With more than 600,000 acres of lakes and more than 90,000 miles of rivers, streams and creeks, it’s no surprise that Arkansas is a great place for families to vacation on the water. Boating is big fun, but it’s also extremely important to be safe.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission works diligently every year to minimize accidents on the water through education and enforcement of boating regulations. Here are several tips they suggest to keep your family safe on Arkansas waterways this summer.

Wear Your Life Jacket

Persons under the age of 13 must wear life jackets while boating and everyone must wear a life jacket while on a personal watercraft. In accordance with state law, a lifejacket must be carried for each person on board all vessels. It must be the correct size for the wearer and in good working condition. But it can’t save your life unless you’re wearing it. Penalties apply to the owners of vessels found not carrying lifejackets or if there are not enough lifejackets for everyone on board.

Lifejackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on any recreational vessel. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the most common reason people don’t wear their life jacket is because of the way it makes them look or feel. However, 70 percent of all boating fatality accidents result from drowning. Almost 85 percent of those who drown are not wearing a life jacket.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, only six percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received boating safety instruction from a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators-approved course provider. Nine out of 10 people who drowned when boating were not wearing a life jacket.

Life jacket technology has come a long way from the bulky, ugly, old orange life jacket is thing of the past. Manufacturers are listening to consumers, refining fit and size options. Radical changes in life jacket design such as extra-large armholes, shaped fit, flexible panels, pockets, inflatables and more comfortable materials are making today’s life jackets easy to wear.

Learn to Swim

If you’re going to be in and around the water, proper boating safety includes knowing how to swim. Local organizations, such as the American Red Cross and others, offer training for all ages and abilities.

Be Weather-Wise

Always check local weather conditions before departure. Local TV and radio forecasts are a good source of information, and apps for smartphones can notify you if any serious weather is approaching. If you notice darkening clouds, volatile and rough changing winds or sudden drops in temperature, play it safe by getting off the water.

Follow a Pre-Departure Checklist

Proper boating safety includes being prepared for any possibility on the water. Following a pre-departure checklist is the best way to make sure no boating safety rules or precautions have been overlooked or forgotten.

Use Common Sense

One of the most important parts of boating safety is to use your common sense. This means operating at a safe speed at all times, especially in crowded areas, staying alert at all times and steering clear of large vessels and watercraft that can be restricted in their ability to stop or turn. Also, be respectful of buoys and other navigational aids, all of which have been placed there to ensure your safety.

Designate an Assistant Skipper

Make sure more than one person on board is familiar with all aspects of your boat’s handling, operations and general boating safety. If the primary navigator is injured or incapacitated in any way, it’s important to make sure someone else can follow the proper boating safety rules to get everyone else back to shore.

Take a Boating Education Course and Know the Laws

Arkansas joins more than 40 states with educational requirements for operating a boat or personal watercraft on state waters. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1986, must take an approved Arkansas Game and Fish Boating Education Course, which includes either an online course or an instructor led course, before operating any motorboat which includes personal watercraft and sailboats. By completing and passing an Arkansas-approved online boating license course, you will have satisfied the educational requirement for Arkansas.

Post contributed by guest blogger Stephanie Weatherington, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission boating law administrator. For more on how to keep your family safe on Arkansas waterways or learn more about boating education courses, click here.