Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

nlain

Commander
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
2,445
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

I took the online course for Ga just because I wanted to. I have been boating for over 40 years and I wanted to know that what I am doing is the right way. I have always treated others the way I want to be treated and also care about the water and environment that I am in and when I took the course I found that what I had been doing as a common sense thing was also the right way. I also learned a lot of new things that I did not know. I think everyone should at least do the online course so they will at least know for sure that what they are doing is wrong and I feel sure that there would be a lot that would change their ways after they have studied all of the information that is presented in that course. Will forced licensing fix the problem, no, it has not fixed the problem on the highways yet, it would educate all and that may help some. I do not want to see forced licensing happen either.
 

bowman316

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
1,822
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

I live in maryland, I took the class online, but I have friends who had to sit in on the class, they changed it to an online thing not long ago here.

I just went to the DNR and took a paper test, with no class. You had to get a 90 percent if you did not take the class. If you took the class first you had to get a 75 or something like that.

I aced it the first time.

It is just a business card with a number on it.
 

TJLMERC330

Cadet
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
28
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Here in NJ it's mandatory .. you must have 'THE CARD' in your possession while operating a motor powered vessel. It's a great way for the state to generate some revenue, but it doesnt make it any safer out there ... there are still the people who have either no common sense, no fear or no clue who cause 90% of the accidents!
 

EHouseHead

Seaman
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
53
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

I live in New Smyrna Beach, does anyone know of a course somewhere around NSB or Daytona?
 

timfives

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
382
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Hey,

I've been boating most of my life one way or another, usually on my pops boat or others. It is a different game when you get your own.

Last spring i bought my first boat, and even prior to taking delivery i went through PA's boater safety course.

It is really a necessity for everyone to do this. I could have easily have said that "i'm good, i know boats" and kept myself ignorant.

After going through the course, i realized that I learned alot, that i'm a safer boater, and it was well worth the time.

Please even if your an old salt, take one. If your reading this and saying to yourself. I know how to boat, i don't need to take a dumb class, then your the person that needs it.

Here is the link to the class i took.

http://www.boat-ed.com/Pennsylvania/index.html

Please be safe, and be smart, we are all representatives of the great boating community.

Tim

Is there anyone out there that has actually taken a boating safety course by any recognized boating authority?

There are so many boaters on the water doing so many stupid things that I am wondering if anyone besides me has actually taken the time to learn to be safe.

I am not a professional, nor instructor, nor with the CG, but I am a member of the local Power Squadron.

So, I challange you to make yourselves know to others, be proud, share your pride in caring enough about others to invest in the safe operation of your vessel.

Lets talk about our training and perhaps we can stimulate others to make the investment in their own, and their familes safety.
 

SuperNova

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
1,455
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

A very good rule of thumb, I've found is this. If you don't know how to pronounce, much less tie, a bowline you may need a boater's safety course.
Heyyyy, this is a good idea, I'm gonna start a new thread.....
 

Billdc

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
270
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

In PA it's required. NJ and MA too as far as I've been told. Even without that I would have taken the course.
 

superwooter

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2009
Messages
167
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

i scrolled through the previous 3 pages and i don't think i saw anyone comment from mississippi. apparently, in 1997 the state government made a new law that stated anyone born after june 1980 had to have taken an approved boater safety course in order to operated a motorized vessel. i missed the cut off by 2 months as i was born in august of 1980. only in the last few months have the game wardens been enforcing this law. i went to http://boatus.com/ and took the free online test. it is valid in nearly all of the 50 states. did i mention it's free??

the funny thing is that i've been driving boats since i was probably 8 or 9 years old. i have friends, though that were born before the cut-off date that have never even set foot in a boat, yet they are not required to take the safety test. i think it would have made more sense to instate the law to require the safety test BUT without the age requirement as age has little to do with boating experience.
 

hshift

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
49
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Took the USPS course back in 95 on Long Island. Still have all the study materials, which are good to have when I have a question.
 

cbavier

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
1,363
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Yes I took the USPS course about four years ago and I think it's time I took it again just as a refresher.
 

BeaufortTJustice

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
248
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

I?m 62 years old:p and have been boating a long time, but a friend of mind asks me if I had ever thought about joining the power squadron because he and I were talking about cursing the ICW and maybe going to the Keys in our boats.
It turns out the power squadron go on cruises all the time in a group of six or more boats (safety in numbers) so I joined and took the safety course and I learned a lot in that course and had so much fun that I took a seamanship course and the test for that is graded by the coastguard, I passed that test:) and I'm planning on take a navigator course. After that who knows.
when you join the power squadron you can take a lot of these classes for free.;)
I'm a member of the lake Murry power squadron in Lexington,SC.:D

Good to hear from a fellow South Carolinian...I live near Lexington and do 95% of my boating on Lake Murray. I was just on the LM Power Squadron website the other night out of curiosity. Perhaps our paths will cross sometime...happy boating.
 

smithgun2009

Cadet
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
15
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Here are three links to very good courses. As someone stated above the boatus(which I highly recommend joining) is free and accepted by many states. The other two are accepted in Al. and other states but are not free.

Boatus has the best insurance rates that I have found and many other benifits.


http://www.boaterexam.com/members/l...ga_practicequiz&m=1&state=ga_practicequiz&m=1 THIS ONE HAS VIDEO AND AUDIO TO GO ALONG WITH THE TEXT.

http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/default.htm?WT.mc_id=400009 FREE

http://www.boat-ed.com/ga/course/p2-subtable.htm--CAN TAKE A PRACTICE TEST AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT ON THIS ONE!!
 

Dick Sorensen

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
189
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

After you've invested thousands (and thousands of dollars) and you've only got a limited amount of time on the water (at least in my neck of the woods) and you've got your family and friends on board..... Who wouldn't want to know "more" about being on the water. Plus taking a local course (Power Squadron or Coast Guard) exposes to other guys/gals that have the same values you do. What's better than learning something new and hanging over the gunale of a boat talking boats? Take a Course.
 

NO WHINERS

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
204
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Great topic....Been on and around boats for fifty years..Bought my first boat 3 years ago...Everything has been fine but now I will take a safety course early 2010...Never to old to learn how to do it right if something goes wrong....Thnx....Jim..
 

tkrfxr

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Messages
313
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

The wife and I learned to sail and took a sailing and boating safety course some ten years ago. When the opportunity to get our own boat came up, we went with a motor boat...and took the CG Aux course... I sat for a refresher when one of my daughters went to junior sailing camp...It always helps.

Unfortunately in New York all you need is a driver's license, but that is about to change soon.
 

ClassyGlassy

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
383
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

I spent 4 years as a Helmsman/Planesman of a Fast Attack Submarine for the US Navy. I have been a PROUD boat owner for the past 10 years and I'm now currently getting into restoration projects.

If my Navy experience doesn't qualify me for boating safety than our submarine fleet is in trouble!!! I know there's a big difference here as I'm comparing "apples" to "oranges" because we couldn't really see where we were driving on the sub......but we had to learn which side is starboard, which is port, and which color light represents each. We also had to learn what side of the boat the bouy is on when leaving port and when returning. We were required to learn what all signal flags meant inshore and offshore, etc.....we were tested on this many times and I feel that we should have been granted some sort of "permit/license" the day we were released from active duty. I'm a service-connected disabled vet with a full retirement pension now and wish they would have granted many things for sailors like me that served so proudly and weren't given the choice to be out of the Navy after such a decorated career! Just my .02 worth.........;)
 

macsfriended

Seaman
Joined
Jul 20, 2003
Messages
63
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Yes, My wife and I did the Missouri Water Patrol sponsered six hour "Responsible Boating" course two week-ends ago.

Candidly, we took it to retain our boat insurance discounts because neither insurance company nor I could locate our 1981 Power Squadron graduation certificates.

It is a first class course and we both learned (and relearned) a few things and genuinely enjoyed the day.

The material appears to be used by many states to support their various boat safety laws. Book and video were prepared by Boat.Ed and presented by a MO Water Patrol officer. Material was professionally prepared and edited, not preachy, interesting and well accompanied by the officer's true life experiances.

You won't regret taking this course as a refresher or for initial boating smarts.
 

northernmerc

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
401
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

Since last fall, we can't operate most power boats in Canada without passing the safe boater's exam. They phased this in over a number of years, beginning with certain classes of boats and younger people.

Strangely, while I now need a license to operate my boat, a tourist can come into the country and rent a boat and head out on the lake without a license. Go figger!
 

bowman316

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
1,822
Re: Has anyone out there actually taken a Boating Safety course?

requiring tourists to have a liscence would kill the boat rental business. you can bet they have lobbysts in congress, or parlement. (what ever you guys call it)
 
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