Tips for Safe Boating Week 2025

Thursday 2 October 2025

It is Safe Boating Week – are you prepared for the boating season yet?

We will be sharing daily tips over the next week on our Marine Safety SA Facebook page.

But as this weekend marks the start of the boating season, take a sneak peek of our top tips below!

• Check if you are ship-shape for boating
• Check your vessel is seaworthy
• Check if your lifejacket is ship-shape
• Make sure your speed is ship-shape near others
• Inflatable lifejackets only work when they work
• What seatbelts and lifejackets have in common
• Emergencies can be unpredictable, the need for safety gear is not
• Wear Your Lifejacket to Work Day

Get ship-shape and we will see you on the water!

Check if you are ship-shape for boating

Before heading out, ask yourself:

• Is your vessel in good condition?
• Do you have the right lifejacket?
• If you are riding a jet ski, do you know the rules?
• Do you know how to maintain your lifejacket?
• Do you know the different lifejacket rules for kids?
• Is your safety gear in date and easily accessible?

Check your vessel is seaworthy

Do you know how to check if your vessel is in good condition and how to keep it that way?

Proper storage and maintenance are crucial. There are things you should be doing pre-season, mid-season and post-season.

We are always happy to give advice at the boat ramp, but let’s get you set up before you risk heading out in a boat that isn’t safe.

Check out our tips and recommended schedule for maintaining your vessel. The Australia and New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG) also has great advice about responsible boat ownership.

Give your vessel a thorough check and we will see you on the water!

Check if your lifejacket is ship-shape

Your lifejacket is one of your most important pieces of safety gear.

The level of lifejacket you need, and when you must wear it, depends on:

• your vessel (type and length)
• your age
• where you are operating
• the conditions.

Let’s keep it simple, though. Use our online tool to check which lifejacket you need.

Your lifejacket must meet Australian Standard (AS) 4758 or another acceptable international standard.

Make sure your speed is ship-shape near others

We want you to have fun, so cool your jets, ride safe and observe speed limits.

Before you jump on your personal watercraft (such as your jet ski), make sure you know these rules:

• You must always travel at a safe speed. This means you can stop your jet ski quickly to avoid danger.
• Slow to 4 knots within 50 metres of:
  • other people in the water
  • small unpowered craft
  • flags marking a diver below.
• Keep to 4 knots or less within 200 metres of the metropolitan shoreline.
• Similar restrictions apply:
  • in many popular swimming, recreational and tourist areas
  • near other vessels and infrastructure.

And don’t forget your lifejacket – you must always wear a lifejacket level 50 or 50S.

Find everything you need to operate your personal watercraft and stay safe on the water.

Inflatable lifejackets only work when they work

Inflatable lifejackets are a great option on the water, but they do need a little extra care. They also must be serviced annually or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Find more info about maintaining your inflatable lifejacket, or visit a Stay Afloat lifejacket clinic.

Our free, no-booking-needed, Stay Afloat clinics have launched again!

Visit us to:

• learn how to wear and maintain your lifejacket
• know what safety gear you need
• understand emergency communications
• ask any other boating safety questions.

We can also help you understand:

• the different types of lifejackets
• how to clean, size and fit a lifejacket.

Find out when our next Stay Afloat clinic is near you.

What seatbelts and lifejackets have in common

It doesn’t fly to not buckle up in the car, so it doesn’t float to not buckle up on the water.

Drowning deaths affect all age groups. As the skipper, it is your responsibility to keep everyone safe on your boat.

Lifejacket requirements for children are different. And in an emergency, you may not have time to help the kids.

That’s why all children aged 12 years or under must wear a lifejacket when they are in any open area of a vessel up to 12 metres in length.

Use our online tool to check which lifejacket you need.

Emergencies can be unpredictable, the need for safety gear is not

Other than your lifejacket, your emergency gear holds some of the most important items on your vessel. Think flares, emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB), personal locator beacons (PLB) and marine radio.

The safety gear you need depends on your vessel and where you will be. Use our online tool to check what safety gear you must have.

Remember – it is only helpful if it is accessible in an emergency. Make sure everything is packed and easy to get to – and check that it is still in date.

Looking for a challenge? Can you find your boating safety gear in 30 seconds? Grab your flares, make a radio call and put on a lifejacket – the clock is ticking…

Wear Your Lifejacket to Work Day

Friday, 10 October is Wear Your Lifejacket to Work Day.

Get your colleagues in the boating safety spirit by buckling up before you float in for the day.

This simple and fun act could get someone else thinking about how they can stay safe on the water. You could save a life.