Modern life jackets have come a long way since the bulky, orange vests of the past. The newer models of life jackets available on the market today are less bulky and more comfortable. So which type is the best for you? The U.S. Coast Guard says “the one you will wear.” Choosing a life jacket designed for your preferred boating activity is the trick to wearing one while boating.

Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

Wear it!

Meaning wear your life jacket – which is possibly the most important factor in surviving a boating accident of any type. If the latest boating safety statistics aren’t enough to convince you to wear a life jacket, consider these compelling reasons to wear a life jacket while boating.

National Safe Boating week kicks off this week on Saturday, May 17 with the 2008 North American Safe Boating Campaign sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council, the U.S. Coast Guard, and many other boating safety partners.

As a former Coast Guardsman I know safety matters, so from May 17 – May 23 I will feature new articles about safety issues daily. Check back each day to learn boating safety best practices, which life jacket to choose, the required safety equipment for your boat, my top 5 picks for optional safety equipment, and more.

Image courtesy of National Safe Boating Council

New 2007 boating statistics show Florida leads the nation in boating fatalities – 85 percent of which involved operators without boating safety education. Only a few weeks before the data was published, the Florida legislature denied a plan to require boating safety education for Florida’s boaters.

Many states are adopting boating safety education requirements, like the state of Washington, so why not Florida – the state with one of the largest boating populations in the nation?

What do you think? Should states require boaters to pass a boating safety course before they are allowed to operate a boat? If you have taken a boaters safety class, tell us about your experience and what motivated you learn more about boating safety.

Source: St. Petersburg Times

Photo © U.S. Coast Guard

Steve from Australia is interested in purchasing a Triumph boat, but is a little leary about internet conversation regarding Triumphs with cracked hulls. Since Triumph's slogan is "the world's toughest boats," it's understandable that he would want a little clarification.

I recently wrote a Triumph boat review, so I'm also interested to know if any Triumph owners have experienced cracked hulls, or what your experience has been with this manufacturer.

Photo Triumph 215CC courtesy of Genmar Holdings

J.D. Power and Associates reports that “overall boat owner satisfaction remains unchanged” in their 2008 Boat Competitive Information Study released at the Miami International Boat Show. J.D. Power is one of the most respected independent consumer research firms, a fact that aids boaters in their buying decisions. If you are considering purchasing a boat, first take a look at what other consumers think of the brand of boat you are considering as reported to J.D. Powers and Associates.

The Jacksonville Daily News in North Carolina predicts high gas prices at the pump will hinder boating, while FoxNews.com says boaters aren’t “likely to curb fun because of gas prices.” In either case, saving money fueling your boat is possible by understanding the way your boat is designed and using a simple calculation to find its economical speed.

If you have an emergency while boating, what is the first thing you should do? Hopefully, you answered “Call the Coast Guard on VHF-FM marine radio Channel 16,” because this should always be your primary way of communicating a distress alert. If you answered, “Dial *CG on my cell phone,” you would be wrong. The Coast Guard has discontinued *CG, except in Alaska, and says boaters with cell phones should dial 911 in an emergency only if they don’t have access to a VHF-FM marine radio. Learn why the Coast Guard discourages the use of cell phones for distress alerting, and encourages all boaters to have a VHF-FM marine radio.

Three missing boaters from Tampa Bay have still not been located after several days. The captain’s wife reported the passengers and vessel overdue to the U.S. Coast Guard, but armed with only the boat’s description and an approximate location that covers 5,500 square miles, the Coast Guard rightly concluded they didn’t have enough information to begin a search. Unfortunately, as each day passes, the outlook for the missing boaters grows grimmer.

Don’t let this be you. Smart boaters anticipate the best, but plan for the worst. In my experience, the overdue cases that ended in success were the result of thoughtful boaters who filed float plans with their friends and loved ones. Find out how to file a float plan with the information the Coast Guard needs to increase the odds of a safe rescue.

Photo © U.S. Coast Guard