BOATING

IT WON'T WORK IF YOU DON'T WEAR IT

In the 1970s there were over 70 boating fatalities a year in Louisiana. Many of the deaths were avoidable if people were wearing Personal Flotation Devices (Life Jackets). In the 1990s an average of 40 fatalities a year included boaters just riding, skiers, fishermen and women, duck hunters, deer hunters, canoeist, and sailors. Many people simply fall overboard or are involved in a collision that is avoidable if a PFD is worn and adherence to some basic rules of boating operation is followed.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries offers a boating basics class that lasts between 6 to 8 hours that is usually completed in a day. The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements, many navigation rules, navigation charts, trailering, sailboats, and related subjects that include canoeing, personal watercraft and more. Completion of the course will result in the student being issued a vessel operator's license.

Help us save lives through proper boating skills, let this be the one day that is dedicated to learning more about your favorite pastime and the beginning of the pursuit of knowledge of boating etiquette and skills that are of interest to you and your family as boating safety is surely a life skill.

This course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and is recognized by the United States Coast Guard.

Louisiana boaters that travel our bayous, bays, lakes, rivers, and the Gulf, can feel a great sense of pride for the great wealth of resources available in our state. Louisiana encompasses more than four million acres of water available to boaters, allowing numerous opportunities for water-related activities. As the demand for the recreational use of Louisiana's waterways increases, it becomes more and more important for boaters to be SAFE, KNOWLEDGEABLE, and RESPONSIBLE. All boaters must commit themselves to learning and practicing the fine points of safe watercraft operation. The Louisiana Boating Basics course has been prepared to provide recreational boaters with advice and information on safe and proper boat operation. By completing this 6-hour course, you will improve your boating skills, become familiar with navigation and equipment requirements, and develop a positive attitude toward all water-related activities. Active participation in this course and subsequent utilization of the information offered will represent a meaningful advance in the ongoing effort to increase safety and reduce the potential for accidents on Louisiana's waters.

This statement is to assure equal opportunity for all qualified persons in admission to, participation in, or inclusion in all boating education programs and activities which the Department operates without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran's status.

Other boating resources:
Flotilla 4-10
PWCSafetySchool
National Safe Boating Council
U.S. Coast Guard
New Orleans Power Squadron

• REGISTRATION
  • Renew Registration
  • Motorboat Application
• REGULATIONS
  • Required Equipment
  • Operating Rules
• COURSES
  • Mandatory Education
  • Recreational Boating
• PROGRAMS
  • Clean Vessel Program
• MISSING BOAT LOOKUP
• REPORT AN ACCIDENT
• MSARC