With Mother's Day just around the corner, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary would like to offer some special Mother's Day gift ideas that say "I love you", and will help keep boat-loving Moms stay safe all year long, and will surely last longer than roses or a card.
With warm weather approaching, one of the best gift ideas is to give Mom a sleek, light-weight, and comfortable inflatable life jacket (also known as a personal flotation device - or PFD). Today's life jackets come in a variety of styles and colors, are light weight, yet they provide even greater buoyancy than many older (less comfortable) style. More importantly, since these life jackets are less cumbersome, Mom is more likely to wear it. A sad reality is that over 80 percent of those involved in boating fatalities drowned, many because they were not wearing a life jacket.
One other great gift idea for a boater is to enhance their skills, and sign them up for a boating safety course. Knowledge is power, and it has been statistically shown that boaters who have taken a safety class are far less likely to be involved in a boating mishap or fatality. Course topics include basic boat handling, required and recommended safety equipment, navigational rules and dealing with boating emergencies. Specialty classes, such as advanced navigation, how to read a nautical chart, and how to use GPS and radar are also available.
To learn more, call 1-877-875-6296, or visit the USCGAUX Boating Safety Class page at : http://nws.cgaux.org/visitors/pe_visitor/class_finder/index.html
Another one of the most valuable gifts for boaters doesn't cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check(VSC) with the local Coast Guard Auxiliary. An Auxiliarist will examine your vessel to ensure compliance with federal, state and local safety requirements before getting underway. For more information or to schedule a VSC, visit: http://safetyseal.net/ and click on "I WANT A VSC."
Several other great gift ideas to help keep Mom safe include: