Boating License. If there’s a motor on your boat, you need to have a boating license to operate it. There’s no way around it!
So, why is it important to have a boating license? Well, imagine having a boat and not being able to drive it? You can’t just learn some boating tricks from YouTube and then set sail like Captain Jack Sparrow.
Apart from getting the license, you also receive education on boating, which includes safety tips and the rules you need to follow when out on the water. While boating is quite exciting, it comes with its own set of risks.
We see in the movies the loving boyfriend grabbing his girlfriend’s hands and placing them on the wheel and then he lets go so that she can steer the boat. If this happened in reality, lakes would be full of submerged boats. No kidding!
The following information will help you understand why it’s important to have a boating license:
Be a Better Boater
This is an obvious one ― a boater’s education course will teach you everything about boating such as how to prepare the boat for sail, what things to check on, how to steer during high water tide, parking the boat at the docks, etc. Then there are the safety rules and regulations that you have to follow to protect yourself and the passengers on board.
Be Able to Save Lives
This is just a plus point of having a boating license. Imagine you are out on the water when you suddenly see someone capsize their canoe. You see the person flailing in the water, trying to stay afloat but all that movement is doing nothing but making them sink more. You power the boat towards the drowning person and throw him a life vest, saving him.
You have probably heard plenty of cautionary tales about boaters avoiding perils. So, saving one will definitely make you understand how important a boating license is.
Every City Has a Different License
Every city has certain rules regarding operating a boat. The boater needs to be of a specific age and should have the right education to set sail. There are some people who don’t need to own a boating license. These include someone boating on a private pond or lake and someone who has been given a license by the United States Coast Guard.
You can get a boating license from any institution that provides an education in this area. However, if you like to set sail beyond your city limits, then you should get a license from The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in order to operate in all US states.
You can also take an online boating course but that will not provide any hands-on experience. In the end, you will have to give a demo at your nearest boat docks to finally get the license. We suggest that you grab yours from boater exam for Canada residents to operate anywhere.
