They have been trying to do this for a long time. The statistics include every drowning in a pool, back yard pond, or someone jumps from the Brooklyn bridge, anywhere else where no boat is involved.

I won't be boating in Washington.

To Larry, You Yacht Clubbers (Auxiliary) are such bad boat handlers, on your boat a life jacket and helmet is a good idea.

USCG Ret.

After spending 4 years in the CG and sailboat racing for over 20 years i think his Mandatory life jacket is just an other government intrution into our lives. Pleasure boating is just that a PLEASURE not with some life jacket on. When it gets rough out we wear life jackets. We dont need the CG to watch over us. I can see the need for more money for local government to inforce a new law with more new fines.

Presumably the same people reacting to a proposal are the same people who objected to seat belts and air bags in cars, or lap belts in planes.
Here in Britain we have a similar viewpoint towards anything compulsory but it's not universal. Clever marketing has meant that participants in sports such as wakeboarding and riding PWC [Jet Skis] now see life jackets [PFD's] as part of their gear - in effect a fashion item, and so wear the without thinking. Other boaters are not so willing to oblige especially those on large motor yauchts, some big sailboats, and big rigid inflatables. Most other people wear them as a routine and even bank fishermen are adopting specially designed lifejackets.
In America far more people are killed in boating accidents than here in Europe. Admittedly there are more boats in use but the fact remains that many hundreds of lives are lost pointlessly from drowning. Perhaps those who object to the proposal to wear life jackets might think again it it were their child, or wife, who became the next drowning statistic. We all naturally object to extra legislation but when it makes sense why are people so blinded by ignorance and pure bloody mindedness Do your peace officers have to be FORCED to wear body armour when confrnting a gunman? NO, they know the protection may save their lives just as a lifejacket or PFD could save yours. I appreciate that an ultra fit long distance swimmer might well survive falling off a boat but the truth is many boaters are over weight, unfit, probably full of alcohol, and likely to drown very easily. An yes people do fall of big motor yachts and even ferries. So why add stupid to the list? After you only have one life!

In Tasmania,lifejackets must be worn by everyone on vessels less than 6m (say 20 ft),while underway .When at rest(eg fishing or at anchor),not compulsory to wear but must have one on board for every person.
On vessels over 6m,not compulsory to wear but must be carried on board.
These rules have been in force for approx 5 years and are now accepted pretty well by everyone.The advent of inflatable ,approved lifejackets which are now often cheaper than traditional types has also helped with acceptance due to the comfort factor.
It is now quite common to see powerboats over 6m in length with crews wearing their lifejackets even though it may not be strictly compulsory to do so.
It is a solution that appears to work for our circumstances.

I a ma lifelong boater and agree strongly that wearing a life jacket is important. However, I do not feel it should be MANDATORY. Let the boater decide, and then (as someone else said) live or die with the consequesnces. In Massachusetts it is required that all persons in a canoe or kayak between September 15 and May 15 MUST wear a proper USCG-Approved life jacket. Yet every year several people drown in "accidents" during those months, most if not all of those who drown.....were NOT wearing a life jacket! Despite the LAW. A few years ago 2 "expert" kayakers went out on Columbus Day in a bad storm and their bodies were never found. Obviously, they were not wearing life jackets, in fact they weren't even CARRYING life jackets in the kayaks! Now, to me COMMON SENSE tells me to wear a life jacket even in good conditions on open water (they were o nNantucket Sound)also, Federal Law has required (since 1972) that all vessels must carry at least one proper size, good condition life jacket readily accessable for each person aboard, so they were in violation of a longstanding Federal Law. This tragedy sparked an immediate call fro mour politicians (and surprisingly, local harbormasters) to change the law to require that life jackets be worn year-round on canoes and kayaks........ the idea has died out, and hte law is still unchanged, but what makes us think that people that refuse to obey a current law, will magically obey a stricter law? Again , COMMON SENSE should have told these 2 people to wear life jackets, and actually... common sense should have kept them on shore that day!
Laws are only as good as the enforcement of those laws.
It is said that injuries involving kids on bikes have actually increased since it became law that kids have to wear helmets while biking (and skating some places), it is true that HEAD injuries have been reduced, but other injuries have increased due perhaps to a feeling of invinciblity due to the helmet. How did I ever survive my childhood? I never wore a helmet while biking (I do now), my Parents never put me in a real child car seat (weren't available!), we rarely wore seat belts in the back seat (and often rode in the cargo area of our small station wagon!) We wore life jackets on the boat, my parents rule was until I learned to swim, I had to wear the life jacket. Even so, I kept wearing it long after I could swim pretty well! I now wear my life jacket 99.9% of the time while boating, but it is MY CHOICE! As others have said, EDUCATE, not LEGISLATE!
I don't see a mandatory wearing of life jackets law as a $$ on the boating public though, the cost is the same, whether you carry the life jackets or wear them. Lets concentrate on enforcing the laws requiring all vessels to CARRY life jackets first, and HIGHLY Recommending that they be worn!

Seven out of ten deaths last year involved motor boats less than 21 feet. Thus should we ban motor boats less than 21 feet? Many of the deaths involved alcholol which is already baned or controled. The judgement of when to wear a life jacket is up to the skipper of the vessel, not to some congressman who has no idea about the practicality of boating.

Then you have someone in Washington State, who has no idea of climatic conditions in the South, supporting lifejackets. Will there be more cases of death due to heat stroke in Florida due to mandatory life jackets?

I row as well as paddle. I have been a competitive paddler and rower on an international level since 1982. In all my years of paddling, I have heard of just one competitive paddler drowning. The reason? Experience, knowledge, good judgement. Same goes for rowing. However, in rowing, the use of a pfd can cause and accident! Even some tight fitting shirts sometimes catch the grip on an oar and over you you/and the boat go. I'll bet rowing mishaps go up if this becomes law.
One more thing: Last year in Lake George, a kayaker was determined to have drowned. AFTER HE WAS RUN OVER BY A BOAT. A life jacket would merely have made recovery easier. He had head and back injuries from the boat prop. So maybe we can question some of the statistics.

The point is, you can't legislate good judgement. And Gordon is right; More people drown in backyard swimming pools and bathtubs. Larry Stellar: PFD's are not always comfortable. There are thousands of marathon canoers, thousands of hawaiian outrigger canoe paddlers, thousands of dragonboat enthusiasts, thousands of rowers who practice on the water daily. In hot weather there is chafe (which in some cases can become a staf infection), overheating (been there done that), and restricted breathing while paddling or rowing hard.
Let's convince our government to EDUCATE, NOT LEGISLATE.
I dont' want my grandchildren to have to wear a life vest in the bathtub or watch a video to see what boating used to be like in the olden days.

If you happen to be knocked out when you enter the water or if you take in a big gulp (especially if the water is cold), even if you are a great swimmer who normally uses sound judgment, you are probably going to drown. If you are very young, old, under the influence or not in good condition, your chances only go down from there. If you don't use common sense...you get the picture.

Give it a rest. Whenever we did boat tests professionally or whenever I bring youth officially out on my boat everyone wears a life jacket, including me. In Washington State it is already the law. Public boat ramps have sign in/sign out life jackets available for those that do not have them donated by local businesses. It is an adjustment to always wear a jacket but it would have spared us a funeral at the local middle school last week.

This is the USA not a dictatorship. A responsible boater can make the proper determination as to wether or not a life jacket for simple lake boating or ocean going boats should require a life jacket. This is another Obama tax type situation that he continues to slam down our throats like we never new what we were doing until he came along. I would vote against it unless your going on a long cruise across the Ocean. Throwables are there and if necessary the option to wear the jackets remain, so there is no need to have law enforcement in on this too.

I think was Ron Reagan who said that a government big enough to provide all your needs, in this case "safety", is big enough to take all you have. I want my freedom

Have been in the charter boat business since 1972 in Florida. I strongly agree that passing a mandatory life jacket rule will threaten the economic vitality of recreational boater! Spend the time and money on education, not more laws.......

Will I have to wear my life jacket to bed on my motor yacht?

I don't have to wear one when I go swimming yet, but this is probably to come also. I own 7 boats in Florida and Michigan, are they really going to make me take up golf? (probably have to wear a golf hard hat soon anyway).