Around 300,000 people hold a Recreational Skipper’s Ticket and there are in excess of 103,000 registered recreational vessels in WA.
Boating is a favourite past time for many and as the number or people enjoying our State’s vast coastline and inland waterways increases, there is a renewed focus on safety and equipment.
The recent staged implementation of new laws setting out what safety equipment should be on board a recreational vessel included always having a lifejacket for everyone and wearing it when required.
There were also new equipment laws for sail and kite boarders, windsurfers and paddle craft that harnessed advances in technology by requiring carriage of a GPS enabled emergency position indicating radio beacon or EPIRB or a GPS enabled personal locator beacon.
Further reforms have seen the introduction of drug and alcohol limits for skippers that mirror those in place on our roads.
