Florida Boating Safety Educational Requirements require boat operators who were born on or after January 1, 1988, to obtain a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card to operate a motorboat with ten horsepower or more. The requirements to take an approved boating safety course and to obtain a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued identification card are the same, but the age threshold for the educational requirements is now based on whether you were born on or after January 1, 1988. For more information, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The greatest boating safety tip for any Jupiter boater is to always wear a lifejacket! Most people who drown in boating accidents know how to swim. Please do not rely on your ability to swim to keep you safe in a boating-related emergency. Calm minds do not prevail in an emergency. It is advised that you wear a United States Coast Guard-approved flotation device when on a vessel. In an emergency such as rough water, the onset of severe weather, or boating trouble like taking on water can occur and leave little time to put on life jackets. Life jackets are difficult to put on once you are in the water!

Keys to safe boating according to the National Safe Boating Council are:

- Knowledge

- Wisdom

- Preparedness

- Experience

- Discretion 

Regulations state all vessels must be equipped with U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets called Personal Flotation Devices. The quantity and type depend on the length of the vessel and the number of people on board and/or being towed. Each life vest must be in good condition, be the proper size for the intended wearer and be readily accessible.

For more information on Boating Safety Courses, please visit http://www.myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/courses.