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.