Next weekend is considered by many to be the unofficial kickoff of summer. With a three-day Memorial Day weekend ahead, many of us are preparing to get out and enjoy the outdoors-weather permitting.

If you’re planning to hit the water this weekend, make certain your gear is in summertime shape before heading out.
For many, the idea of summer is synonymous with water sports. So National Safe Boating Week has come at an opportune time. As many of you are getting ready to take your watercraft -whatever the size- out for the first time, we hope you’re running a safety checklist to make certain plans aren’t sunk by equipment issues or accidents.
We have a list of safety checks from the Sea Tow Foundation, along with some other reminders that we hope a majority of boat owners will simply look at and go “check” as it’s old-hat to you. But it’s worth reviewing if only one new boater looks the list over and sees something they might not otherwise have remembered to do.
There’s also a new idea in this year’s checklist: The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Challenge. And it’s definitely more useful than the “safety briefing” you get every time you board a commercial airplane. It’s a simple challenge: practice an emergency and encourage boaters of all ages to try and get into a life jacket in less than 30 seconds.
“The Life Jacket Challenge is not only a fun and interactive way to promote boating safety, but it’s also a powerful tool to demonstrate just how quickly a situation on the water can turn dangerous,” says Gail R. Kulp, Executive Director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “By encouraging boaters to practice putting on their life jackets quickly and efficiently, we hope to instill a sense of preparedness and responsibility that will help keep them safe in case of an emergency.” Read more