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This year, the New Mexico State Parks Division has changed its boating rules to help make the state’s waters safer.
Source: New Mexico State Parks and NM Department of Game and Fish
May 18-24 is National Safe Boating Week, and with Memorial Day weekend coming up, making sure you’ve got all the proper safety measures in place can help guarantee a good time out on the water! This year, the New Mexico State Parks Division has changed its boating rules to help make the state’s waters safer.
Each boat must have one life jacket available per person, and anyone using a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, rubber raft or other human-powered watercraft must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times. State Parks has also shared some important boating safety tips on its Facebook page as well as its website for those looking forward to a fun time on the water:
- Always wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
- Designate a sober boat operator.
- Prepare, plan and gear up for inclement weather.
- Dress for the water temperature, not just the air.
- Wear layers and bring dry clothes.
- File a float plan and tell someone where you will be.
Complete a boating safety course as required if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1989. Children under 13 years of age must wear life jackets while on the deck of a moving vessel.
