Columnist Paula Del Guidice: Safe boating starts with sobriety on the water

PAULA DEL GUIDICEhas been an outdoors freelance writer, author and photographer for 13 years. Her column appears Wednesdays.

MEMORIAL DAY weekend was a relatively safe one out on Lake Mead. Unfortunately, there are some who still don't get the connection between safe boating and sobriety.

Remember that the same laws that apply to drinking and driving apply to operating a boat. The results from combining alcohol and boating can be just as dangerous.

The boating season now is in full swing. More and more families will be heading to lakes Mead and Mohave for fishing, skiing, boating and water fun.

In order to reward children and parents who follow the laws regarding personal flotation devices, the Nevada Division of Wildlife will give any boater under the age of 12 who is "caught" wearing their life jacket a "I Got Caught Wearing My Life Jacket at Lake Mead" t-shirt.

Nevada law does not require boaters to wear life jackets while on board a vessel. The one exception is the statute requiring personal watercraft (Jet Ski, SeaDoo, etc.) operators and their passengers to wear life jackets. Arizona, on the other hand, does require boaters 12-younger to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket, whenever the craft is under way.

In Nevada, boaters must have a life jacket for each person on board. For boats longer than 16 feet, a throwable device such as a seat cushion must be carried.

NDOW has some tips for using life jackets and how to fit them to children:

* When should they be worn?

Children between birth and five years: on beaches. docks and in boats. Children between the ages of 6-11: on docks, boats, inner tubes and river banks. Teens and adults: on boats or inner tubes.

* When buying a child's life vest, what should I look for?

A label identifying the life jacet as being Coast Guard approved and a snug fit.

Try the vest on your child. Pick the child up by the shoulders of the vest. The child's chin and ears shouldn't slip through a properly fitted vest.

For younger children, head support also is essential. A well-designed vest will support the child's head in the water.

A strap between the legs is also crucial for younger children. This feature prevents the vest from slipping off in the water.

Comfort and appearance are important to teens, who are less likely to wear a PFD.

* How do you use a life vest?

Every spring, check for proper fit and wear and tear. The vest should be discarded if you find air leakage, mildew, rot or rust.

If a child panics in the water and thrashes about, he may turn onto his face, although a PFD with a collar is designed to keep him face up when in the water. To help prevent panic, parents should have their child practice wearing the vest in the water.

Never alter a PFD. It may lose its effectiveness.

Parents should wear a life jacket to set an example for their children. By so doing, the parents also will be ready to help in an emergency. Never use toys like plastic rings or water wings in place of a PFD.

Fly fishing

The Nevada Division of Wildlife will hold a free fly fishing clinic from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at Floyd Lamb State Park.

Beginning fly fishers will learn basic casting techniques. Rods and reels will be available for anglers who do not have their own. To enroll, call NDOW at 486-5127.

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