Tips for Boating With Children

If you want to make some lasting memories with your kids, take them boating! Going out on the lake or even the open ocean is a great way to enjoy time with your children while also teaching them about the world around them and expanding their horizons.

As much fun as family boating can be, it also comes with some challenges. Kids can be unpredictable and can easily become upset if their needs are not addressed. It’s best to do what you can ahead of time to prepare your kids for marine life.

Chatlee Boat & Marine, located in Sanford, NC, is your local boat dealer. We want you to have the best time possible on the water with your family, so here are our best tips for navigating the waters with your youngest mariners on board.

Teach Your Kids to Swim

Your children need to know how to swim before they go out on the water with you. You can enroll them in classes with introductory courses that have the parent and child interact together in the pool to make it feel like a safe place. Formal lessons can be undertaken around preschool age. Kids need to know how to float, tread water, hold their breath, and use basic swimming strokes to get around in case they fall into the water.

Introduce Them to Life Jackets

No kid will really want to wear a life jacket, but it’s essential that they do so. Life jackets need to be worn by children from dock to dock, just in case they fall into the water while boarding the boat. Shop for life jackets that are fitted and comfortable with flotation headrests and crotch straps to keep them on snugly. Have kids test their life jackets in the shallow end of the local pool so you can make sure they stay on correctly and do their job.

Pack Supplies

Your children are likely to become hungry, thirsty, and tired much sooner than you will, and they’re going to sink into a bad mood if their needs are not addressed. Pack a cooler with snacks and drinks, like sandwiches, fresh fruit, and juice boxes. Add some crackers or granola bars, too, and have some ginger candy on hand in case they feel nauseated. Bring bug repellent, sunscreen, and a well-stocked first-aid kit with tweezers, bandages, painkillers, and their usual medications.

Keep Them Warm

Children are much more vulnerable to the cold than adults are, and even on the hottest summer day, water temperatures will be several degrees cooler than on land. Plan ahead and have plenty of extra clothes and blankets on your boat for your kids. When they come back from swimming, get them out of wet suits and into dry clothes and toweled off as quickly as possible.

Following these tips should help you and your family to have many successful marine adventures this season! If you’re still looking for a family-friendly boat, visit our dealership in Sanford, NC, to check out our stock of new and used boats for sale. Chatlee Boat & Marine proudly serves the Raleigh area as well as our friends in Greensboro.