Required Safety Gear by Boat Length, Explained
Every boater has heard some version of the rules. Somebody at the ramp says you need a certain number of …
Safety Gear
Life jackets, throwables, horns, extinguishers and first aid. Rules referenced from uscgboating.org, never invented here.
Life Ring and Horseshoe Buoy: Size and Mounting
A throwable device is the piece of safety gear most likely to be aboard and least likely to be usable. …
Kill Switch Lanyard: Wireless or Corded
The coiled red cord clipped to the dash is the most ignored safety device on the water. Everybody knows what …
Boat Flares and Electronic Signals: What Counts
Flares are the one piece of safety equipment most boaters buy once, stow in a locker and never think about …
Boat First Aid Kit: What Belongs in a Dry Bag
The first aid kit in most boats is a household box with a rusted lid and a roll of tape …
USCG Approved Life Jackets: What the Label Means
Two vests hang side by side in the store. One has a small block of text sewn into the lining …
Type IV Throwable: Ring, Cushion or Horseshoe
The throwable is the piece of safety gear most likely to be the wrong shape, in the wrong place, or …
Best Life Jackets for Boating: Types I Through V
Almost every boat has life jackets aboard, and on a lot of boats they live in the same place all …
Inflatable PFD: Auto or Manual, and Who Skips It
The honest reason most boaters look at inflatables is comfort. A foam vest in August on an open bow boat …
Infant Life Jacket: Weight Range and Head Support
Buying a life jacket for a baby is the one purchase where the usual advice about comfort and style stops …
Fire Extinguisher for a Boat: Class and Mounting
A boat fire is a short story. There is no fire department coming, there is nowhere to walk to, and …
Dog Life Jacket: Fit, Handle and Float Placement
Dogs are strong swimmers right up until they are not. A lab that crosses the cove twice without complaint can …