If you just bought a new boat or you’re thinking about buying one for the first time, or if you're renting a boat for the day or tagging along on a friend's boat, we have some good news for you: on top of being flat-out fun, research has proven that boating is good for your health and mind. But like any new experience, someone who’s not an experienced boater may have a bit of anxiety over casting off the lines for the first time. Never fear, dear new-to-boating boater—we’re here to help.
Here's some tips that will help ensure your first-time out on a boat is a fun, safe, and rewarding experience.
1. Keep It Safe
You knew that was coming, didn’t you? Boating is actually an incredibly low-risk activity, but like anything, the fun stops abruptly if someone gets hurt. Pay attention as you take your boating safety course, and spend some time perusing Boating Safety Guide before you shove off the dock.
2. Decide What Activities You Want to Try
With the safety stuff out of the way, prepare yourself to have some serious fun. We mean actually prepare yourself and think about which sorts of activities are likely to be embraced by entire family. You might even want to call a family meeting and gather around the kitchen table to discuss all the options.
When you’ve decided on a plan of action, make a list of any boating accessories you may need to be fully prepared for all the grin generating, wave hops, laughter inducing tube-towing, and smile causing fish catching that’s about to come.
