With warmer weather just around the corner, locals and tourists along the Gulf Coast will want to put the top down on their convertibles, take a  cruise on their motorcycles, and of course, get out on the water.

 But not so fast.

 Just like you need a drivers license for the convertible, and a motorcycle  endorsement for the Harley, boaters need to know the rules of the water before they venture out on their boats.

 Saturday at the Coleman Outlet Store in Foley, the Perdido Bay Power Squadron, a unit of the Untied States Power Squadron will be  offering a boating safety course.

 Similar to the motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license, there is a vessel operator endorsement that must be added to your automobile license or state issued ID card. Otherwise you could be given a citation and fined  should you be caught on the water without the proper license requirements.

 According to Dick Carson, an instructor with the United States Power  Squadron, the course follows the guidelines and is sanctioned by National  Association of Safe Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

 “They put together the requirements that we teach in order for an individual to be able to get a license,” Carson said. “In the State of Alabama, we have that program, plus we have additional Alabama laws that we cover in the eight-hour program.”

 Carson said the program will begin at 9 a.m. and will wrap up at 5 p.m. and will cover more information than just the legal minimum requirements so that boaters will be prepared when they get out on the water this spring.

 “We cover the basics of the boat, how it handles in the water, how you should be driving the boat, safe boating practices, how to follow the rules of the road on the water in order to avoid collisions, and the proper equipment to be used on the boat in order to be safe and save lives,” Carson said.

 Those unfamiliar with the local waters will also learn more about the Gulf Coast area and how to navigate around Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and the Intracoastal Waterway.

 While the instruction for the course is free, there is a $50 coast for all class materials, that includes a text book, an instructional video on chart  navigation, two CDs and lunch.

 “We don’t stop for a lunch break,” Carson said. “We will bring in lunch, pass it out and keep on going.”

 There is a 20-person limit for the class. To make reservations, call Dick Carson at 251-980-1536.