In Canada, you have to be 16 to legally operate a personal watercraft (PWC). But kids of any age can drive a motorized boat of some kind, even unsupervised.
That doesn’t mean your five-year-old can take you waterskiing at sunset. In most of the country, unsupervised kids younger than 12 can only operate a boat engine under 10 hp (7.5 kW). Kids 12–15 can move up to a 40 hp (30 kW) engine.
But let’s take a step back. Here are a few things your burgeoning boaters need before they go out on their own:
1) A Pleasure Craft Operator Card
Anyone operating a motorized boat must carry this card, a.k.a. a boating licence. There’s no exception for tiny humans, tiny boats, or tiny motors (even silent electric trolling motors). Passing the written test is no easy feat—the GB Squad kids agree that everyone fails at least once. “I got mine when I was nine,’ says Izzy, bragging a little. “I flexed that at school.” The National Marine Manufacturers Association advises parents to start teaching boat safety rules early. Young children enjoy learning what channel markers, signs, and boat lights mean.
2) Lessons
Beyond a written test, the Canadian Safe Boating Council recommends new boaters also take an on-the-water course. Tricky docking manoeuvers, navigating busy channels, and shallow-water boating are all better learned in practice. Of course, you can teach your kids driving skills yourself too.
3) Sobriety
Whether or not your tweens and teens have experimented with alcohol or cannabis yet, it’s essential that they understand the gravity of impaired driving. Have a serious conversation, and be sure to always model the behaviour you want to see; research shows parents are actually the most important influence on whether teens drink, says parenting expert Alyson Schafer.
4) PFDs
According to the Canadian Red Cross, nearly 90 per cent of boaters who drowned were not wearing (or not properly wearing) a lifejacket. Kids need a PFD that fits well and is comfortable enough to wear all the time. The GB Squad kids always wear their PFDs in the boat—it’s a non-negotiable. Like any rule, this one has more sticking power because their parents always wear PFDs too, with zero exceptions.
5) Preparation
Make sure that the boat has safety equipment, enough fuel, and there’s a charged cell phone in someone’s pocket. Check the weather forecast, and let someone on shore know where you’re headed and when you’ll return.
This article was originally published in the August 2023 issue of Cottage Life.
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