Author: WaterSportsFoundation

Heroes Rescue Kids From Epic Boating Smackdown

By Jeff Moag Shane McDonald couldn’t look away. He and his son Jake were on stand-up jet skis, following a 30-foot center console out of Boynton Beach Inlet. Under certain conditions, the south Florida pass opens into a line of breaking surf, and on that particular day the waves just beyond the breakwater looked like […]

Incredible Boating Rescue Caught On Camera

‘This Could Have Killed Him!’ fishing guide says, and that’s no hype You never know when a slow day fishing will turn into a story you’ll be telling for years. Take Ty Southerland and his new neighbor Chris Pace. Ty is a well-known fishing guide out of Rockport Texas, and host of the “30 Miles […]

The USNWSAP Has Officially Launched

We are very excited to announce the launch of the inaugural U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan! The USNWSAP provides a national roadmap for collective action to reduce drowning in the United States and aims to unite the water safety community to help put an end to preventable drowning tragedies nationwide. The launch of the […]

American Whitewater Signage Toolbox

American Whitewater is proud to announce the release of our new turn-key toolbox for developing river signs! We’re all about open-source, river information sharing and this is the motivation and rationale behind our Open-source Signage Toolbox. The first of its kind in the river community, the Toolbox houses a database of templates for safety messaging […]

Bass Boat Hero Coralls Runaway Boat

Getting thrown from a bass boat at 60 mph is one way to learn about the importance of Engine Cutoff Switches.

Choosing Life Jackets for Kids

Five things to look for in life jackets for kids. By now, most boaters should be familiar with the statistics. Life jackets save lives, but only if you wear them. Fortunately, today’s offerings are more comfortable than ever. While most adults can easily find a life jacket that does the job, selecting a kid’s jacket […]

Rescue at Pictured Rocks: Reader’s Digest Version

It was meant to be another boys’ trip, the latest in a tradition that stretched back more than two decades. It soon became an epic fight for survival.

Kayakers Fight for Survival On Lake Superior

One by one, the three kayakers capsized in the cold, angry water. Then they became separated. It was meant to be another boys’ trip, the latest in a tradition that stretched back more than two decades. Every other year, the old friends—Jim Farrington, 49, an electrical lineman in Alden, Michigan; Sean Royston, 47, an electrical grid systems manager […]

Boating Safety Tips for Fall Boating

Annapolis, Md., Sept. 07, 2022 – Fall boating season has arrived, and with it come different types of risks that cold water and air temperatures bring. Here are three boating safety tips from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water just right for leaf peeping season. A float plan is needed: A float […]

Teen Boaters Rescue Five From Capsized Boat

The radio made all the difference, Evan Kamoen says. Evan, then 18, was heading to a favorite fishing spot on Long Island Sound with friends Ryan Kelly and Luke Voegeli last summer when they heard the call. “It was ‘Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Our boat is sinking!’” Evan recalls. Five men were aboard the stricken vessel, […]

Who Do You Call When Your Kayak Sinks?

Treading water three miles offshore is no place for a wrong number Christian Nelson didn’t know the trouble he was in. He was three miles out from Gulf Shores Alabama when the kayak he was trolling from developed a 9-inch crack between the scupper holes. He didn’t notice the damage until the kayak was full […]

Surfski Paddler Saves Kayaker From Freezing Lake

Five lessons from a dramatic close call caught on video Anyone who has helped a fellow paddler recover from a swim in deep water knows how difficult it can be, whether the craft you’re working from is a canoe, a sea kayak or whitewater boat. Now imagine handling such a rescue alone, with a victim […]

Lone kayaker saves two men from sinking motorboat

Unlikely hero credits kayak safety training for rescue of two non-swimmers from South Carolina Lake Allen Hutto was having one of those days. He’d loaded his sea kayak for an early morning paddle, but on the way to the lake his car picked up a nail. Repairing the flat took a couple of hours. The […]

New Boating Instruction Standards

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) in July published updated American National Standards for sailing, paddling and on-water instruction in human-propelled boating. The ABYC published an updated standard for on-water instruction in entry-level powerboat operation in December. The standards maintenance process takes place every five years to ensure standards remain current and relevant. Two […]

Boating Is Safer Than Ever, WSF Reports

U.S. Coast Guard reports boating safety figure improvements in 2021 despite historic growth in new boat ownership. WSF credits increased safety course enrollment. ORLANDO, Fla., August 16, 2022 – The U.S. Coast Guard’s latest 2021 Recreational Boating Statistics Report revealed boating safety improved with a 15.4% drop in the fatality rate per 100,000 registered […]

Hundreds of Thousands of New Boaters and Paddlers Expected Fourth of July Weekend

Millions of boaters are expected to head out on the water this Fourth of July weekend, including more than 830,000 first time boat buyers who purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in crowds coupled with the number of inexperienced new boaters has caught the attention of the Water Sports Foundation. “While we are […]

Men’s Journal Covers Paddling Safety

Video Interview: WSF Associate Wins Top National Award for Public Relations Outreach

The Water Sports Foundation launched the first-ever national public relations campaign for recreational boating safety in 2021. Supported by the U.S. Coast Guard and executed by Kenton Smith Marketing, in its inaugural year the program exceeded its outreach goal by nearly ten times. The Sea Tow Foundation honored the program with its National Boating Industry Safety Award […]