Community Corner

Should Life Jackets Be Mandatory for All Age Boaters?

Do you think life vests should be the law for all ages no matter what boat type?

Article posted by Barbara Capella Loehr, and written by Lon Cohen and Barbara Capella Loehr.

Last October Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed into law a mandatory requirement for all boaters to take safety courses.

Boaters have until the start of the 2014 boating season to take the course, which will be available through several organizations, including the U.S. Coast Guard.

Classes
To that end several around the area have popped up already including one that just took place from South Shore Safe Boating School in Amityville and one that's upcoming that'll be given by the United States Power Squadron – America’s Boating Club via the Great South Bay Power Squadron.

America’s Boating Course will be offered at the Long Island Yacht Club, 307 Little East Neck Road in Babylon, from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, June 1, 8, and an optional class on June 15, covering Plotting.

The second course will be offered at Brookwood Hall, 50 Irish Lane in East Islip, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 4, 11, 18, 25 and July 2, with optional classes on July 9 and 16, covering Plotting.

Pre-registration for the first 30 students will be online at: www.gsbps.org and link to the GSB's Public Course Schedule. In-person registration will take place on the first class date, beginning 30 minutes before the start of the class. 

Vests
Beyond the boater safety courses another key aspect of boater safety is the wearing of an approved life vest.

According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation all children younger than 12 years old have to wear an appropriately sized life jacket unless they're in a fully enclosed cabin.

Plus, anyone, regardless of age, who's operating or riding a personal watercraft like a Jet Ski or Wave Runner must wear a life vest or if you're being towed behind a boat; e.g., water skiers and tubers. The law also required anyone in a boat smaller than 21 feet between November 1 and May 1 to wear a life jacket.

There's also going to be a local Ready, Set wear it event on May 18 sponsored by the GSBPS and USPS to bring attention to the National Safe Boating Council and Canadian Safe Boating Council Fourth Annual Life Jacket World Record Day that day, which kicks off the National Safe Boating Week (May 18-24, 2013).

The event begins at 11 a.m. in the parking lot of Captain Bill’s Seafood Restaurant, 122 Ocean Ave in Bay Shore.

The public, elected officials, community leaders, local fire departments and the USPS members are asked to bring their life jacket down to this event to be part of a photo shoot to bring awareness to safe boating for this upcoming boating season.

Boaters from across the United States will gather on this same day to inflate their own inflatable life jacket or to wear an inherently buoyant life jacket, helping to heighten awareness of different life jacket types and boating safety issues and go for a world record along the way.

What Do You Think?
As boating season kicks off, Patch wants to know how you feel about the issue of wearing life jackets for people of any age.

Many people think of the traditional design of life jackets that were uncomfortable, orange vests that limited movement and often made the wearer hot out in the sun on the water.

Nowadays life vest come in a variety of styles, some of them remaining lightweight and only inflating if the person is submerged in water

What Fellow Readers and Residents Said
We asked readers on Facebook what they thought. Here's what some had to say:

Erik Moller: "No, I feel they should be restricted to a vessel of a certain size."

Kim Martin-Silverman: "I think the law should be 16 and younger, but there should be enough on board for all passengers."

Christina Paxton: "Absolutely! Even an adult, God forbid, someone slams into your boat, and you get catapulted and cannot swim, then you'll at least float till help gets to you."

Judy Chimeri Fava: "Aboslutely. Everyone should have to wear a life jacket...regardless of age!"

Matt Goodwin: "As a kid I grew up on boats and was required to wear a PFD till I was able to swim in the ocean without assistance. My son is five, and he always wears a life jacket on our sailboat. The law already requires the boat owner to carry PFDs (personal flotation devices) for each person on the boat. I personally don't feel adults should have to, by law, wear them. Even though wearing a seat belt is a law, there should only be an age requirement for children. People should know their own personal capabilities and make an educated decision on their own."

Vincent Alessi:
 "I agree with Matt on the age requirement for children. But I also feel that there's no wrong answer here. It's one of those things where if there were a situation where the boat goes under or the operator is hurt and cannot swim to safety, then the life jacket keeps him above water. It's not looking to hurt the boaters in anyway; it's just beefing up safety standards, which is beneficial to all right?"

Stephen Tutino: "Enough laws please. Jeeeesh!"

Goodwin:
 "I totally agree with what your saying, and this needs to be further discussed in boating safety courses which I feel all boaters should be required to take. I'll be bold and say more than half the boaters I see on the water have no clue how to properly operate their boat. When a person is operating a boat, they do have a responsibility to their passengers and everyone else on the water. If the operator is practicing safe, responsible boating, then that by itself will be the most beneficial."

Brad Baisley: "Kids yeah, adults, no. I'm all for motorcycle helmet laws, and seat belts. However, on a calm day on the Bay, there's so much space between boats that a PFD would seem to be a bit excessive and unnecessary."

Brian Fenley:
 "The cold weather law for PFD is good, but people should use best judgment, which I know is very tough since people can't even do that sometimes. They should focus more on a DMV-style education for boating - permit/road test, yada yada. Too many people who've no idea what they're doing, who has the right of way or how to properly anchor. Anyone can buy a boat and operate it; however, PWCS is a different case. PWCS require mandatory education regardless of age."

Sylvia Donnelly: "I believe even the best swimmers should wear life jackets. Bad things can happen very fast, like collisions. Life jackets save lives."

Paul Coppola:
 "I'm okay with the current laws relate to life jackets and boat safety equipment."

Share your thoughts in the comments section, below. Do you agree with the above commenters? How important is it to you personally to wear a life jacket? Do you think it should be a law for everyone to wear a life jacket regardless of age when on the water?

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