Maryland boaters offered free BoatUS safety course
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering Maryland boaters an option for taking a required boater safety course with a free BoatUS Foundation Online Boating Safety Course.
Until now, Maryland boaters had to pay out of pocket for the required safety course.
BoatUS said the course fully meets the state’s education requirements for boaters and PWC operators born on or after July 1, 1972, and is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and recognized by the Coast Guard as exceeding the minimum requirements for the National Recreational Boating Safety Program.
“Our goal is to make boating safety education as accessible as possible to as many boaters as possible,” BoatUS Foundation president Chris Edmonston said in a statement. “By making Maryland’s course free, it removes the last possible barrier toward ensuring everyone’s safety. And because you can work on it as you go, it fits in with today’s busy schedules.”
BoatUS said the course is loaded with interactive animations, videos and photos to give boaters an education beyond the basics of boating. Videos show important safety devices, such as visual distress signals, and explain how to get help in an emergency and prevent fires aboard a boat and explain the best way to fit a child’s life jacket.
