NASBLA

Did you ever hear of NASBLA? NASBLA is the acronym for National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. They are the people within each state that keep track of the boating safety issues. The speed of recreational boats and personal watercraft has increased in recent years. NASBLA has been pretty busy keeping up with the rise in accidents and fatalities due to excessive speed.

One of the many activities that boating law administrators deal with is water skiing. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. While it can be fun, water skiers have some of the same problems that bicyclists and motorcyclists have on the road. That is, many people in bigger vehicles or boats don't always see them until it's too late.

Water skiing is a "three-person" activity. In addition to the skier, there needs to be a boat operator and an "observer" to keep a constant eye on the skier. Not all states require the observer, but it would be a foolhardy venture to leave the dock without one. There are just too many things that could happen to a skier that the boat operator may not see in time to take avoiding action.

The responsibility for following water skiing safety regulations lies with the skipper of the boat. The regulations do vary from state to state. Since the skipper controls the boat, he or she controls whether the rules and regulations are followed. Of importance is the judgment of the observer. It is up to the boat operator to select an observer that is old enough and mature enough for the job. 

First, the skier must wear a life vest. In recent years, we call them "personal flotation devices," or PFD's for short. There are many variations of what we once called life vests and life jackets. The PFD term is more appropriate, since they are not all "vests" or "jackets" anymore.

All safety equipment used on a vessel is inspected and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. You may see products for use in swimming pools or on small lakes that is not Coast guard Approved. Those devices may not be safe at all. Water skiers should wear a Coast Guard Approved Type III PFD. It affords the freedom to move and adequate buoyancy, both of which are important to a skier.

Some states require a triangular shaped "orange flag" on a pole above the ski boat. This flag is a signal to oncoming boaters that a skier is behind you. In the case of a small oncoming boat, due to their low vantage point, they may not be able to see a skier until the last minute.

The boat operator should assume that no other boater will see the skier, and proceed accordingly. That would rule out skiing in heavily traveled areas, skiing in bad visibility, etc. Skiing safety has as much to do with the boat operator as it does the skier.

Each state in the U.S. has an office that handles Boating Law Administration. They generally provide free information for boaters. This information is in both self-study format and in the form of safety courses. You would be wise to contact them and get the facts on boating safety! You'll be glad you did!

Until next time, I wish you clear skies, fair winds, and calm seas!