5 Quick Labor Day Weekend Boating Tips
The official end of summer, Labor Day weekend, often serves as a "last hoorah" for many boaters. The three-day weekend is a staple of boating season, providing the ideal time to relax, unwind, and enjoy The Great Outdoors!
Like all significant summertime holiday weekends, Labor Day weekend brings high boater traffic. At ilearntoboat, we love seeing people taking to the water, enjoying their time, and making memories with friends and family!
However, we wanted to remind you to stay safe because increased water traffic usually corresponds with increased boating accidents. There are several things you can do to help protect yourself and stay safe this Labor Day. Here are five of our best tips to stay safe this Labor Day weekend!
5 Labor Day Weekend Boater Safety Tips
We could give you lots of tips to have a safe Labor Day weekend on the water, but we've narrowed down the most important insights to the five following tips!
Tip #1: Take a Boater Safety Course
Okay, we are biased on this one.
Regardless of whether you chose our course or another NASBLA-approved course, we think a boater safety course is the absolute best thing you can do to keep yourself, your friends and family, and other boaters safe!
When choosing a course, look for one approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (or NASBLA). NASBLA is a national nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. This organization represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories.
A NASBLA-approved Boater Safety course will teach you how to handle your boat safely and how to navigate the waters and other boaters. You will learn the anatomy of a boat, state boating requirements, and emergency planning.
Completing a boater safety course will make you comfortable and confident on the water!
Tip #2: Know the Area
It's always important to be familiar with the area you are boating. Getting lost or running your boat aground are easy ways to ruin your Labor Day fun!
Many boats do come with factory depth finders and navigation systems. However, if your boat doesn't have one, there are several aftermarket options that you can purchase and install yourself to help keep you on the right track and out of trouble.
Additionally, if installing a depth finder sounds like too much effort (we agree) — there's an app for that! One of our favorite boating navigation apps comes from our partners at Wavve Boating.
The Wavve Boating app shows you where not to go using customized nautical charts. Plus, their community feature is ideal for any long boating weekend; find your friends, search for marinas, ramps, and even nearby restaurants with this feature!
Wavve Boating provides:
- Local hotspots
- Friends and family location tracking
- Route sharing
- An engaged community of boaters
- Detailed weather reports
- Tide tracking
- Shallow water markers
- Customizable maps
The best part? ilearntoboat students can get a free year-long trial of Wavve Boating — just in time for Labor Day weekend!
Tip #3: Have a Breakdown Plan
Do you know what to do if you get stranded or run out of gas on the water? It's essential to have a game plan.
Make sure you always have the numbers for boat towing and emergency services saved in your phone before you head out on the water. Or you can let one of our favorite partners, Sea Tow, handle it for you.
Sea Tow Gold members enjoy the following:
- Priority service
- 24/7 dispatch
- Free towing with nationwide coverage
- Fuel delivery
Sea Tow will always be there for you with their many partners to help you out of trouble in any area. All the services covered under your Sea Tow membership will be covered even if the service is contracted out.
That kind of peace of mind will undoubtedly add to your enjoyment on the water!
Tip #4: Get Your Boat Insured
Only Arkansas and Utah require boaters to carry boat insurance. However, this doesn't mean you don't need it.
It's common for banks and marinas to place insurance requirements on boats.
Some lenders may even "force place" a marine insurance policy onto your boat if proof of insurance is not furnished. Many marinas will also require that you maintain current boat insurance to keep the boat at their facility.
Benefits of boat insurance include:
- It protects your investment!
- It reduces your liability in the event of an accident.
- It covers you if someone without boat insurance causes an accident with you.
- Coverage is flexible — pay only for what you need.
- With Total Loss Replacement coverage, you're protected if your boat sinks or suffers irreparable damage.
Our friends at Progressive offer free quotes to help you budget for the insurance coverage you need for your boat or PWC (personal watercraft).
Tip #5: Have Fun!
As our last tip for today, we wish you and your family and friends a safe, fun Labor Day weekend!
Enjoy your boat and practice the safety essentials you learned in your boater education course to start the boating season on a high note.
Take Your Boater Education Course Before Labor Day Weekend
You don't want to waste any time getting on the water for Labor Day weekend!
ilearntoboat is here to help. Most people can complete our fun, gamified course in about three hours, meaning you could be just hours away from learning everything you need to stay safe on the water and getting certified.
It's easy to get started. Choose the course for your state, then start learning!
First published in August 2021. Content most recently reviewed and updated for accuracy and recency August 23, 2024.
