FWC encourages boaters to ‘Spring Aboard’ on safety
Spring has arrived and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to make sure that everyone recreating on the water goes home safely at the end of the day, officials reported. The FWC encourages all boaters to “Spring Aboard” by taking a boating safety course, as safety is never optional.
In 2020, Florida boating accident statistics indicated that — when the level of operator education was known — 72 percent of boating deaths occurred on boats where the operator had never received boating education instruction.
While not currently required, owners of human-powered watercraft, such as paddleboards and kayaks, are also encouraged to take a boating education class, so they are aware of critical boating knowledge that anyone who plans to get out on the water should have, and to be better prepared for the risks they may face while boating.
“In Florida, boaters who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, are required to complete and pass a boater safety education course. But everyone interested in boating should take a course,” FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section Leader Maj. Rob Beaton said. “There’s no reason to head out on the water without this knowledge.”
Boaters have many ways to get educated, from classroom courses offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons like the America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva, to online offerings available. Learn more about boater safety education by at MyFWC.com/boating and click on “Boating Safety and Education.”