New videos to help boater safety

Did you know 1 in 3 fatal boating incidents involve poor weather conditions? But how do boaters know when it’s safe to go out on the water?

Three new videos recently released by Transport for NSW aim to give boaters the tools to interpret weather forecasts and conditions so they can decide when and where it is safe to go out.

The videos, developed in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology, provide boaters practical ways to access and interpret weather information so they can make safer decisions when boating.

On the water weather conditions can change very quickly, so it is important boaters are prepared and keep a close eye on the forecast before and during their trips.

Boating in dangerous weather conditions can result in safety incidents such as capsizes, swamping and people falling overboard.

While most boaters do check the weather before heading out, knowing what elements to check, and interpreting the weather information and warnings correctly, is key for boating safety.

Research shows that boaters do ‘push their luck’ with the weather, particularly if they have travelled some distance to a chosen waterway.

Unless the conditions are explicitly labelled as ‘severe weather warnings’, boaters tend to still head out even though they may not be comfortable.

This ‘grey zone’ of boating safety is where boaters can get into trouble.

In the 10-year period to 30 June 2022, weather conditions were a factor in over 25 per cent of fatal boating incidents. This increased to over 37 per cent when the cause of ‘hazardous waters’ (commonly related to weather conditions), was added.

The new videos are:

• Check the Weather - Weather Warnings and Forecasts – provides an understanding of weather forecasts and how to set up alerts for weather warnings.
• Check the Weather - Wave Conditions – includes an explanation of significant wave height, tides and how wave conditions affect different boating locations
• Check the Weather - Wind Conditions – gives insights into wind conditions and forecasts including the importance of checking wind gusts and how these may affect your vessel.

The new set of videos are available at lifejacketwearit.com.au and on the Transport for NSW YouTube channel.

The Recreational Boater Education project supports the delivery of the Marine Estate Management Strategy Initiative 7 ‘Enabling Safe and Sustainable Boating’.