Safety Reminders

Water safety advocates always designate May as National Water Safety Month.

That’s a good thing. The traffic always spikes on Texas lakes, rivers and bays as spring gives way to summer. Even experienced boaters can use a safety reminder every now and then. In my book, there is no such thing as a bad time to heighten awareness about being safe while on or around water.

One small error in judgement is all it takes to change your life or the lives of others in a really big way. It makes no difference if you’re driving a boat or personal watercraft (jet ski), riding as a passenger or simply taking a leisurely swim at a neighborhood watering hole.

Always think ahead. More importantly, never let your guard down, don’t take unnecessary risks, always wear a life jacket and be ready to react should a dicey situation arise.

I was reminded of that last week when I made my maiden voyage on a jet ski in the brackish backwaters of the Intracoastal Waterway that flanks the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, a popular vacation hub along South Carolina’s Atlantic Coast that my daughter and her family call home.

I actually made the 18-hour trek east to attend the week-long motorcycle rally held along the strip at Murrells Inlet each May. My son-in-law, Matt, made arrangements with a good friend to loan me a Sea-Doo one afternoon for an adventuresome change of pace.

After a lengthy ride down the wide-open Intracoastal to get the feel for the quirky machine, the three of us set out on a five-hour, 60-mile journey of twists, turns and curves through turbid creeks, canals and alligator infested backwaters. Forty-plus years of boating and motorcycle experience certainly helped with the learning curve, but I still learned some valuable lessons about operating a personal watercraft (PWC) that day.

For starters, these machines (like boats) are not equipped with brakes that will slow you down from high speeds as quickly as the brakes on a truck or car will.

Likewise, you should always leave plenty of room between you and the person ahead, make sure the guy behind you is doing the same and never run several machines in a single file line. A staggered formation is best.

Something else to always remember is the throttle is your friend on a PWC. Let off the gas and the steering pretty much goes out the window. Always keep the engine running and the throttle depressed when turning.

Inexperienced riders frequently get into trouble when they suddenly find themselves on a collision course with another PWC, boat, dock, swimming raft or other object. Rather than throttling around the hazard, they panic and release the throttle or pull the engine kill switch that causes the engine to stop running.

Both are serious mistakes that may result in dire consequences. An PWC barreling out of control at 50 mph is like an 800-pound bowling ball.

Those topics, and much more, are covered in Boater Education courses taught by the US Coast Guard, trained volunteer instructors, teachers and game wardens. Boaters can find a selection of online boater courses that can be taken anytime on TPWD’s boater education web page. In-person courses are available. Paddlers can also access a free paddling safety course online. Fees start at $11 for a basic course and vary depending on in person or online courses.

On Texas waterways, the course is required of anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993 who operates any vessel over 15 horsepower, wind-blown vessel over 14 feet and all personal watercraft.

Children under 13 are specifically prohibited from operating a PWC unless accompanied on board by a person at least 18 years of age who is legally authorized to operate one.

Older folks can learn plenty from the course, as well. I’ve shared bass boats with some grown men who pulled some really stupid stunts and had no business in the driver’s seat.

One of the spookiest experiences happened shortly after takeoff in a bass tournament on Toledo Bend. I was fishing as a co-angler at the time.

My “pro” partner was zipping down the busy boat lane at 70 m.p.h. south of Indian Mounds when he suddenly decided to come off pad and started fiddling with his GPS. Other competitors tracking close behind shook their fists as they swerved, raced by and left us rocking in their wakes.

A well-deserved scolding followed

Shutting down a boat in the middle of a busy boat lane is akin to stopping a vehicle in the middle of the highway during rush hour traffic. It’s a really good way to become a statistic.

Dozens of boating related accidents and fatalities happen on Texas waterways every year, most as the result of bad decisions made by those behind the wheel. Statistics show operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and alcohol use rank among the primary contributing factors in accidents.

2020 was a particularly rough year for boaters as accidents hit a 30-year alltime high. Experts credit the 67 percent rise in boating- related accidents and 45 percent increase in fatalities to a spike in recreational boat sales that occurred in unison with the pandemic. With more boaters on the water — gobs of them inexperienced — accidents naturally went up.

Numbers tallied in 2021 were a little better, according to Jen Shugert, press agent for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens. Shugert says there were 234 boating accidents in Texas in 2021, down 14.6 percent from 2020. Fatal boating accidents dropped to 49 in 2021, a 7.5 percent decline from 2020.

Open motorboats were the most common vessels involved in fatal accidents (41 percent) last year, followed by pontoon boats (23 percent ), which have gained in popularity and are leading in national recreational boat sales, Shugert said.

The four-month period spanning May through August historically have the highest numbers of injuries and fatalities statewide. Most accidents happen on weekends, when waters tend to be crowded.

Collisions due to careless or reckless vessel operation are a leading cause of accidents, while falling overboard and drowning without a life jacket is a top cause of fatalities. Life jackets must be available for each occupant of a boat or paddle craft. Children under 13 are required to wear an approved PFD anytime the boat or paddle craft is underway or drifting.

Another leading cause of boating related injuries is failure by the vessel operator to use a kill switch. Operators of boats less than 26 feet in length that are equipped with an ignition safety kill switch are required by law to wear the device whenever the vessel is moving at greater than headway speed. A kill switch shuts off the boat motor automatically if the operator is thrown from the helm, thus preventing others in the water from being injured by a spinning boat propellor.

Not surprisingly, alcohol/ drugs are common denominators in a high percentage of boating-related accidents. Impaired drivers are prone to take unnecessary risks, make judgement errors and slowed reaction times. Boat drivers found to be intoxicated can get into serious trouble with the law.

On Memorial Day 2021 alone, state wardens filed 36 BWI cases. The BWI offense is a Class B misdemeanor that totes stiff fine and jail time. It escalates to a felony if injuries or fatalities are involved.

Something else boaters should always take into consideration is the weather.

Fog can be especially dangerous, as can tall waves caused by big winds, and deadly lightning. Always be sure to check weather forecasts before heading out on the water. If unfavorable conditions are likely, it would be wise to wait for another day.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com