Soon, southwest Florida will be filled with our seasonal residents and guests. You could call Florida the boating capital of the world, with more than 900,000 vessels registered it's the highest in the nation.
Florida also has the dubious distinction for the highest number of accidents on the water.
I'm not a boater, but living in southwest Florida I see and read the local news daily including the continuous stream of reported boating incidents. Many years ago I did earn a private pilot license and I did so with a lot of education and training. With airplanes, this is required and not to mention sure death or disaster to most all who would attempt to fly a plane without any training.
Not so with boating. Pretty much anyone can rent or buy a boat and hit the open water. The statisitcs show that the more training and education the lower the accidents and serious injuries.
There are state run education courses. Those that participate accounted for only 9% of the serious injuries. The U.S. Power Squardron offers boating courses, too. Boaters trained by the U.S. Power Squadron accounted for less than 1% of the serious incidents.
So get some education, practice, become proficient and have fun this season!
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