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OPEN WATER & BOATING
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It is estimated that in the United States,
there are 50,867,840 acres of lakes; 633,109 miles of rivers; and
88,633 miles of coastal shoreline (including bays and inlets).
Chances are you will spend time near the water.
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Of the 481 boating-related drownings in
2003, 416 could have been prevented with the use of a life jacket.
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In the uncontrolled environments of
rivers, ponds, oceans, and lakes, safety issues can unexpectedly
arise. Safety education and preparation is particularly
important because children are very drawn to the water and often
have difficulties perceiving its dangers.
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It may sound ridiculous to say this far
into the presentation, but I can't stress enough that you should not
go into open water if you don't know how to swim well.
Open Water Tips
At
the beach, if your children are going to body surf, surf, or skimboard, they must be able to maintain a strong crawl
stroke for at least 300 yards and be able to swim on their backs for at
least fifteen minutes.
The
most subtle safety issue is the allure of the surf zone. Children
are drawn to the display of the breaking waves, and can be carried away
in even the calmest seas.
Always swim in areas protected by lifeguards, but consider what we have
discussed about the realities of lifeguarding.
Do
not allow swimming near boats and/or fishermen.
Usually rivers, lakes, and farm ponds are not guarded and are not
equipped with safety gear. Be prepared and bring your own safety
lines and first aid equipment.
Children should only swim during designated SWIM TIMES. They
should not be allowed to drift in and out of the water. Make sure
that an adult is actively supervising the swimmers, and take plenty of
breaks for water and resting.
A
non-water related issue for open water swimming is sunscreen.
Please keep your children safe by using adequate sunscreen and
reapplying often. Use the shadow rule. Don't play out in the
sun when your shadow is shorter than you are.
Be
aware of small bodies of water your child might encounter, such as
fishponds, ditches, fountains, rain barrels, watering cans, and even the
bucket you use when you wash the car. Children are drawn to places
and things like these and need constant supervision to be sure they
don't fall in.
Flotation Devices: Everyone should wear a Coast Guard approved
flotation device when boating. Wearing a Coast Guard approved
flotation device is a good idea for children playing near the water.
(I'm even ok with tying children to the picnic table if necessary to keep
them safely out of the water. Prevent unsupervised access to open
water!)
However, non-swimmers should not be allowed to enter the water to swim
for recreation wearing a flotation device. Floatation devices
greatly increase the amount of time it takes to learn how to swim and
effectively remove any incentive to learn how to swim.
Non-swimmers should not be allowed to swim in water of any kind
unless they are within TOUCH SUPERVISION of an adult who can swim.
If you have calm, shallow water where a swimming lesson can be safely
conducted, by all means, practice swimming skills sans-flotation-device
with touch supervision. If conditions are not safe for a swimming
lessons, non-swimmers should stay out of the water. They may play
in open water after they have learned how to swim. Skilled
swimmers should wear Coast Guard Approved flotation devices when
swimming for fun in open water.
MORE BOATING STUFF: I seriously doubt the surveys that say that
35% of boaters wear lifejackets on the water at all times, and I also
doubt that 41% of boaters make their passengers wear a lifejackets as
stated in the survey results. But remember, the survey only states
they "say" they do.
Furthermore, I am not qualified to tell you how to operate your boat
safely. I recommend taking a boating safety course. Safety
courses are required for 14-16 year olds to operate boats in Nebraska.
I
can tell you that lifejackets prevent people from drowning when they
unexpectedly enter the water. Wear a lifejacket when boating.
In
Nebraska, everyone 12 and under is required to wear a lifejacket while
on a boat. All Personal Watercraft (PWC) operators are required to wear lifejackets.
Questions?
Click to ask Coach Neal.
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