The waters around Gloucester and Mathews counties are more active this time of year, which means knowing proper water and boating safety is even more important.

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 66, Mathews, offers a number of boating courses with the Department of Wildlife Resources to educate boaters. These courses range from an eight-hour Boat America course to one-hour courses on personal watercrafts.

Flotilla 66 Vice Commander Mary McCoig said a few topics covered in the courses include boating operations, man-over-board, navigation and first aid as well as a wide range of other safety information.

McCoig stressed that boaters should always wear a properly fitted personal floatation device when out on the water, especially kids. The USCG requires all vessels to have at least one PFD of proper size for each person on board. The USCG also states that no person can operate a recreational vessel on federal waters with any child under the age of 13 unless they are wearing a PFD or are riding below deck in an enclosed cabin.

McCoig also emphasized the importance of using an engine cut-off or kill switch. Kill switches can be worn on lanyards or attached to a PFD and if the connection is broken the switch cuts off the engine. She said boaters should use them as safety precautions as it reduces the risk of injuries from propeller. In the case of a boat operator falling overboard, if they were not using a kill switch, an unmanned boat can run in hard circles and could injure or even kill the operator in the water.

Avoiding propeller strikes is also covered in safety courses. McCoig said one way to avoid propeller strikes is to follow the law and not allow passengers to ride on the bow of a boat. She said people like to ride on the bow, kids especially, but if they fall off from the bow they can end up under the boat and can be hit by the propeller. She said she’s responded to this kind of incident before, which resulted in a fatality.

The USCG also offers a paddle craft course geared towards recreational boaters of all ages. The course covers the proper safety procedures to follow while kayaking, paddleboarding and canoeing. This includes topics like wearing a PFD on at all times and a sound producing device, like a whistle, in case of emergencies.

Courses offered by the USCG and information on how to sign up for them can be found on the Flotilla’s website wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=054-06-06.