Safe boating tips from the Colorado State Parks Boating Safety Program

Wear you life jacket - Nine out of 10 drowning victims were not wearing a
life jacket.
Don't drink and boat - Just like operating a car, boating while alcohol
impaired is against the law.
Don't overload your boat - Always follow the maximum capacity regulations
for your boat and make sure you have all the required safety gear (i.e. life
jackets, fire extinguishers, and sound producing devices) on board.
Know before you go - Keep tabs on the weather forecast and be aware of
changing weather conditions.
Keep a lookout - Be responsible not only for your own safety but the safety
of others.
Take a boating safety course - Signing up for a boating safety course is a
great way to avoid danger in the water, call 1-888-593-BOAT.

More than 600 deaths occur each year due to boating accidents, according to
the U.S. Coast Guard.  Over 85 percent of those fatalities could have been
avoided by wearing a life jacket. Federal and state boating regulations
require all children under 13 to wear a Coast Guard-approved personal
flotation device (PFD) at all times. Each boat must have one PFD for each
person on board, with boats over 16 feet also carrying a throwable PFD.

Each year over 104,000 boats are registered through Colorado State Parks
with fees from registration helping to fund the Colorado State Parks Boating
Safety Program.  For more information on federal and state boating
regulations, approved PFD types, boat registration, safety courses and
current park boating conditions, visit Colorado State Parks Web site at
http://www.parks.state.co.us