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In the State of Kentucky, you have to be only 12 years old to get your license to operate a boat, which is a very scary thought considering I’m the mother of a boy who was counting the days until he turned 12 so
he could operate our Sea Doo by himself. My husband and I do not allow our son, who is now 13, to operate our speedboat unless we are with him, but did want him to be able to take the Sea Doo personal watercraft out on the lake by himself. But before he could venture out on his own, we wanted to be sure that he knew boating rules and safety, so I signed him up for a Safe Boating Course offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, through our county’s community education program. This class met two nights a week for four weeks and covered everything from life jackets and other safety issues, to all of the boating rules for inland lake boating as well as the more complicated rules of intercoastal and river boating. My son was the youngest in the class but passed the final test with a higher score than most of the adults. The instructors are great and cover everything until you have a complete understanding of general boating rules and safety. In other words, if you show up, pay attention and ask questions, there’s no way you can fail the final test.
After completing the course and both passing our final tests, my son and I received our Safe Boating Course Certificates issued by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. My son carries his with him at all times when he’s out on the lake. He has even been stopped by the lake patrol to verify that he was legal to operate the Sea Doo, so his certificate has already come in handy. In the State of Kentucky, this certificate works as a “license” just as if a young person takes the written test through the State Division of Watercraft and obtains their license that way. However, it is my opinion that a young boater gets so much more out of the Safe Boating Course than just memorizing a pamphlet right before taking the State test.
The added benefit to taking this course as an adult boater is that you should be able to save money on all of your boat insurance policies. Our houseboat, speedboat and Sea Doo are all insured by State Farm, who encourage taking the Safe Boating Course, and offers a very nice discount once all policyholders have completed the program. I signed my husband up for the program right away and upon completion, we presented our certificates to our State Farm agent and have cut our total insurance premiums by over $450 per year. Check with your agent to find out if your insurance company offers safe boating course discounts. I would think most of them would.
Above all is the fact that we can have some peace of mind when our son heads out on the Sea Doo by himself or with a group of friends. While he is still very young and will no doubt make some bad decisions once in awhile, at least he’s equipped with a basic understanding of boating rules and safety.
Boating is fun but just like driving a car, there are many dangers involved. Get in touch with your local Coast Guard Auxiliary to find out when and where classes are held in your area. I think all boaters, regardless of their experience, can benefit from this course.
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