Boating accidents. We all like to think they cannot happen to us. However, while the odds of a boating emergency are slim, particularly for those who follow the proper safety protocol, even the most diligent and careful boater can find himself or herself in an emergency. The difference between your boating accident being an inconvenience and a disaster is the difference between coming prepared and failing to do what is necessary to prepare. So what can you do to prepare your boat and … [Read more...]
Choosing the Right Life Vest
There are too many tragedies on the water as a result of people not wearing life vests. Whether you are young, old, a seasoned swimmer, or someone who has never swam before, you need to wear a life vest. Here are some tips to help you pick the right vest for your age, body type, and activity. Finding the proper type of vest Using the wrong kind of vest can be just as dangerous as wearing no vest at all. It is a general rule that life vests that inflate automatically upon immersion, and vests … [Read more...]
Cold Water: Safety and Survival
For most of the northern hemisphere, the beginning of August marks the point in which temperatures slowly begin to fall. Of course, depending on where you live, you may still continue to enjoy warm weather and sunny days for weeks--or even months--to come. But for most, at some point or another, the weather will eventually change, bringing with it cool days, changing colors, and radically different water conditions. Despite these changes, millions of people will continue boating both … [Read more...]
3 Frequently Overlooked Steps of Winterizing a Recreational Boat
Winterizing your recreational boat correctly is certainly one of the least enjoyable aspects of owning a boat. But it is also one of the most important. With a relatively small investment of time and money, you can insure that your boat will be functioning perfectly when springtime rolls back around. Winterization is important financially (as it saves you from making potentially costly repairs), and it is also an important element of boating safety. (After all, should something go wrong over the … [Read more...]
Water Safety For Young Children
From swimming pools to a day on the lake—water offer endless recreation for people of all ages. However, it should not be ignored that, without proper care, water can present a serious danger to young children. It is very important, therefore, for parents to understand the basics of water safety both for themselves and for the children. Read on to learn more about how you can keep your children safe around water. General Rules Young children should always wear a lifejacket when in or … [Read more...]
5 Tips on Treading Water Successfully
Because no boat is entirely trustworthy—think of the Titanic—even if you are the greatest boater in the world, you may one day need to be able to survive in the water without it. This is why one of the most important aspects of boating safety actually has nothing to do with boats. Swimming is one of the most crucial skills to a safe boater, and, of all of the different methods of staying afloat, treading water may be the most useful to a boater. This is because rather than trying to swim to … [Read more...]
Boating Accidents by Type
It’s no fun thinking about boating accidents (and, fortunately, your odds of experiencing one are fairly low.) That being said, a bit of forethought can go a long way towards ensuring your safety—even if accidents are the last thing you want to be thinking about before hitting the lake! Here is an interesting breakdown of boating accidents by type provided by the California Department of Boating and Waterways that give you an idea of what to watch out for on the open water. 32% of … [Read more...]
What To Do In A Boating Emergency
In boating, as with any other sport, sometimes things can go wrong. The difference between an annoying mishap and a life threatening disaster is knowing how to respond when things go south. Below you will find a list of several things that you should do, should you find yourself in a boat accident, or any other type of emergency at sea. Remain Calm When faced with a problem of any kind it is important to remember to stay calm and composed. There is no way to ensure that you will follow all of … [Read more...]
4 Reasons to Learn How to Swim
Believe it or not, there are a surprising number of adults out there who have yet to learn how to swim. If you find yourself among that group, you may feel that it is already too late, or that learning how to swim simply isn’t worth the trouble. Perhaps you really do wish to learn how to swim, you’ve just always procrastinated, and now you don’t know how to start. Whatever the case may be, we’re here to tell you: learning is always possible! Just in case you need a bit of motivation, here are … [Read more...]
Cross-Country Skiing Safety
7 Rules to Help you Stay Safe in Any Situation Google “Skiing Safety” and the first several pages worth of results will be virtually nothing but downhill skiing related. On a certain level, this makes sense--after all, there are many inherent dangers of downhill skiing that are unique to the sport. That being said, cross-country skiing still carries its own risks, and it’s important to be aware of them before embarking on a cross-country ski outing. Here are 7 important rules that can help keep … [Read more...]