From the other side...

[SkipperJohn]

A couple of items:

1. licensing for boats should be a requirement! I need a licence to fly a plane and drive a car - why the heck don't I need one to drive a boat?

2. At least in FL - if you motor around flying the red/white flag - you are in for a citation. The dive operators around here (Tampa) really take this seriously - which leads me to belive the marine patrol does as well. We always dive flags in shallow water so boaters know where each diver is - exactly - when we finish the dives and head back in, the capt. always makes sure the flags are laying down on the deck - apparently there have been issues in the past.

People simply need to freaking pay attention - on both sides!

I agree.
And, boaters should not operate their vessels under the influence of any substance or liquor
Speed regulations need to be enforced
Children should not be allowed to sit on the bow with their legs dangling in the water while underway
Jet Skis need to obey the no-wake laws

Alas, it's not the world we live in. I admire Fl if they are that strict regarding the flag.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I agree.
And, boaters should not operate their vessels under the influence of any substance or liquor
Speed regulations need to be enforced
Children should not be allowed to sit on the bow with their legs dangling in the water while underway
Jet Skis need to obey the no-wake laws

Alas, it's not the world we live in. I admire Fl if they are that strict regarding the flag.

In Ontario there is nothing except "try to keep a distance"....paraphrased of course but there is no definiteion NOR is there any consequences.

 

[PullmanSCUBA]

Boating Licenses are slowly being required now. I know here in Washington State if you are younger than a cretin age you must complete a boater's safety course and carry a card like a driver's license. Washington State has implemented an odd age structure determining who needs the license. Some people are "grandfathered in" and are exempt from the new Law, but I don't recall what the cut off is. It sounds like other states are going to start implementing this idea.

 

[Michelle's Guy]

I'm for the education...but against licensing.... It is the responsibility of each person to learn and know and follow the law which of course needs to be enforced. I like to think it can be done without licensing! Kinda like SCUBA.

I sincerely appreciate you cautious, courteous and knowledgeable boat captains.

 

[jridg]

I'm for the education...but against licensing.... It is the responsibility of each person to learn and know and follow the law which of course needs to be enforced. I like to think it can be done without licensing! Kinda like SCUBA.

Do you feel the same way about driver's licenses?

Just wondering.....

 

[cahaya]

I fully support the licensing as long as its not cost prohibitive. It provides another means of penalization for those who break the rules. Get caught-fines/lose your license. Get caught again-major penalty for no license. Just like driving. If anything boating should have more strict licensing since it really can be more dangerous than driving on land, as was said a few times already by john- no breaks and less maneuverability! Im working on my seatime to get my masters ticket and ive got to say... its a heck of a lot more studying and more practicing than i ever had to do for my drivers license. Why shouldnt it be extended to recreational boaters?

 

[Michelle's Guy]

Actually, after having given the topic a great deal of consideration, (and I live in the Los Angeles area, where driver's licenses are possessed by the most incompetent drivers in the world), Yes, I feel that way about drivers licenses as well...and the supreme court has agreed with this opinion from time to time over the years, but we digress.

 

[Michelle's Guy]

.

Actually, after having given the topic a great deal of consideration, (and I live in the Los Angeles area, where driver's licenses are possessed by the most incompetent drivers in the world), Yes, I feel that way about drivers licenses as well...and the supreme court has agreed with this opinion from time to time over the years, but we digress.

 

[cahaya]

I like to think it can be done without licensing! Kinda like SCUBA.

But isnt SCUBA MORE licensed than driving? Since in order to rent gear or even go on dives in some areas you must provide proof of certification (your license one might say) and in order to do more advanced things one must then have more advanced certifications.

 

[NJ to FLA]

In New Jersey you need a boater's license to operate anything in the water, even a wave runner. I don't have any statistics but I feel they definitely enforce this law as I was checked every time I went out on a boat or wave runner.