Safety Tips for Boating During the Fishing Season
Safety Tips for Boating During the Fishing Season
You, your family/friends deserve a memorable fishing experience. This is what makes most anglers happy and successful. Therefore, if you plan to go angling or on a fishing trip with family/friends, we recommend preparing yourself with a first aid kit, float plan, and life jacket, among other safety equipment. And you can achieve this by following simple fishing safety tips for boating during the fishing season, as outlined below.
Make the Best Use of Your Personal Flotation Device
A personal flotation device, e.g., a life jacket, isn’t meant to just stay in the boat. You should pick one and wear it whenever you go on a fishing boat ride because boating accidents are sometimes unpredictable.
Unfortunately, statistics show that many Canadian victims of boating accidents didn’t have a PFD or life jacket on when they drowned.
Never Run a Watercraft While Under the Influence
The truth is that drugs or alcohol and operating any machine have never mixed. And since a fishing boat or a kayak is a machine, you need to be boat sober to handle it while fishing to avoid capsizing into the cold water. The Canadian Drowning Report recently disclosed that approximately 39% of boating accidents and deaths resulted from alcohol consumption. Therefore, why not avoid irresponsible boating practices that can impair your judgment?
Attend Boat Safety Training
Getting carded is another way of preventing your boat from capsizing into the cold water. Make sure you take a Boat Operator Accredited Training course to assist you in getting ready for the Pleasure Craft Operator Card test. It is a test geared toward general safe boating and how to respond in case of a boating emergency.
Put on the Right Gear
Wearing the proper safety gear is also among the top fishing safety tips. It ensures you wear your PFD or life jacket, appropriate clothing, sunscreen, and good sunglasses. It also entails wearing whistles, flares, and paddles.
Carry Extra Safety Items
Bringing along additional safety items like a cell phone, fire extinguisher, a float plan, maps, flashlights, radio, and water can save your life in a boating emergency. A boating crisis can result from many things, including bad weather conditions, thus the need to always pay attention to weather forecasts. As a boat operator, you should know the purpose of every safety item in your boat.
What Does the Weather Say?
As a boat operator, it would help if you were continually updated on weather forecast matters. This safety tip involves paying attention to the weather and knowing when it is safe to go fishing. For example, marine facilities include marine radio that can help you and your fellow boaters monitor weather conditions all the time.
Bottom Line
Before you go angling or on a fishing trip, we highly recommend registering to take a boating safety course after learning the above essential water safety tips. This is achievable online or in a nearby physical classroom. And better still, you can improve your boating experience by visiting FFUN Motorsports in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and walking away with your dream watercraft. We have the largest selection of personal watercraft, including their safety equipment like personal flotation devices, first aid kits, life jackets, etc.