Wednesday, March 14, 2012

10 Safety Precaution Tips for Boaters

One of the most valuable lessons learned is you can never be to prepared whether you are going on a fishing trip, boat tour, or a pleasure trip.

Something that should be on every boaters mind is safety and precautionary measures while out on the water. If your on a rowboat, speed boat, show boat, or a pontoon these tips should be useful.

1. Always check your local weather service before you go out on the water. If for some odd reason your weather provider's prediction is wrong, look for darkening clouds, a temperature drop, or changing winds. Be safe and get off the water if a sudden weather change occurs.

2. Make a check list before going out. We all forget stuff when we are rushing ourselves. Make a check list before you head out, it will ensure you don't forget anything important.

Some marine safety supplies that might be helpful are a flashlight (click here to see video of Safety Strobe Megaphone with flashlight), first aid kit, additional life jackets, visual distress signal, and an audio distress signal. All these supplies can be helpful in an emergency situation and can save your life.

To extend your voice even more look into a Portable PA System or a megaphone. These items would help you communicate to other boaters and safety professionals during emergencies or disaster situations.

3. Familiarize yourself with the boating regulations, the layout of the lake, and the layout of your vessel. Knowledge of all theses things is beneficial. It will provide extra safety on the water for you, and your passengers.

4. Put passengers to work. If you need help navigating or watching for other boats you could as your passengers to help you out.

5. Get onto land or back into the boat as soon as possible if you fall in freezing water. Being in cold water steals your body heat 32 times faster then cold air. Find the nearest spot to get out of the water and swim there immediately. Treading water trying to make a decision can shorten survival time by 50%.

6. Know how to swim. As crazy as it sounds, there have been incidences of people falling off their boat and not being able to swim. It would make sense to take a swimming class if your going to be around the water all day.

7. Get a free vessel safety check. These are offered by the United States Coast Guard for free. You can find a local vessel safety check using this website http://www.safetyseal.net/GetVSC/. They check safety equipment and the overall condition of your boat.

8. Watch out for the prop. A prop can spin 160 times per second so it's best to not board your boat via the drive unit. Get a ladder and board the safe way.

9. Install a carbon monoxide device in your boats cabin. Carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly. So it's not a bad idea to install one if your boat has an indoor cabin to prevent you from inhaling the fumes. Carbon monoxide exposure while rare can be fatal, do the smart thing and buy a carbon monoxide detector.

10. Never go boating under the influence. The probability of getting into an accident while under the influence is doubled. Alcohol is intensified by natural stressers like exposure to sun, wind, and motion on the water. Don't put yourself in danger along with all you're fellow boaters on the water.

Here are some AmpliVox products that can be useful for boaters.

Amplivox offers a product that could be helpful for your next boating trip. The Half Mile Hailer can be heard over a half mile away (thus the name). It would be great if your boat happened to stall in the middle of the water or if your vessel gets stuck. The Hailer also comes with a siren that you can use to as a distress signal.

The MityMeg is another option for boaters. This megaphone is a lighter weight option to the half mile hailer. It only weighs two pounds and is weather resistant. This is also handy if you are pulling a water skier or wake boarder. Don't worry about yelling over the loud motor just use the Mighty Meg.