By Lyle Karasiuk

Safety First

Summer Safety

Jul 10, 2019 | 1:36 PM

Ah summer time: a chance to relax, unwind, spend time with family or friends or just catch up on some reading with a good book.

Many of us will spend a lazy afternoon fishing on the lake or towing the kids while they water ski. Boating is one of those activities that go with summer.

In Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard through their office of boating safety has brought in regulations designed to improve your safety while navigating Canadian waterways. Since 1999 these phased in regulations mean that many us have had to obtain our pleasure craft operators card. If you went boating today here are the rules:

· Are you born after April 1, 1983?

· Do you operate a power vessel less than 4 meters in length, including personal watercraft?

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If you answered yes to either of these questions, before you put the boat or personal water craft in the water today you need to get a card or else you are operating the craft illegally and subject to penalty. Also youth under 16 even if they have a card are not able to operate a personal water craft aka a jet ski! So how do I get “the card?” There are many online resources available.

Today, there are two types of floatation devices. Your standard life jacket is designed have the ability to not only keep you a float but also to turn you face up if you fall into the water. These are orange, yellow or red and have whistle attached. The have a “key hole” design to fit over your head. Then we have personal floatation devices (PFD) which are inherently buoyant or inflatable. PFDs are the more common devices we have on board a boat, wear while water skiing but hopefully never use as a seat cushion. Children’s PFDs should be comfortable yet snug. Never buy a large PFD for the child to grow into. Loose, ill-fitting PFDs are dangerous.

PFDs for children can have special safety features. You may want to look for the following additional features when selecting a PFD for your child:

• Large collar for head support,
• Sturdy, rust-proof zipper,
• Draw string,
• Waist ties or elastic gathers in front and back,
• Safety strap that goes between the legs to prevent the PFD from slipping over the child’s head,
• Buckle on safety straps and reflective tape, Attach a sound-signaling device (whistle) to your child’s PFD zipper for added safety.

73% of all drownings in Canada happen because the person was not wearing a life jacket. So what’s your excuse? We all make excuses such as they are too hot, too uncomfortable, don’t fit or the best one is in an emergency I’ll be able to put it on. There is no excuse for not wearing a PFD or life jacket. Make it a standard practice to wear it before getting into the boat till the time you arrive back on shore. Make sure everyone who boards the boat has a proper PFD or life jacket that is approved and fits them correctly. Be Responsible!

• Don’t allow a person who has consumed alcohol to operate a boat.
• Provide non-alcoholic beverages for boat operators and passengers.
• Wear lifejackets or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). It’s the law to carry one that fits each person in the vessel, but Parkland Ambulance recommends wearing it every trip, for the whole trip.

Have a safe boating summer! Don’t let the tragedy we hear on the radio be one that involves you or your family. Boat Smart and Stay Safe!