We have family who have boats and I was thinking of having one myself in the upcoming years. I thought it would be a good idea to take a boaters safety course.

Anyone born before 1982 is exempt and the safety class is NOT required. There is an online class offered and I figured why not, safety first right! Sign up and see there is a $40 fee for the online class! WTF so your telling me I can pay $40 to take a safety class that is not required. I know $40 is not much money but it still pisses me off. You would think it would be encouraged to take an optional safety course. Screw it why bother, Ill use the time I could be learning about safety and take a nap instead.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: gpbst3, July 28, 2023 10:13 AM

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:

Anyone born after 1982 is exempt...

What's that about?

quote:

Originally posted by cas:

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:

Anyone born after 1982 is exempt...

What's that about?

They are younger, so they already know everything. If you have kids, you understand.

Yeah, I've been hearing that joke for years too. But gov't agencies don't generally buy into that sort of stuff. So why are they excluding people under ~40 from taking the course? Seems to me it would be those people, at least the ones under 30, who need it the most.

Perhaps more likely that people born before 1982 aren’t required to take the course.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Perhaps more likely that people born before 1982 aren’t required to take the course.

Yes. Sorry born before 1982.

Seems kinda arbitrary... What does a 42 year old automatically know about boating safety that a 41 year old doesn't?

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Seems kinda arbitrary... What does a 42 year old automatically know about boating safety that a 41 year old doesn't?

Clearly, as much a 21 year old does about guns and beer than an 18 year old....

I can see a fee for an in-person instructor but not for online.

https://www.boatus.org/virginia/

Above is free. Apparently.

Just search for what you want, and get certified.

Although we're Texas residents, my wife and I have both taken free online boating safety classes from other states. I did the Florida one several years ago and she did Wisconsin earlier this month. Those were both states that we planned to rent boats.

I'd be willing to bet your state's natural resources department or such offers a free boater safety course....

Or you might want to check out the U.S. Power Squadron .....

The BoatUS one is free, but not all states accept it. Cost me $90 to have my kids take one that Michigan approves of. Oh well. The class seems to be long on rules and regs, but short on practical safety.

If you learn one thing that saves you some money, something that might make your life easier or save a life,
$40.00 ain't even a drop in the bucket.
It's going to be great when you say that you did the right thing because you learned it through the safety course.

Heck I will send you $7.00 if you are in a financial pinch.

My daughter just took the free online course from BoatUS. After she passed, I paid a little extra because she wanted the card that she could show to the DNR Police if needed. All she really needs is the digital copy. There is no practical test. She gets that instruction from me.

quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:
…There is no practical test. She gets that instruction from me.

Same for my kids. For example, before they sailed our 14’ sailboat by themselves, we practiced capsizing and righting it in deep water.

The OP seems to be new to boating and there’s more to safety out on the water than a three hour online class can do.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

we practiced capsizing and righting it

The first part doesn't need that much practice. Ask me how I know.

True. My kids have affectionately named our little sailboat the Death Trap. I capsized it last week anchored in three feet of water. Not on purpose.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Seems kinda arbitrary... What does a 42 year old automatically know about boating safety that a 41 year old doesn't?

It's just a way to phase in the requirement over time. serveral states have done this. NC requires a boaters saftey course for those born after 88.

Take the free BoatUS course. I found it to be very good and I've been around boats (small pleasure craft) my entire life. I took the course to qualify to drive for a charity event and I learned a few things (acutally a lot about saltwater boating, but I've already forgotten it as I never boat on the coast).