Three Safety Tips to Safely Get You Through the Spring Fishing and Boating Season

 Unusually warm weather here in Portsmouth, Virginia,  may make some
 forget that cold waters still lurk beneath the keel.

In many parts of the country, people are asking when did winter end and spring begin? Anglers and boaters are taking advantage of the  unusually warm weather, but some may be forgetting that cold waters still lurk  beneath the keel. Here's three easy safety tips that will  help you get safely through the spring fishing and boating season.

Refresh your memory: Take a boating safety course now from the comfort of your own home. We recommend the no-cost BoatUS Foundation Online Boating Safety course, which is designed so that you can stop and then continue at any time, includes videos that demonstrate important safety devices such as flares, shows the rules of the road, how to get help in an emergency, and the best way to fit a life jacket to a child so they will not slip out. Go to BoatUS online boat safety course. It may also help you save money on boat insurance and meet your state's requirements for boating safety education.

Don't allow the warm weather to let your guard down: The air temperatures may be downright balmy, but deceptively cold  waters increase the risk of hypothermia even on a "T-shirt" day. Also remember  there are fewer boats out on the water that could come to your aid. Bring extra  layers or change of clothes and rain gear this time of year. Remember, water conducts heat away from your body 25 times faster than air does, so you cool much more rapidly in water!

Plan on how to get back in the boat: If you  accidentally went overboard, do you have a way to get back aboard? You may be  surprised how hard this can be - especially if you are alone or haven't  prepared for it. It could be as simple as having a rope with looped foot holds  affixed to a cleat that can easily be grabbed from the water. The BoatUS  Foundation also tested after-market boarding ladders for small jonboats, RIBs  and larger center console boats. You can view these tests at BoatUS market tests.  A hardcopy of the tests along with a ranking of the best ladders can also be  found at BoatUS.com/foundation/boardingladders.

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