Thank you to Jim McGraw with Heartland Safe Boating for the following information.
What is it? What is the ONE skill that is critical for all personal watercraft (PWC) riders? Some might say being a vigilant lookout… and that is not wrong. Some might say emergency collision avoidance boat handling skills… and that is not wrong. Some might say knowledge of the navigation rules… and that is not wrong. HOWEVER, the one skill that everyone aboard a PWC needs (operator AND passengers) is to be able to reboard in deep water unassisted. This skill can be the difference between a humorous tale and a life-threatening emergency.
Even if the PWC is disabled and cannot make way… getting out of the water and onto the vessel increases your odds of survival.
Why?
1) It gets you out of the water which is almost always a hypothermia threat if you are immersed long enough.
2) It makes you VASTLY easier to find.
3) It greatly diminishes the risk of you being immersed by waves… with the attendant risk of inhaling water.
As evidence of how important this skill is, let’s look at the training and testing standards for US Coast Guard Auxiliarists who wish to patrol, under USCG orders, on a PWC. The FIRST task afloat is to demonstrate the ability to reboard unassisted in deep water. If this task cannot be completed promptly and without a struggle, the training and testing is suspended. Without this skill, it is too dangerous to train or test any other PWC skills.
This information applies to all boaters. Anyone on a vessel needs to be able to reboard if you are out in a kayak, canoe, paddle board or boat.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident.
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.
