Summer Boating Safety
The July 4th holiday typically means that the summer boating season has arrived! While you are enjoying the waterways and company of friends and family, ODNR Division of Watercraft urges you to make safety a top priority:
- Always wear a life jacket. By law, life jackets are required for those riding PWC, those being towed (on skis, tubes, or other devices), and children under 10 on boats less than 18 feet long.
- Avoid alcohol consumption when boating, especially if you are operating a boat or skiing/tubing. Be sure to have a sober "designated driver" operate the boat. No alcohol aboard is the safest way to go.
- Know and follow the boating navigation "Rules of the Road."
- Take along plenty of food and a variety of liquids such as water, lemonade, or sports drinks to prevent exhaustion and dehydration.
- Wear clothes that keep you cool and protect you from the sun.
- Limit your outing to a length of time that will not fatigue you. Glare and heat from the sun - as well as the boat’s motion, noise and vibration - can fatigue you sooner than you think.
- Be prepared to handle or render assistance in any boating emergency. Keep the required emergency equipment on your boat and know how to use it.
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