Safety
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Boating Safety
U.S. Coast Guard-approved safety equipment is required on all recreational boats. Here are some of the equipment requirements:
- A sound-producing device (such as a whistle, horn or air horn)
- A charged and serviceable fire extinguisher not older than 12 years
- One type IV throwable personal floatation device on board for boats 16 feet or longer
Other requirements, such as muffling devices and flags for towed sports, are outlined in the Boating Statutes & Regulations.
Take a Safety Class
Traditional Classes
Anyone 14 years or older can take an in-person, state-approved boating safety course and learn about safely operating a motorboat, Jet Ski or sailboat. A parent or guardian must accompany 14-17 years-old.
Online Classes
Anyone 18 years old or older may also take a web based boat safety class. Three that have approved content from the State of Colorado and NASBLA are BoatEd, BoaterExam and BoatU.S.
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Class
This is a comprehensive course covering marine navigation, weather, rules of the road, boat handling, equipment, knots, trailering, and safety. For the USCG Auxiliary boating safety class schedule, contact Carl Koonsman at 303-985-3715. For more USCG Auxiliary boating skill classes, please visit cgaux.org.
Auxiliary Training with US Power Squadrons
Our NASBLA-approved introductory course, designated ABC3, includes Introduction to Boating, Boating Law, Boat Safety Equipment, Safe Boating, Navigation, Boating Problems, Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat, and Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating. For more details see America's Boating Course page.
Upcoming Classes
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Stay Safe on the Water
Life Jackets Save Lives
Life jackets are required when operating or riding in a boat. Most boating accidents happen when someone falls overboard. A life jacket will keep your airway clear of water and your head above water, and it will support your body should you stop swimming or become unconscious.
80%
of boating accident deaths might have been prevented had a life jacket been worn
9 out of 10
people who drown are not wearing a life jacket.
Wear a Life Jacket
Life Jackets
It’s required to have one U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board. Life jackets should be readily available to all passengers and in good and serviceable condition. Each life jacket must be the correct size to fit the person who will wear it. Children 12 years of age and younger are required to wear a life jacket whenever their vessel is on the water, except when they are in an enclosed cabin or below deck. Life jackets should always be used according to the manufacturer's label. When in doubt, read the label, and if you can no longer read the label, then the life jacket is no longer in good condition.
Inflatable Life Jackets
Inflatable life jackets are approved for use by people 16 years and older. They must be used in accordance with their label and are not approved for personal watercraft, white water paddling or towed sports.
Cold Weather Boating
Falling into Cold Water
Water below 68 degrees Fahrenheit is dangerous. Sudden immersion in cold water can cause gasping, inhalation of water, and hypothermia, resulting in unconsciousness or swimming failure as muscles become numb.
What Should I do if I Fall into Cold Water?
If you ever find yourself in the water, stay with your boat. Cold muscles and wet clothes make it very difficult to get over the side and sometimes even the back of a boat. Never overestimate your swimming ability. All too often people underestimate the distance to shore or the effects of cold water and drown while attempting to make it to safety.
Boating Safety
Boating Incident
It is the law to report qualifying incidents to CPW.
Reports can be made with the Boating Incident Report Form.
Submit the report to:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
13787 S. Hwy. 85
Littleton, CO 80125
- Stop at the scene and assist others if you can do so safely. This is required by law. For more details, see the Colorado boating statutes.
- Don't risk lives to save equipment.
- Summon help.
- Report the incident immediately to the nearest law enforcement officer in cases of death or disappearance.
- Operators are required by law to exchange names, addresses, vessel IDs and the name of the vessel owner, if different from the operator.
Each operator involved in the incident must file an accident report using the Boating Accident Report Form within five days if the incident results in:
- Loss of life or disappearance from a vessel
- An injury that required medical treatment beyond first aid, or
- Property damage in excess of $2,000 or complete loss of vessel.
Submit the report to:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
13787 S. Hwy. 85
Littleton, CO 80125
Anyone failing to file this report is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction will be punished by law.
Life Jackets
People who are not wearing a life jacket can drown in Colorado rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
Boating under the influence can also cause accidents.
Boater's Hypnosis
Boater’s hypnosis, or boater’s fatigue, is caused by exposure to the noise, vibration, sun, glare, wind and motion experienced on the water. It can cause a person’s reaction time to slow down, almost as much as if they were legally drunk. Alcohol intensifies the effect of boater’s hypnosis, causing a person who has not been drinking heavily to feel as if they are intoxicated and increasing their chance of an accident.
Swimming
Swimmers can get water in their ears, causing disorientation. For those who have been drinking, the disorientation can be intensified so much that they swim down to their death instead of up to safety. Cold water causes fatigue, and exhaustion happens faster than in warm water. This can explain why even good swimmers who have been drinking, drown. Regardless of the boat driver’s condition, if a passenger is intoxicated, the risk of drowning is heightened by this factor alone.
Boating under the influence can be deadly. Every year, nearly 1,000 people die in boating accidents nationwide, and half of these accidents are alcohol related. The effects of alcohol on boating are stark: a boater who is intoxicated is ten times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than a boater who is not.
It’s Illegal
Boating under the influence is illegal. Under Colorado law, this offense is the same as driving under the influence, with the exception of penalties. Sentences for a first-time offender range from:
- Five days to six months in jail
- A fine of $100 to $1,000
- Up to two years of probation
- A mandatory three-month ban on boating in state waters