I have always lived near water or have had access to water my whole life. Its an easy thing to do if you live in Michigan. I am not sure if I should laugh or cringe but when I was first married with children I decided right away that I was going to learn boating safety and how to drive the boat. It had its scary moments!
I had the opportunity to stay home and I didn’t want to miss out on countless hours with my kids and our friends on the lake! Additionally, I needed to drive in case my husband wanted to participate in the fun! There were many things to learn from how to operate the boat and lake safety. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone because I knew I wanted the benefits! Family memories to cherish!! I currently have several friends that are too timid to try but there are classes you can take locally. My favorite place for women only boating safety classes are at Action Water Sports ! They teach private classes that are fantastic.
My boating experience started with Action Water Sports. They have THE BEST customer service and are passionate about their families having fun and making memories. A few years ago we were able to purchase a new boat from them. When they delivered our boat they stayed for hours to make sure we knew how to used everything properly!! They even taught us how to wake surf! On a side note, if you are unfamiliar with wake surfing it is the ultimate family time! All ages can do it. It isn’t uncommon for us to have very young friends and family wake surf. It is very safe! The speeds are slow and it’s a wonderful time for everyone! I have seen adults in their late 60’s and children as young as 2 1/2 participate flawlessly! If you are looking for a wakeboard you can find one on Amazon.
Boating can be so rewarding and it brings families together! While having a great time I also need to make sure that I am using boating safety to respect the water, the boat and others on the lake. Unfortunately, every year we read in the local paper about someone who was injured or died in a boating accident. Knowledge is key and being aware is so important. Some of the safety tips to remember when you are operating a boat are:
-Make sure everyone behind the boat is wearing a life vest
-Follow the counter clockwise pattern around the lake.
-Surfers will travel down the middle of the lake to keep the big wakes from damaging the shoreline. If boaters are aware of what is going on then everyone can get along and have fun.
-Always have a spotter when participating in towing sports such as tubing,wake surfing or wake boarding.
-Have confident, knowledgeable operators that know the lake as well as the rules. (For example; the lake we live on has plenty of shallow spots and this can wreck your prop and/or hurt those you are pulling/towing)
–Carbon monoxide poisoning is very real and can occur when someone is swimming by the end of the boat while it is turned on or being towed to close to the boat.
I love boating and it has given our family so many fond memories! I encourage you to make the investment in your family!
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