Boating is more than just a fun adventure on the water. It also requires compliance with legal requirements, such as obtaining a license. Most states require boaters to have a boating license (or boater safety card) before operating a motorized vessel, but the requirements vary…

Boating in bad weather can put you and others at risk, but not every boater knows what to look for in the weather forecast. If you're under a small craft advisory—which can indicate rough seas and choppy conditions, along with wind and rain—you might want…

Safe, enjoyable boating comes from paying attention to the details, from ensuring your passengers wear the right life jackets to understanding how a boat performs in different conditions. One of the most essential considerations on the water is whether you're overloading your vessel. Boat operators need…

Responsible boating requires more than safety equipment—maritime communication skills are essential as well. In addition to navigating your journey, wearing a life jacket, and packing a first aid kit, you must be comfortable with ship horn signals. You may need to use ship horn signals…

If you want to learn how to avoid a boat accident and injuries on the water, dive into cases from the past where things went wrong. We have decades of data to learn from. These stats tell us: How do we know this? For 66…