The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission considers the Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of boating season in the state.
Ahead of that is National Safe Boating week and the commission is encouraging Pennsylvanians to brush up on safety guidelines.
Fish and Boat’s safe boating safety checklist includes: wear a life jacket, never boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs, have a float plan, check the weather, take a boating safety education course and have proper registrations or launch permits for boats.
Tim Schaeffer, executive director of the commission, said when his phone rings on a Saturday afternoon, it’s usually not someone calling to say ‘hello,’ but rather law enforcement calling to tell him about a boating accident. And most of those times, an accident could be prevented by wearing a life jacket, he said.
“They're easier to wear than ever. They're more comfortable than ever. There's really no excuse not to wear it," he said.
When and why to wear them
Life jackets, or personal flotation devices, not only save people if water conditions change quickly but when there’s a medical emergency.
Schaeffer said that also applies to people who are in good health.
"If you had been wearing a life jacket, it would have given you that buoyancy and kept ... your head out of the water so someone could come and render assistance," he said.
In Pennsylvania, boaters must wear life jackets from Nov. 1 to April 30. They are not required to be worn between May 1 and Oct. 31 but there must be one available for each person aboard a boat, including kayaks, canoes and paddle boards.
Children 12 and under must wear them at all times.
"It really is just a good idea for everybody to wear your life jacket all year long," Schaeffer said.
Storm awareness
And with more intense storms, Schaeffer said the agency has been emphasizing that boaters check the weather before heading out.
"Just don't take the chance of getting in the water if it looks unsafe," he said.
If water is chocolate-milk–brown after a storm, avoid it, he said.
“If you can't see the hazards in the water, you really don't know what's underneath," Schaeffer said.
Some of those hazards are from dying ash trees and Eastern Hemlocks. The limbs create snags in rivers and creeks, he said.
Conditions of some but not all waterways in Pennsylvania are available on the U.S. Geological Survey's website.
"It's a really good representative sample," Schaeffer said.
Other rules to know
There are a few other rules to be mindful of before heading out for the holiday. To use a state-owned boat launch, boats need to be registered or have a launch permit. The commission is mainly funded through those fees.
The legal limit for operating any watercraft in Pennsylvania is .08% blood alcohol concentration, according to the commission. Penalties for boating under the influence are similar to driving a motor vehicle while impaired.
But say you follow the entire safe boating safety checklist and something still goes wrong.
Schaeffer said have a float plan — let someone know where you are — and make sure life jackets are equipped with a whistle or a sound producing device.
"If you do go in the water, you know, blow that whistle so someone can hear where you are. Try not to panic and make your way as safely to shore as you can," he said.
"But it really starts with having that life jacket on, because if you don't have the life jacket on, you might not even have the opportunity to blow that whistle."
