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Pontoon Diving Boards and Boat Safety

There is just nothing quite like spending the day on your boat with friends and family. What could be better than spending a lazy summer day with warm rays and cool spray on your face? The day only gets better when you consider you will be fishing, water skiing and even swimming.

All too often, boat safety takes a back seat on summer outings. Each year, hundreds of Americans are killed and thousands injured in boating accidents. Most of these accidents are preventable with just a few precautions. Keep your pleasure cruise from turning into a nightmare by following a few rules.

Lillipad Marine, your source for pontoon diving boards, offers these summer boating safety tips.

Stay in the Know

In many parts of our country, there are no licensing permits needed for operating a boat. This basically means you don’t have to know anything about driving a boat to drive a boat.

We strongly urge boat owners to take a boat safety course and perhaps classes on how to drive a boat before venturing out into the open waters. Need a good reason to take a boating class? Out of the 700 boating fatalities a year, only 10 percent are in a boat with the driver who has formal safety training.

A boating safety course could literally save your life.

Keep in Touch

Cell phone batteries die, cell phones get wet and cell phone coverage can be spotty when you are out on your boat. A marine radio is your closest thing to a guarantee that you are able to make contact with rescuers should the need arise.

All marine radios built after 1999 have a built-in feature called digital service calling, which is a button that sends an automatic mayday call with your vessel’s name and location. But it only works if you have it properly registered.

Stay Afloat

Life jackets save lives. This is a true statement. Unfortunately, many boaters don’t wear them because they feel they are too cumbersome, are wearing the wrong kind or think wearing a life jacket is not cool.

What is not cool is drowning in a boating accident.

Here is a good reason to wear a proper life jacket: 90 percent of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. It is also just as important to have plenty of life jackets aboard your boat.

Check the Weather

There are a number of ways in which you can check the weather before heading out on your boating adventure. The day might start off as warm and sunny, but that could suddenly change and you could find yourself in the middle of a body of water during a severe storm.

Don’t Overload

You would like to invite 25 people for a boat party to celebrate your birthday or some other occasion, but you should always follow your boat’s capacity restrictions.

Have Your Boat Checked

The United States Power Squadrons and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary offer free vessel safety checks. There is no charge and no consequence if your boat doesn’t pass.

Iced Tea For Me, Thanks

If you are operating a boat, say no to the shot of rum and drink iced tea instead. A cold beer tastes wonderful on a hot day when you are on a boat, but the effects will leave your reaction time slower and your judgment impaired.

Safety Check

Before you head out into the lake, perform a simple pre-boarding boat safety check. Make sure you have a full tank of gas, sniff for fumes after you have gassed up and make sure you have all of the necessary safety equipment on board.

You should have a flashlight, duct tape, first aid kit, ropes, a whistle, life jackets and a fire extinguisher on board your boat at all times.

Be Courteous

Stay mindful of swimmers and other boaters when you are in the water and keep a safe distance. Follow the rules and directions posted at the lake and keep a low wake when near other boaters.