Boating can be an exhilarating experience, but it's important to remember that safety must always accompany adventure. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a novice navigator, staying informed about local boating safety laws is crucial for a successful voyage.

States are frequently revising their boating laws and requirements to protect the safety and well-being of their local boaters. Another possible change made by states may include implementing new mandatory boating education requirements. It's essential to stay up-to-date about changes in your state’s boating safety laws so you can be certain you comply with the rules before heading to the water. These laws are put in place to protect both boaters and the environment, which is why they shouldn’t be taken lightly.

To ensure you are meeting the most up-to-date boating safety requirements, regularly check your state’s laws online for updates and changes. We recommend searching “Boating safety laws/requirements in {state name}” – you will typically be directed to that specific state’s official website, which will have all of the information you need. Boaters should closely research the laws in any state where they may be boating, not just the state where they live.

Whether or not your state requires you to take a boating safety course, it's still a wise choice to take a course. Education is the key to safe and enjoyable boating, regardless of where you live. Plus, you can often get a discount on your boat owner’s insurance with proof of completing a boating safety course.

Boating safety education courses provide valuable knowledge and skills that every boater should have. Here’s why you should consider enrolling in a boating safety course:

• Enhanced Safety: Learning about maritime rules, navigation and emergency procedures can significantly reduce the risk of accidents on the water.

   

• Legal Compliance: As state laws evolve, completing a boating safety course can ensure you remain in compliance with current regulations.

   

• Environmental Awareness: Boating safety courses often include modules on eco-friendly practices, helping you protect the waterways you love.

   

• Confidence on the Water: Gaining expertise through education can boost your confidence while boating.

   

• Responsible Boating: Taking a safety course demonstrates your commitment to responsible boating and sets a positive example for others. You can check out our Sober Skipper Program, an initiative to eliminate Boating Under the Influence (BUI) by encouraging all boaters to be or designate a sober skipper before leaving the dock. In every state, it is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The ever-changing landscape of boating safety laws highlights the need for continuous education and awareness. Chart your course to a safer boating experience – stay informed about your state’s boating laws, and take the necessary steps to make safety a priority on the water at all times.

The Sea Tow Foundation is excited to announce that we won a Power of Associations Gold Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for our successful Life Jacket Loaner Program. ASAE’s Power of Associations Awards honors associations that go above and beyond their everyday mission to undertake initiatives that benefit their community, and the world.

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program is the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 1,300 stands located across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., American Samoa and the Virgin Islands. Established in 2008 to prevent drowning, the Life Jacket Loaner Program features loaner stations that each contain life jackets ranging in size from infant to adult extra-large that boaters can borrow and return free of charge to ensure that they have a safe day on the water.

The ASAE Annual Power of Associations Summit Awards will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program is the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 1,300 stands across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Established to prevent drowning, each stand has life jackets ranging in size from infant to adult extra-large that boaters can borrow and return free of charge to help ensure a safe day on the water. During the 2023 boating season, the Sea Tow Foundation received more than 250 Life Jacket Loaner Program applications from 46 states – a record number – which created a gap of 15,000 life jackets between what communities and organizations need and what the Sea Tow Foundation was able to provide through grants and donations.

As a result, the Sea Tow Foundation called on the boating industry to help support their Life Jacket Loaner Program and fill the gap by donating life jackets. Newell Brands, a leading global consumer goods company, answered the call by donating more than 10,000 Stearns and Coleman branded life jackets and floating cushions, which will help keep people safe across the country.

The quantity of donated life jackets and floating cushions went to the following:

• 1,200 life jackets were shipped to the Sea Tow Foundation for distribution to Life Jacket Loaner Station Hosts across the country.

• 1,700 life jackets were shipped to Sea Tow Venice in Florida as a central distribution point to help replenish supply and re-establish loaner stations hosted by them and other groups in Southwest Florida that were affected by Hurricane Ian last fall.

• 7,300 life jackets and floating cushions were made available for existing Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Station Hosts and boating safety groups to pick up from the Newell Brands warehouse in Kansas.

The Sea Tow Foundation has also facilitated a connection between Newell Brands and the nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations: Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. and the Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Education Foundation to donate an additional 10,000 life jackets.

When boating with an infant, toddler or other young child, there are many things to bring on board to make boating with a baby more enjoyable for everyone on the boat. It is recommended that you provide the child with plenty of shade and keep the child out of the hot sun as much as possible. You’ll also likely want to pack plenty of diapers, bottles or drinks to keep the baby hydrated.

What is not optional is a life jacket for the baby. Even if it is uncomfortable or causes the child to cry, it is required that babies wear a properly fitted life jacket at all times when on or around a boat. This includes buckling the strap between the child’s legs so that the life jacket won’t slip off.

Many boaters also choose to bring a car seat on board the boat to provide a place for the baby to sit and/or sleep. It is important to know that boats don’t have seatbelts, so there will be nowhere to secure the car seat on the boat. It is also critical to know that car seats don’t float. Therefore, do not strap the baby into the car seat and ensure that the child is wearing a life jacket at all times, just in case the unthinkable happens.

The following video demonstration shows what happens when a car seat with a weighted baby doll wearing a life jacket enters the water. As the video shows, the car seat sinks while the baby doll floats free because it is wearing a life jacket.

This year, we have been 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.

Our last Q&A blog comes to us from Cristin Plaice, Director of Business Development for Rapid Media. Rapid Media won the National Boating Industry Safety Award for Top Marine Media Outlet for the second year in a row, but for a completely new project. As a contractor for Water Sports Foundation, they worked to develop ways to reach and include new paddlers in boating safety information and education initiatives.

1. Congratulations on winning the National Boating Industry Safety Award! Can you please describe your winning entry for our audience?

We were contracted by the Water Sports Foundation's U.S. Coast Guard non-profit grant award entitled: “Strategic Search Engine Content Marketing Targeting America’s Highest-Risk, Most Difficult-To-Reach Paddlers.” The purpose of this work was to create a national campaign promoting safe boating behaviors with a specific focus on reaching new paddlers, who are the most at-risk group.

The campaign was based on a content marketing strategy to create and distribute content to reach this target audience with valuable safety messaging and information when they would be most interested and receptive. We know new paddlers aren’t Googling “why I should wear a life jacket” or “why I should file a float plan.” But they are searching for things like “cheap kayaks” or “best paddleboards for beginners” and “used canoes.”  

We created the content the new paddlers were looking for and wove the safety messaging in and around the articles with native advertising placements. As someone Googles something like “cheap kayaks under $500” they land on our article “Best Cheap Kayaks under $500” and as they read about which kayak to buy, they are reminded to always wear a lifejacket, take a paddling safety course, paddle sober, etc.

We created and published 60 of these search engine-optimized articles each with safety messaging woven into and around the content. Rapid Media’s marketing specialists used sophisticated search engine optimization techniques to ensure each piece of content attracts and retains traffic from a highly specific target audience by providing answers to their queries on Google, Yahoo, and other search engines.

It seems so simple. Yet it was the first time new paddlers have been targeted so efficiently and effectively. This project is currently delivering more than 5.6 million paddling safety impressions specifically targeting new paddlers – the most at-risk group.

2. What inspired you to promote boating safety?

When we learned a few years ago just how many people are lost while paddling and how many deaths may have been preventable, we felt we had to do something.

Just a decade or two ago, the only thing on the average skier or snowboarder’s head was a beanie. But things have changed and now almost everyone in North America wears a helmet. In 2002, only around 25% of skiers wore helmets. In 2021, 90% of riders were wearing them.

As a paddlesports media company, we have the unique opportunity to reach and influence a very large audience of paddlers, so we decided to take the opportunity seriously.

We have made a commitment to promoting safe paddling behaviors through the articles we write, the photos we feature, the ads we publish, and of course our continued campaigns with the Water Sports Foundation. With our efforts, we hope to encourage all paddlers to understand and prioritize safety.

3. What it was like creating your award-winning project or campaign? How much time did it take? How many people were involved?

Creating this campaign was a huge team effort. Researching, planning, writing, editing and publishing quality content in a niche like paddlesports is difficult to do well. Our entire editorial, marketing and production teams were involved in the content creation process. At the same time, we called in our development team to code the native safety messaging placements. Overall, I would guess we had over fifteen people working on this project over the course of a year.

4. What did you learn from working on this project or campaign?

Working on this campaign reinforced how well content marketing works. Although it takes an initial investment, its ROI and value over time is well worth the effort.

I think the most difficult challenge for this project was choosing which 60 topics to select. Every year, 23 million Americans participate in paddlesports. A large portion of those people are first-time participants. Narrowing their Google searches down to only 60 topics was difficult - there are hundreds more questions to answer.

5. What was your biggest takeaway from working on this project or campaign?

Our biggest takeaway from working on this campaign was that it worked really well and that we would like to continue building upon the first year’s success. We were able to deliver over 9 million impressions over the course of the campaign. And unlike news pieces that have a short shelf life, these articles are evergreen so (with some minimal maintenance) they will continue to rank well forever and can continue delivering safety messages for years to come.