Boating can be a fun hobby or even a way of life. Just like any other activity with some risk, though, it does require special safety equipment to ensure no one gets hurt. In fact, the federal government even provides a list of mandated boat safety equipment that every vessel must have on board. Let’s look at some of the more helpful safety equipment you might want to include on your boat.
Life Jackets
Life jackets are a must whenever you’re out in open water, whether that’s a lake, gulf, or the ocean. Even the best swimmers could have trouble paddling through rough waves on their own or might get sucked out into an undertoe. A worse scenario would be falling unconscious into the water and being unable to swim. Life jackets help to keep you above the surface to give you the best chance to swim to safety, be found by others, and not drown.
Flotation Device
Ideally, the flotation device you keep on your boat is tied to some type of rope and can be tossed out into the water. This is great for rescuing people and pulling them back into the boat. Maybe someone hopped in for a swim but caught a painful cramp in their leg. You can throw them the onboard flotation device and help them back aboard where you can safely address their injury.
Fire Extinguisher
It might seem silly to keep a fire extinguisher on a boat, but it’s a neccesary part of every safety kit. Most boat engines run on gasoline, so if there’s a leak or the engine breaks, the potential for fire is real. The last thing you want is a rogue flame engulfing your boat and forcing your overboard, so keeping a fire extinguisher can keep an unfortunate mishap from becoming a disaster.
Leave a Reply