Boating Safety Equipment is Required for everyone's Safety
Most countries in the world regulate and enforce the safety requirements of any watercraft. For example, in the US the boating safety equipment that needs to be available for use depends on the size of the vessel as well as the type (e.g. fishing, water skiing). When buying your safety equipment for a boating in the US, you must meet the U.S. Coast Guard's established minimum standards in order for your equipment to be acceptable by law. Penalties / Tickets may be given to boat owners that are in the water and any piece of equipment that does not meet the coast guard's requirements is considered to be non-existent.While some may view the fines and penalties for failure to comply with even the minimal boating safety equipment as intrusive, these rules are in place to help protect the lives of the boater and their passengers. There may also be equipment required on boats over certain sizes that may not seem related to safety, including boat dock equipment, but their use will help insure against water and land pollution.
One of the most common areas where people misunderstand, misinterpret, or flat out ignore the established rules is in personal flotation devices. Simply having a life jacket available for every person on board is not enough if this essential piece of boating safety equipment is not readily accessible in the event of an emergency. Keeping them wrapped in their original packaging may seem like a good idea to protect them from weather and damage, but will significantly increase the time needed to get them on in case of an emergency. Besides, you'll always want to verify any safety equipment is complete and intact. Life jackets should also not be stored under other items or in a locked cabinet in the boat. The easy to remember rule is: Keep it out in the open and in plain sight. Once you are back at the dock, you can always store them in a locked cabinet as long as you take it out before you embark on your next trip.
The Need to be heard and seen on the Water
A couple of other required pieces of boating safety equipment include visual and audible distress signals. Flare guns are very popular items for boaters who spend a lot of time on the water. In the event of a break down, the visual distress signal should be visible during the day as well as at night. If the boat breaks down and the operator has no signaling device they could spend days on the water hoping someone passes by and spots them.To enable boat operators (or, what the heck, we'll call you captain!) to alert others to their presence, audible signals are also required pieces of boating safety equipment, these include items such as a bell or air horn. Having a fire extinguisher within reach is another necessity in the event of fire on the ship. The type of fire extinguisher kept as part of the boat's boating safety equipment should be designed for marine use and be capable of extinguishing all types of fire, like flammable liquids such as diesel fuel or gasoline.
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