USCG

Wake surfer surfing in level 50 life jacket

Level 50 Buoyancy Aid Educational Materials

Campaign Resources Level 50 Flyer Educational flyer in PDF format describing the proper uses of the Level 50 buoyancy aid as outlined by the U.S.C.G. Flyer created by the National Safe Boating Council. FINAL-Level 50 FlyerDownload Level 50 Logo Level 50 logo provided by the National Safe Boating Council.

An adult in a red jacket, both wearing level 50 life jackets for kayaking, stands on a paddleboard with a child sitting in front on a calm lake, surrounded by dense green pine trees reflecting on the water.

Level 50 Life Jackets For Standup Paddleboarding

New PFDs Built for Balance and Mobility Standup paddleboarding demands balance, agility and freedom of movement. Whether paddlers are cruising a quiet harbor, exploring a mangrove shoreline or practicing fitness paddling on a lake, SUP riders constantly shift their stance and use their torsos for strong paddle strokes. Traditional life jackets can inhibit the freedom […]

A person paddles a yellow kayak through a narrow, rocky coastal inlet surrounded by tall cliffs, with the open sea visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Level 50 Life Jackets For Kayaking

New PFD Standard Delivers Comfort for Everyday Paddlers Recreational kayaking is one of the most popular ways to explore calm lakes, quiet rivers and protected coastal waters. Paddlers often spend hours on the water, making comfort a key factor in whether they keep their flotation on throughout the trip. The new Level 50 PFD standard […]

A person wearing a hat and life jacket kayaks on calm water at sunset, accompanied by a black dog. The kayak is blue, and the sky is pink and orange, reflecting on the water’s surface.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Kayak Fishing

New Standard Combines Comfort, Mobility and Legal Compliance Kayak fishing requires paddling (or pedaling), close-quarters boat control and casting, all before your first strike. Anglers reach for rods, twist to fight fish and constantly adjust their position while managing gear and tackle. And if it’s not hot as blazes, you probably have extra layers under […]

A person wearing a life jacket sails a small white boat on choppy blue water, leaning out to balance as waves splash. The sky is blue with scattered clouds and distant shoreline in the background.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Dinghy Racing

A New Standard Built for Mobility Competitive dinghy sailing demands agility. Racers hike hard on the rail, scramble across cockpits during tacks and jibes, and constantly adjust their body position to keep lightweight boats balanced and moving fast. Traditional foam life jackets can sometimes restrict these movements forcing sailors to choose between comfort and safety. […]

A smiling woman in a blue life jacket stands on a boat, holding a red-and-white wakeboard, with calm water and green trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Level 50 Life Jackets and Wake Sports

A New Class of Buoyancy Aids for Active Watersports Wakeboarding, waterskiing and other towed watersports demand athletic movement. Riders jump wakes, carve across the water and adjust their stance constantly. Because these sports require flexibility and balance, bulky flotation can sometimes interfere with performance. The new Level 50 standard for personal flotation devices aims to […]

Royalty-free image - A smiling young child wearing an orange life jacket is outdoors near water. Text on the image reads “2024 Recreational Boating Statistics,” published by the U.S. Coast Guard in July 2025.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2024

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2023

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2022

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2021

An annual compilation of recreational boating statistics in the United States, compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard using data supplied by the U.S. states and territories. Recreational Boating Statistics 2020 was released on June 30, 2021. New reports are published in early summer using certified data from the previous year.

Engine Cutoff Switch Law

Video courtesy of the United States Coast Guard

How to Rescue an Overboard Boater

What you should do when a crewmember falls overboard. By Boating Magazine My sister brought her boyfriend, my future brother-in-law it turned out, with her on my boat for a day of tubing and adventure. Though I had the best of intentions, when it was his turn on the tube, I might have spun the wheel […]

Coast Guard Announces Appointments to National Boating Safety Advisory Committee

The U.S. Coast Guard today announced the appointment of twenty individuals to serve as members of the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC).

WSF Executive Director Jim Emmons Statement Regarding New 2020 USCG Statistics Report

WSF Executive Director Jim Emmons believes that the new 2020 report and statistics are sobering and uphold the long-standing message that the Water Sports Foundation has proffered for years: “Get skills training before you take a boat or paddle craft out on the water.”

2020 Recreational Boating Statistics - Published June 2021

Recreational Boating Statistics 2020

U.S. Coast Guard Releases 2020 Boating Safety Statistics Report

The U.S. Coast Guard released its 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics Report Wednesday, revealing that there were 767 boating fatalities nationwide in 2020, a 25.1 percent increase from 2019.

Water Sports Foundation Launches New “National Boating Safety Media Center” as Part of Media Outreach Campaign

As part of a U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Outreach Grant, the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) has just completed the first phase and launch of its new “National Boating Safety Media Center” which is designed to facilitate and support the work of journalists assigned to cover boating safety topics.

Three young people in life jackets jump off a boat into a lake, smiling and holding hands. Text reads, “U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics, 2019 Data, Published June 2020.” Trees and blue sky are in the background.

Recreational Boating Statistics 2019

Boating Statistics 2019, the 61st annual report, contains statistics on recreational boating accidents and state vessel registration. This publication is a result of the coordinated effort of the Coast Guard and those states and territories that have Federally-approved boat numbering and casualty reporting systems.