Safety on the Water: Good Preparations Avoid Personal Injury
Florida is the place to be for those who love to boat. With a wonderful peninsula extending into some of the clearest blue waters on the planet, there’s plenty of gulf and ocean to ride on.
Brad Sinclair, an accident lawyer in Brevard County, urges boaters to not only enjoy themselves, but be safe as well. Unfortunately, many people get injured each year on boats, and nobody wants to end their vacation by talking with a maritime accident lawyer.
Brad Sinclair offers the following tips to make sure everyone stays safe and has fun while boating in Florida:
- Get certified in boating safety. This will help all persons on the boat stay safe, even if only one person holds the certification. Knowledge is power (and protection)!
- Learn about maritime weather. Weather on the water can be unpredictable and has different patterns and movements as compared to on land. Learn the weather patterns of favorite boating areas, and you’ll be much safer.
- Wear a lifejacket. This may seem obvious, but many adults neglect to wear proper safety gear while boating. Even strong swimmers can struggle against ocean currents, so having floatation devices is paramount.
- Have proper safety equipment on board. In the event that someone does end up injured, having safety equipment will help greatly while he or she is transported to shore.
- Develop a float plan. Letting others know where you’ll be going and how long you’ll be gone will help you be located if something goes wrong on the waters and it’s impossible to get back to shore.
- Get a vessel safety check by a qualified professional. It’s important to know a boat is seaworthy before it’s taken to the waters, not when it’s in the middle of the Gulf.
- Learn basic aids to navigation. Just like driving without knowing what a stop sign is, don’t boat without knowing the rules of the waterways.
With these tips on boating safety, it’s easy to avoid a maritime accident! However, sometimes accidents still happen. If you’re ever in need of an accident lawyer in Brevard County, contact us.