lunge life jacket pass
3.Jumping Jacks while wearing life jacket
4.High Knees while wearing life jacket
5.Abdominal Twists passing the life jacket
6.Dynamic Plank while wearing life jacket
7.Rest
Cool-Down (2 minutes)
Stretch as needed
Disclaimer: Before starting this or any exercise routine, the Sea Tow Foundation strongly recommends that you consult with your medical team. The Sea Tow Foundation staff are not experts in exercise techniques nor medical conditions. By voluntarily participating in this exercise routine, you understand that there is a possibility of injury and you assume all risk of injury to yourself and agree to release and hold harmless the Sea Tow Foundation from any and all claims or course of action.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Monday, December 30, 2019
Updated: Thursday, January 9, 2020
Thank you for a great 2019!
Whether you are a regular supporter of Sea Tow Foundation programs such as our Life Jacket Loaner Program or our Sober Skipper Program, or you are new to our nonprofit boating safety efforts nationwide, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you!
This year has seen major growth in the Sea Tow Foundation Programs. Our Sober Skipper program, which asks boaters to be or designate a sober skipper before leaving the dock, has seen an increase in the number of people taking the pledge in 51 states and territories and 94% of the states have seen a decrease in Boating Under the Influence accidents and fatalities as a result.
The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program now boasts 650 total life jacket loaner stations offered across 43 states at boat ramps, marinas, parks, fuel docks and community centers. And these life jackets have been credited with saving dozens of lives each year thanks to the boating safety supporters who help maintain our loaner stations around the country and ensure that the life jackets are available to the boating public.
To accomplish all of this, the Sea Tow Foundation has expanded its staff, increased its presence at boat shows, and made materials and resources available online in our new store to support the needs of the growing requests for our programs in our efforts to promote boating safety and education that directly reduces deaths, injuries, and property damage attributed to recreational boating.
Please consider making a year-end gift in any amount to help us continue our good work. All donations are tax-deductible and your support has lasting effect on every person borrowing a life jacket to prevent drowning or taking the pledge to be a Sober Skipper to eliminate Boating Under the Influence.
You can make a secure donation online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or you can mail a check to Sea Tow Foundation, P.O. Box 1325, Southold, NY 11971.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Friday, November 15, 2019
Updated: Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Get into the Spirit of Giving with a Life Jacket Drive this Holiday Season
With the winter holidays just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to get into the spirit of giving. And if you’re a boater that cares about safety, there’s no better way to give than by collecting new or gently used life jackets for use at a local Sea Tow FoundationLife Jacket Loaner Station!
As everyone is putting up their boats for the winter up north or making plans to take a break from boating during the busy winter months down south, this is the best time to gather up any life jackets that may not be needed next season. Whether the kids have outgrown the life jackets or they have become surplus in your boat’s supply, gently used life jackets can still help save a life on your local waterways.
Hosting a Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Drive is an easy way to make a huge impact on your local boating community. Simply visit www.lifejacketdrive.org and download the program manual, signage, flyers and other promotional materials to get the word out about your drive. You can also request box labels for your life jacket collection boxes and those will be mailed to you for free.
Many organizations that accept donations of clothing, toys and household items can’t accept life jackets because the staff lack the training to identify whether the life jackets meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements. Thankfully, the Life Jacket Drive’s Program Manual provides you with the tools to confidently inspect the donated life jackets, including a checklist like the one shown below.
Add it all up, and there’s no better time to host a Life Jacket Drive in your hometown. This holiday season protect a life by donating a vest. And, best of all, the donated life jackets will stay in your local boating community as part of a life jacket loaner station that local boaters can borrow and return.
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Updated: Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Apply Today to Host a Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Station!
Is your company, team, organization or club passionate about boating? Are you looking for a way to engage with your local community to make an impact and save lives? Now’s your chance, because the Sea Tow Foundation is officially accepting applications to set up new or restock existing Life Jacket Loaner Stations.
In case you’re not familiar with our Life Jacket Loaner Program, the Sea Tow Foundation started the program 12 years ago thanks to grant funds from the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Sea Tow Foundation works with organizations all throughout the country to establish and maintain a network of close to 600 life jacket loaner stations where local boaters can borrow a life jacket for the day, free of charge. And the life jackets are saving lives on waterways both near and far.
If your organization is interested in hosting a Life Jacket Loaner Station in your hometown, simply complete the online application by February 1, 2020.
In April 2020, the selected organizations will be sent Onyx Outdoor life jackets ranging in sizes from infant to adult XL, as well as informational brochures on the importance of life jacket use. In addition, organizations will receive a manual detailing how to maintain the loaner station, announce the opening of the station to the local media, and complete monthly reports describing how the life jackets are used.
New this year, reimbursement may be provided to organizations interested in building a loaner stand locally or working with a local group to help in building a stand. If you are selected to receive the reimbursement, signage will be provided, as well as building plans.
Now is your chance to make a difference in your local boating community! Submit your application today! We look forward to working with you in 2020!
Posted By Gail Kulp,
Friday, August 2, 2019
Updated: Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Sea Tow Foundation Announces $330,000 in Grants Awarded for 2019-20
The Sea Tow Foundation – a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness of safe boating practices – has announced it will receive a series of grants from the United States Coast Guard for the 2019-20 grant year and beyond.
The grants – administered through the Coast Guard’s Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund – will be used to support the Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program and Sober Skipper Program.
“We couldn’t be more excited to continue to receive such resounding support from our friends at the Coast Guard,” said Gail R. Kulp, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “These grants will go a long way toward saving lives on waterways all throughout the country, both this year and beyond.”
The Coast Guard has awarded the Foundation’s seminal Life Jacket Loaner Program with $210,000 for the coming year – an increase of nearly 8 percent year-over-year. In addition, the Sea Tow Foundation has been awarded the same amount for the following two years to guarantee that the Life Jacket Loaner Program will continue well into the future.
The grant money will be used toward increasing the number of Life Jacket Loaner Stations – of which there are currently more than 575 across the country. In addition, it will help fund replenishments and repairs of existing stations. Applications for next summer’s life jackets and loaner stations will begin on November 1, 2019 on the Sea Tow Foundation’s website. Kulp said more information will be shared this fall.
The Life Jacket Loaner Program grant will also help in the development and maintenance of an online database of life jacket loaner station locations around the country, along with a map of those locations,
A second grant of $120,000 has been awarded for the Sober Skipper program, which celebrated its sixth year in 2019. These funds will help the Foundation continue its goals of building greater awareness of the importance of sober boating through grassroots efforts to spread the message in boating communities around the country.
“Alcohol is the leading known contributor in fatal boating accidents, so our Sober Skipper program couldn’t be more important,” Kulp said. “Through these grants, we’ll be able to continue to increase the program’s reach through additional advertising and social media efforts.”
In the past year, the Sea Tow Foundation has established a brand-new American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, which works to unite the corporate and non-profit sectors of the boating industry around a shared message of safe boating. Grant funding will continue to support the Council, as well as fund a new component of the Council – a boating industry awards program to recognize and honor businesses who are promoting safe boating within their companies.
“It’s humbling to see so many influential members of the boating industry lock arms with one another through our Sober Skipper program,” Kulp added. “With the help of grants like these, we hope to do away with Boating Under the Influence for good.”
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