Learning new skills in the offseason not only improves safety and your enjoyment of boating but also helps the dreaded non-boating time of year pass more quickly.
Take a Boating Safety Class
Learning more about boating safety is a great way to occupy the offseason that will pay future dividends. The best online resource for boater education programs is the BoatUS Foundation’s website. They offer a free online education program with a graded test that satisfies most states’ requirements. A suggested donation of $20 helps fund the program, but if you choose not to donate, you can remove it from your cart at checkout. To find your state’s rules, go to the US Coast Guard site. Even if it’s not a requirement where you live, taking a refresher course is always a good idea.
Take a Swimming Class
All family members who boat should know how to swim, and a good time to learn or hone these skills is in the offseason. Many local YMCA facilities offer training tailored to students’ skill levels. Accomplished swimmers should consider taking lifesaving instruction because you never know when an onboard guest or someone in the water near your boat might need rescuing. Families with infants should teach them how to hold their breath when submerged and float on their backs.
Learn New Fishing Skills
The internet is full of video tutorials that can teach anglers to catch more fish. One of the most wide-ranging collections of tips for both saltwater and freshwater fishing can be found at Yamaha’s Blue Life.
Several online apps can take your fishing game to the next level with instruction and fish-finding aids that use AI to factor in weather, tides, moon phases and bottom structure. They can even pinpoint the best times to fish each month, helping anglers to make the most out of their fishing time. Salt Strong is an online fishing club that offers a wealth of free information for anglers who primarily fish inshore saltwater locations along the United States East and Gulf Coasts. A great feature is its fishing school that tailors classes to your skill level. The Insider Club costs $97 a year and unlocks tools like Smart Fishing Spots, which use color-coded hotspots to identify good places to fish based on a host of parameters.
A weather app called windy.app (not windy.com) offers premium weather forecasting and real-time weather tools. The free version provides many weather features, such as maps that graphically show wind speed and wave heights, while the Pro version ($70 a year) adds advanced features like Fish Pro to help locate great fishing spots and even includes areas to fish outside the United States.
Finally Learn How to Use Your Boat’s Electronics
Most boaters only know how to use a fraction of their multifunction display’s capabilities. All major manufacturers have extensive knowledge on their websites to help customers learn how to use their devices to their fullest. Simrad has 580 articles and videos to help them set up and use their displays. Raymarine has a vast trove of information on its website, organized by topic. Garmin tailors your quest for information and training based on the specific device you have.
To answer specific questions about how to use your gear, the best way to search the internet is to put items like the brand and model number, along with targeted keywords within quotation marks. This search technique limits the response only to answers that have those words in quotes in the order you typed them. If a search adds answers that aren’t related to your question, eliminate them by placing a hyphen before the keyword you want to remove. For example, if your search for bass fishing tips results in answers that include bass guitars, search “bass” “fishing tips” -guitar -guitars.
Boat Handling Simulators
While no boat simulator can replace the real thing for learning how to handle a boat, several are realistic enough to help boaters learn some new skills. There’s a free app called The Boat Docker that allows operators to choose between single- and dual-engine boats, with a wide range of weather and tide parameters, and controls. As the name implies, this game is all about how to dock a boat in a variety of situations.
For those who own Microsoft Flight Simulator, there are several third-party boating simulator add-ons for a wide variety of vessels, ranging from a 510 Sea Ray with a Riva sport boat all the way to a super tanker.
Consider Becoming a Licensed Captain
For those who spend a lot of time on the water and have considered doing charters, the offseason is a perfect time to earn a six-pack captain’s license, which allows a skipper to have up to six paying passengers aboard. There are minimum prerequisites to take classes, but for those who qualify, many courses are available, including both in-person classroom and online studies. Many offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass.
Teach Your Kids Fishing and Boating Skills
A great way to instill a love of boating in your kids is to involve them as a part of your crew rather than just riding along as passengers. This offseason, teach them skills like navigation, knot-tying and tackle rigging, and then when boating season arrives, put them to work. As they progress, promote them in rank and add duties that are their responsibility. The more you teach them, the more empowered and involved they will become. The bonus is that the more they know, the more time you have to relax while afloat. Back to Blue Life
Take a Boating Safety Class
Learning more about boating safety is a great way to occupy the offseason that will pay future dividends. The best online resource for boater education programs is the BoatUS Foundation’s website. They offer a free online education program with a graded test that satisfies most states’ requirements. A suggested donation of $20 helps fund the program, but if you choose not to donate, you can remove it from your cart at checkout. To find your state’s rules, go to the US Coast Guard site. Even if it’s not a requirement where you live, taking a refresher course is always a good idea.
Take a Swimming Class
All family members who boat should know how to swim, and a good time to learn or hone these skills is in the offseason. Many local YMCA facilities offer training tailored to students’ skill levels. Accomplished swimmers should consider taking lifesaving instruction because you never know when an onboard guest or someone in the water near your boat might need rescuing. Families with infants should teach them how to hold their breath when submerged and float on their backs.
Learn New Fishing Skills
The internet is full of video tutorials that can teach anglers to catch more fish. One of the most wide-ranging collections of tips for both saltwater and freshwater fishing can be found at Yamaha’s Blue Life.
Several online apps can take your fishing game to the next level with instruction and fish-finding aids that use AI to factor in weather, tides, moon phases and bottom structure. They can even pinpoint the best times to fish each month, helping anglers to make the most out of their fishing time. Salt Strong is an online fishing club that offers a wealth of free information for anglers who primarily fish inshore saltwater locations along the United States East and Gulf Coasts. A great feature is its fishing school that tailors classes to your skill level. The Insider Club costs $97 a year and unlocks tools like Smart Fishing Spots, which use color-coded hotspots to identify good places to fish based on a host of parameters.
A weather app called windy.app (not windy.com) offers premium weather forecasting and real-time weather tools. The free version provides many weather features, such as maps that graphically show wind speed and wave heights, while the Pro version ($70 a year) adds advanced features like Fish Pro to help locate great fishing spots and even includes areas to fish outside the United States.
Finally Learn How to Use Your Boat’s Electronics
Most boaters only know how to use a fraction of their multifunction display’s capabilities. All major manufacturers have extensive knowledge on their websites to help customers learn how to use their devices to their fullest. Simrad has 580 articles and videos to help them set up and use their displays. Raymarine has a vast trove of information on its website, organized by topic. Garmin tailors your quest for information and training based on the specific device you have.
To answer specific questions about how to use your gear, the best way to search the internet is to put items like the brand and model number, along with targeted keywords within quotation marks. This search technique limits the response only to answers that have those words in quotes in the order you typed them. If a search adds answers that aren’t related to your question, eliminate them by placing a hyphen before the keyword you want to remove. For example, if your search for bass fishing tips results in answers that include bass guitars, search “bass” “fishing tips” -guitar -guitars.
Boat Handling Simulators
While no boat simulator can replace the real thing for learning how to handle a boat, several are realistic enough to help boaters learn some new skills. There’s a free app called The Boat Docker that allows operators to choose between single- and dual-engine boats, with a wide range of weather and tide parameters, and controls. As the name implies, this game is all about how to dock a boat in a variety of situations.
For those who own Microsoft Flight Simulator, there are several third-party boating simulator add-ons for a wide variety of vessels, ranging from a 510 Sea Ray with a Riva sport boat all the way to a super tanker.
Consider Becoming a Licensed Captain
For those who spend a lot of time on the water and have considered doing charters, the offseason is a perfect time to earn a six-pack captain’s license, which allows a skipper to have up to six paying passengers aboard. There are minimum prerequisites to take classes, but for those who qualify, many courses are available, including both in-person classroom and online studies. Many offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass.
Teach Your Kids Fishing and Boating Skills
A great way to instill a love of boating in your kids is to involve them as a part of your crew rather than just riding along as passengers. This offseason, teach them skills like navigation, knot-tying and tackle rigging, and then when boating season arrives, put them to work. As they progress, promote them in rank and add duties that are their responsibility. The more you teach them, the more empowered and involved they will become. The bonus is that the more they know, the more time you have to relax while afloat. Back to Blue Life