Always check the weather before you go out boating and always use a marine weather forecast. Land and general forecasts do not take in to account wind speed over water, which is double that over the land, or the waves and swell.
About half of fatal boating accidents occur in bad weather. If in doubt, don’t go out!
If you are planning ahead or intend to be away for a day or two, obtain a long-range weather forecast.
Remember that the weather can change suddenly and without warning. At the first sight of worsening weather head for shelter. Use the 5-day outlook to plan ahead.
While marine forecasts are almost always accurate when predicting major weather events, such as gales, they can be less accurate when predicting local changes of conditions, so you should always be prepared for the unexpected.
The two most convenient sources of marine forecasts, including the 5-day outlook are:
Other sources of marine forecasts include:
To request your free copies of the safe boating booklet and/or DVD you can:
