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Boating in Florida is very popular, whether it’s for fishing, water skiing, or for the enjoyment of Florida’s beautiful environment. Before going out in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean, boat captains, owners, or people who will be operating a boat should be properly trained and know the laws affecting their boat’s operation in our state.

The Fort Myers Power Squadron offers an approved safe boating class in August. Registration and an introduction to the course starts on Sunday, August 13 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. The two-session class begins on Sunday, August 20 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and ends on Sunday, August 27 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. A short test is included, which is a requirement for obtaining a Florida Boater ID card.

Why is a Florida Boater ID Card Required?

A Florida Boater ID Card is not a license. It is a certification that the person whose name is on the card has completed an approved boating safety course. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, who will be operating a boat in Florida with an engine of 10 horsepower or more, must have a Florida Boater ID Card. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a division of law enforcement, boating safety unit, oversees this program.

Bob Moro, Administrative Officer for the Fort Myers Power Squadron said, “You don’t learn how to be safe on the water by going for a boat ride. You learn that in a classroom.”

75 percent of boat operators who crashed in 2022 in the U.S. had never taken a boating safety course. This equates to three out of four deaths in 2022, according to Scott Szezepahlac, Recreational Boating Safety Specialist for the Coast Guard’s 7^th District, which includes Florida.

Primary Causes of Florida Boating Accidents

On July 7, 2023, News-Press.com reported that most boating accidents and fatalities occur when the waters are calm; there are light winds and good visibility. However, the operator failed to maintain a proper lookout, was not experienced, or was not paying attention. Speeding, alcohol and/or drug use, and reckless boating are also significant causes of boating accidents.

• Proper Lookout – A proper lookout means someone is looking in the direction the vessel is traveling at all times, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

• Distracted Boating – The FWC reports that of all the boat collisions in 2020, 44 percent were connected to operator distraction by electronic devices or passengers. 

• Speeding – Boat Ed reports that there are signs restricting boat speed on Florida’s waterways. Boat speeds are regulated in certain areas either for the protection of manatees or for general boating safety. Boat operators are required to look for signs, understand what they mean, and abide by the speed limit regulations. 

• Alcohol/Drug Use – Florida Statute 327.25 says that any person who operates a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is guilty of boating under the influence (BUI). The blood alcohol limit for a boater over the age of 21 is 0.08 percent, the same as for a person driving a vehicle on Florida’s roadways. 

• Reckless Boating – According to Florida Statute 327.33, a person who operates any vessel, or manipulates any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device, in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property at a speed or in a manner as to endanger, or likely to endanger, life or limb, or damage the property of, or injure a person is guilty of reckless operation.

Fort Myers Boating Accident Attorney Assists Victims of Boating Accidents

If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident because of the negligence of another, please contact Fort Myers Boating Accident Attorney Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. We are available 24/7 at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or online at SpiveyLaw.com. There are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you.