What would you do if you were eagerly gliding over the water in your new Baja 23 Outlaw and one of your dearly beloved passengers fell overboard, or you experienced an engine malfunction, or worse, an oil fire?

Boating is a phenomenally fun sport: sun, wind, waves, and who wouldn't miss the old guy in the speedo flying by on his new O'Brien Super Screamer Towable Tube? Keeping all fun in mind, we must note that boating safety is a highly important topic. Playing it safe while flying airborne across the vast expanse of water ensures that we will be here tomorrow to do it again.

So what are the most important aspects of boating safety? Personal safety, passenger safety, and craft safety, of course! This goes well beyond the basics of life jackets, sunscreen, food, and water.

1. A Fire Extinguisher: Even the happiest of boats can have a bad day. Fire extinguishers are able to provide you with a safety ring around your boat, preventing an oil fire from reaching you and your passengers. This should be in addition to radioing for help.

2. An Audible Air Horn: All boats should have an audible air horn that is capable of producing a blast of high pitched sound for four seconds or longer to alert other boats within half a mile that they are in danger, or that assistance is needed.

3. One or More Visual Distress Signals: These an include orange or electric distress flags as well as hand held objects such as a red flare, a pyrotechnic orange smoke device, or a launcher for parachute flares.

4. A First Aid Kit should be mandatory on any boat. Please make sure that your kit has at least one mouth piece for CPR. Medical assistance can be delayed on the water, so make sure that the captain, or one of the passengers has updated knowledge in the area of First Aid or CPR.

5. Paddles: These assist in getting to point B when you are stranded. The number of boats that I have been on which do do contain a simple set of paddles is unbelievable.

6. VHF Radio: This will be your most valuable tool during a crisis situation, pick up the microphone, flip the switch and yell, "HELP!"

7. Spare Batteries for all objects on the boat. Keep these in a zip lock bag or garbage bag as well to prevent corrosion.

Think like MacGyver: Remember the character who was always disarming bombs with a hair pin, and breaking down doors with the large board that just happened to be laying on the ground exactly where he needed it? He would not leave on a boating expedition without a Garmin GPS Marine unit with compass, boat hook, spare propeller, or the heaving and mooring lines. In addition, someone who loved him might talk him into bringing a pair of waterproof binoculars, a flashlight, spare batteries, a mirror, sunglasses, a searchlight, spare fuel, and something to bail with if his boat ever started to sink.

The likelihood of a boater ever coming across a dangerous situation is very slim, as long as the captain and passengers play it safe. However, it never hurts to be prepared.

And whatever you do, don't forget your anchor!

About the Author:

Jane Warren enjoys swimming, scuba diving, boating, tubing, and anything else related to outdoor water sports. Because of her love of water sports, Jane runs the popular website www.towabletubesdirect.com that provides information and reviews on quality water sport equipment, such as the best fishfinder GPS combos. Other sport items include wakeboards, kayaks, and water skis.