Good marine businesses are built on…what? Quality of service, convenience, community. All of these services are predicated on the idea that somebody wants to spend their hard-earned weekend on the water, and they’ve chosen one specific marina to foster that sense of comfort, relaxation, and memory.
Comfort, relaxation, and memory never start from a place of anxiety. A marina manager’s responsibility to provide a secure covered wet slip is equal to their responsibility to ensure that the customer on their docks experiences a lifetime of recreational peace.
Each year, the U.S. Coast Guard documents roughly 4,000 boating accidents. An assertive marina manager has the power to help prevent most of them. Boater safety is integral to a healthy hobby. It’s imperative for a sound marina community.
The tips and resources on this page are pieces of Hammer and Nail Marketing’s ongoing campaign to support a healthy and safe marine industry. These are practical, affordable steps that any marina staff can implement.
Because boater safety is good business.
Host a spring CPR class
The U.S. Coast Guard’s 2023 Recreational Boater Statistics detailed that about three percent of all deaths were from a “sudden medical condition,” and where the cause of death was known, 75 percent of all boater fatalities drowned.
Staff CPR certification and preparation can save lives on shorelines. Marinas can implement the following practical steps:
- Keep a defibrillator device and a quick-response first aid kit at your marina in a visible, easily accessible location.
- Create an emergency response plan for your staff to learn that details what to do in a sudden medical emergency.
- Schedule a staff day training with your local American Red Cross. They will send an instructor with all necessary equipment for a group of eight or more.
Deep read: Boater Safety Is Good Business Part I: Host a spring CPR class
Photo credit: The Water Sports Foundation
Empower sober boating
Boaters enjoy wakeboarding, an activity best performed sober.
Photo: The Water Sports Foundation
“Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.”
That’s a direct quote from the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2023 Recreational Boater Statistics. Every year marinas foster an environment where boaters can get on the water on holiday and summer weekends and have a great time. Every year boaters die because they approach this environment irresponsibly.
Marina managers can empower sober boating through awareness and protocol:
- Write “Who is your designated sober boater?” into your float plan templates, and offer the float plans at the marina office and/or ship store.
- Utilize sober boating literature, like the Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper Campaign.
- Make good choices about selling beer or renting boats. If a customer is visibly drunk or does not appear to have a designated sober boater, nobody is forcing the manager to make the sale.
Managers can create a culture of accountability, and it starts with setting a tone that alcohol responsibility is a key component of guest behavior.
Deep read: Boater Safety Is Good Business Part II: Enable Sober Boating
Enable life jacket compliance
Of all the boater fatalities who drown, close to 90 percent of them were not wearing a life jacket. That’s a mind-boggling number. Wear a life jacket, save a life – is the practical takeaway.
Marina managers can keep their boaters safe by prioritizing a full inventory of life jackets and life jacket awareness. They can:
- Sell life jackets and flotation devices in the ship store on a prominently visible endcap. They can also provide a “life jacket station” with free life jackets to be returned at the end of the day.
- Utilize communications channels like newsletters and social media to imprint the importance of life jacket safety.
- Post their state and federal life jacket requirements at a prominent dockside or marina store or lounge location. Many boaters have their life jackets on board but never wear them. The goal is to make them feel like they need to.
Boaters practice sound boater safety on a lake day with a full complement of life jackets.
Photo credit: National Safe Boating Council
Encourage boater education
Awareness of regional geography is a foundational piece of sound boater education.
Photo: The Water Sports Foundation
Not every state requires a boater education certificate, but most do. Almost every trackable reason for boater accidents stems from lack of education: Operation inexperience, operation inattention, or freak accidents like running aground because the boater didn’t know the waters.
Here’s how marina managers can support boaters:
- Stock the ship store with emergency preparedness items like fire extinguishers, flares, sound devices, and first aid kits. Make it easy for customers to arrive and get on the water without lacking any safety buffers.
- Address boat safety concerns during service center tune-ups. If one of a marina’s service technicians spots a worn or degraded boat component, informing the boater and helping them make necessary updates is good boater education.
Interact with tenants regularly to help them know their waters. A manager can inform tenants vocally, via text, or via social media and newsletter channels about buoys, sandbars, incoming weather, and marina renovations work. Help tenants to know about available navigational resources like Savvy Navvy, Wavve Boating, or the ActiveCaptain map community.
Boater Safety Resources for Marina Managers
Contact us to see how Hammer & Nail Marketing can help you weave safety messaging into every touchpoint and elevate your marina’s reputation.
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