Boating is one of the best experiences in your life.
Being out in open water, surrounded by nothing but nature and excellent company is cathartic. If you’ve always wanted to hit the waters, but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at these boating tips for beginners to help you find your way safely.
Essential Boating Tips For Beginners
If you’re new to boating, welcome! It’s an exciting time to venture in the sea. However, we want to aid your safety and ensure you’re as prepared as you can be – whether travelling with others or alone. Take a read of these boating tips for beginners and share your thoughts in the comments.
1. Always Check The Weather Before Entering Your Boat
Checking the weather before you enter the water is one of the most important boating tips for beginners. We appreciate that you’re excited to hit the waters, but not knowing the weather forecast can put you in potentially life-threatening conditions. Keep an eye on the sky before planning any outdoor adventure. Most times, your safety is entirely down to the weather, and thus you should arm yourself with the weather forecast before you leave the dock. Even still, weather can change rapidly, and sudden thunderstorms can roll in.
Find the latest weather reports by using the Internet, your radio or TV. You should also check it by venturing outside and observing the wind and clouds. If you notice that there are grey clouds looming, there’s potentially a storm on the way. If the sky looks pink, that’s usually an indication that there’s an extreme storm on the way. Don’t just rely on the weather forecast once, but check often and just before heading outdoors too for the most reliable data.
Look out for fog, dark clouds and lightning. If a nearby barometer falls, you can expect rain to appear soon. If there’s a noticeable halo around the moon or sun (depending on the time), there’s a huge change of rain. Perhaps you feel a drop in temperature. This usually indicates that a storm is brewing. Are there vertically rising clouds which look puffy? Bad weather typically comes from the west direction, although storms from the east are the most powerful.
2. Dress Appropriately For Bad Weather
It might be a sunny day where you are, but once you’re in open waters, temperatures can quickly drop. If you’re not dressed appropriate and lack layers, you’re more at risk of life-threatening illnesses. Therefore, it’s important that you take adequate clothing with you. You can always remove the layers if you’re too hot, but it’s better to have than on hand than freeze.
This Columbia Men’s Diamond Heatzone Jacket is made from 100 percent nylon. It’s waterproof and breathable with omni-heat thermal reflect underarm venting. This keeps you warm, but not sweaty. The water-resistant goose down ensures that you’re warm which is perfect for boaters in cold conditions. The foldable synthetic fur is useful for extreme weather conditions. However, you can remove it if it’s not necessary.
This Icebreaker Merino knee-length winter jacket is great for women to wear when boating. Fully insulated and knee-length, it’s ideal for cold conditions and to provide natural warmth back. The long design adds even more warmth, whilst the 100 percent woven merino wool lining keeps you fully insulated. We love the adjustable hood to provide a cosy finish to protect your head in cold conditions. The Stratus provides premium warmth, whilst remaining stylish. The high-lofting alternative to synthetic fills makes an all-natural merino wool to retain heat, even when wet. The zoned quilting is designed for thermal regulation, whilst the front and internal pockets keep your essential items secure.
3. Pack More Food and Drink Than Usual
Another of our vital boating tips for beginners is to ensure you take more food and drink than you’d usually consume. When you’re in the water, there’s no store you can stop at. So, if you’re out of food and become stranded, you’ll starve to death. Scary, right? People assume that boaters eat a cold can of beans. However, eating on a boat doesn’t have to be restrictive. Do ensure you have plenty of waters of water though.
Snacks are essential to keep your energy levels up. You want to bring foods which don’t feed refrigerating. Peanut butter sandwiches make an ideal snack whilst fishing or out on the boat for the day. They’re packed with protein and whole grains to keep you feeling full for a long time. You don’t need to keep these sandwiches cold to reduce the risk of contamination either. Oranges and apples are an excellent snack as they help you to feel full and contain high amounts of fibre.
If you find that you bring food which requires refrigeration, pack them into a cooler which keeps them cold for a long time. This insulated food bag keeps food cold or warm in good conditions. Measuring 22” x 14”, it provides plenty of room to store a good amount of food. The outer material is heavy duty and made to last. The thick insulation cover keeps food hot or cold with a high-quality insulating lining. It maximises heating and cooling to allow food to remain hot or cold for an extended time.
4. Leave a Float Plan
Although boating is an incredible experience, things don’t always go to plan. A float plan is a life-saving document you leave with someone on land outlining details of your planned trip. This isn’t a necessary document, though it provides essential details about your route should you not check in as expected. No matter if you take a radio, GPS device and phone with you, a float plan provides backup information if needed in an emergency. Many boaters are guilty of not filing out a float plan or telling close friends and family that they’re sailing the waters. However, you should definitely leave one detailing where you’ll be stopping and leave it with a responsible person.
5. Take an On-Board First Aid Kit With You
When you’re on the water, you never know what could happen to you. Even a small cut on your finger can make a simple task difficult. However, be equipped for any accident – no matter how big or small.
Keep a first aid kit on your boat at all times so you don’t have to remember to bring it each time. If you use any products on it – no matter how small – ensure you replace them. You never know when you’ll need them in an emergency.
This two-in-one Premium First Aid Emergency Kit comes with 120 medical grade items. Approved by the FDA and manufactured from high-quality resources, it means the facility’s safety standards. The kit also includes a mini first aid kit containing 32 medical items. Small and lightweight, the kit has all the essential items you could want in an emergency.
6. Keep an Emergency Mechanical Kit On Board
You never know when you’ll encounter a mechanical fault on your boat, so you need to be prepared for the unprepared. Take emergency equipment with you for an unlikely event. This should include steering helms, cables and engine connection kits. We also recommend taking an emergency whistle and flashlight to attract attention if you’re in danger. If you’re unable to help yourself before reaching land, a whistle and light towards passing ships and low planes can be the difference between life and death.
What Boating Tips For Beginners Do You Know?
These boating tips are designed for people who aren’t experienced with water. It’s such an amazing activity that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Thankfully, the above tips will keep you on track and improve your safety whether you travel alone, or with others.
Do you have any boating tips for beginners which can improve their experience? Share them in the comments, and share this article to your friends too.
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