boat saftey

[glenn57]

so....over on IDO a thread was started regarding boat saftey. of course there's quite the conversations as usual 

BUT apparently as of July 1 this year anyone under the age of 21 will be required to complete a boaters saftety course.
                                         AND
on JULY  1 2028 anyone under the age of 41 will be required to also.

now.......i dont fall into either one of them categories but personally dont see this as a bad thing. i did the firearms and snowmobile course..i wasnt required to do the ATV one.

any opinions?????? i personally havent seen anything regarding this anywhere but over there or advertising boaters saftey courses.........

[LPS]

I have been trying to get our grandson to take the online course.  He is only 13

[glenn57]

I have been trying to get our grandson to take the online course.  He is only 13

i get it the online stuff is the way it's trending and maybe I'm old fashioned  but I don't think it's near as effective as in person hands on .

[Pulleye16]

I'm also too old for this to matter but here's my opinion since asked...

Stupid!

Tell me what the current problem is and show me how this money-making law is going to fix it. 

Did Snowmobile fatalities reduce when this law was applied?
Did ATV fatalities reduce when this law was applied?

If the answers to these questions are positive, then I'm all for it. But with very limited preliminary research, I saw that ATV fatalities HAS NOT been any better and I doubt snowmobile is any different.

IMO, anyone who does NOT have a driver license should be required to do this. Anyone WITH a driver's license should not. If I had a kid, I'd be a parent...and make sure they know what they are doing and to do it safe and right. I don't need the government to charge me $XXX to watch some stupid video online and then expect them to be proficient at boating. The governments method is probably actually worse...now you'll have all these people who "think" they know what they're doing cause they watch a video online.

 I had to do this for snowmobile cause I received a warning while out ice fishing (I don't really trail ride) as I just missed the cutoff by age....and I can tell you I learned nothing from it.  but here's my $$$ to make you happy. 

[LPS]

Back in about 2006 I bought a new Arctic Cat ATV.  They gave me a check for $100 after I attended a half day of training.  Part in classroom and part on an obstacle course.  Was fun and I got $100 after I completed it.

[Bobberineyes]

I get the 21, but I sure as heck don't get the 41????? They just pull this number otta a hat???

[glenn57]

I get the 21, but I sure as heck don't get the 41????? They just pull this number otta a hat???

yea that's pretty much a head scratcher for me too.

[Scenic]

No idea where they came up with that magic 41 number or why.  But, personally I dont think its a bad thing.  For those of us who have done this for years we might not learn a lot or anything at all.  Personally I feel this the states way of making sure everyone reads to book.

I took it a couple years ago because it is required in Canada and they will honor our cards.  I have been checked for it in Canada once and the other time I got checked by a warden up there they never even asked for it.   I figured the $30 fee is cheaper than the $250.00 fine.  I more than recovered my fee by the discount I get from the insurance for having it. 

As for youth I think everyone of them should take it just like snowmobile and ATV courses.  As an instructor of the firearms, snowmobile and ATV courses it is amazing how many kids come into those programs with "that's what my Dad taught me" training.  Some of that training is completely wrong.   

I have been trying to get our grandson to take the online course.  He is only 13

   

It is kind of easy to get them to do it.   Pull the keys and tell them when they get it done they can ride it.   Its a tough love motivator...

[DennyO]

I'm of the same belief, Jeff!
As a kid in either grade school or middle school, I took the USCG boating course. it was 5+/- evenings at the time as I remember. Much of that had stuck with me to this day.

[Leech~~]

Dad never snowmobile so I was self tough and now on about the 12th sled with never an accident. Of course I never rode like Larry the Enticer and jumped stuff either.   
I still have no problem with teens taking a safey classes, especially for Gun training which I did take at 12.