Study your owner’s manual to learn all you can about your pontoon boat rental. Check that all safety equipment is aboard and in proper working order. File a float plan with a close neighbor or friend. Instruct them to alert local Search and Rescue agency if you do not arrive home when expected.

You are required to know and obey the boating Rules of the Water (also known as Navigation Rules). The rules can be quite complex, and a boating safety course is highly recommended (if not required). The following are a few simple guidelines for common encounters with other craft: Non-powered craft (including sailboats under sail), commercial and fishing vessels have the right of way. When crossing paths with another craft (with the exception of those mentioned above), the boat on the right has the right of way. If necessary, slow down to let the boat on your right continue its course, then pass behind it. When meeting another craft head on, stay to the right so that the other boat passes to your left. When passing another craft, the boat being overtaken has the right of way. You may pass on either side, but stay well clear of the other boat.

Know the load limits. Never carry more weight or riders than specified in your manual. (A skier counts as a rider.) Never allow a person who does not meet licensing requirements to operate the pontoon boat. Study the local navigation chart beforehand. Know the location of hazards such as rocks, buoys, sandbars and submerged objects, such as pilings. If possible, stay within sight of the shore. Obey local regulations. Stay clear of areas designated “off-limits” to boaters. Obey posted speed limits. When traveling, follow the markers. Red and green buoys or daymarks are used to mark navigable channels. If you are returning from the ocean to a port, red markers with even numbers should be on your right; green markers with odd numbers should be on your left. Remember the slogan “Red – Right – Returning.” Approach objects, such as a dock or a boat, at an angle, not head on. The momentum of a boat continues even after the engine is turned off. An angle approach can help prevent a collision if the craft does not come to a complete stop in time. To avoid obstacles, keep your power on and turn. . Never follow directly behind another boat. Avoid sudden turns that may cross the direction of travel of those following you. Don’t jump the wake of a passing boat. You could misjudge its speed and hit it. In addition, you might not see traffic on the other side of the boat. Never operate at night and if you do please use your running lights. A three-member team is required when pulling a water skier—the driver, observer and skier. Learn the communication signals between skier and craft (below). Turn off the power when assisting a skier back on to the vessel.

Stay constantly alert for other craft, swimmers, divers, water skiers and people fishing. Keep clear. Be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions—darkening skies, rain, fog, increasing winds. Reduce speed and head toward shore at the first sign of change. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge. Leave enough fuel to return home. Be aware of the time. Leave enough time to return home before dark. A day on the water can take a toll on the body. Know the symptoms of boater’s fatigue and hypothermia. Head to shore at the first sign of physical impairment. Boater’s fatigue: Staring straight ahead, loss of awareness, slowed reaction time. Hypothermia: Shivering, bluish lips or fingernails, confusion or dizziness, poor coordination, impaired vision, weak pulse.

Stay clear of marinas or port entrances, anchorages or areas of heavy boat traffic. Don’t stay in one location for long periods of time. Don’t operate early in the morning or late in the evening. Don’t operate in swimming or fishing areas. Don’t create wakes near other individuals or boats, or near the shore where they can cause damage to beaches and property. You are responsible for any damage caused by your wake. Don’t spray people on the shore. Respect the environment. Don’t spill fuel or oil. Don’t litter. Respect the wildlife. Stay clear of marine animals and conservation areas.

Oftentimes boating-related deaths involve the use of alcohol or drugs. Normal behavior can be affected by exposure to fresh air, ultraviolet light, glare, motion and noise: adding alcohol or drugs can result in an extremely explosive situation.Alcohol and drugs affect the body in areas that are critical to the safe operation of a watercraft. Effects include: Decreased balance Decreased coordination Decreased reaction time Decreased judgment; loss of inhibitions Decreased vision; fuzzy or double vision; reduced peripheral vision A BUI (boating under the influence) conviction can result in a fine, imprisonment or both. In addition, some states will revoke your driver’s license if you are apprehended for boating while intoxicated. Play it safe. Never operate or ride on a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.