For those fortunate to have a boat, taking the kids on the water can be an exciting experience. Whether you’re seeing marine life for the first time, catching a wave or just cruising the canal, the ride is sure to be memorable.

It can also be a scary experience your first time out, and hard to know the right precautions to take.

Start with making sure you have the right size life jackets for everyone on your vessel. If you’re boating with an infant, make sure you have a Type II floatation device which has a special float for the child’s head.

Next, make sure you speak with your children about boat safety in a way that doesn’t scare them off completely. Children shouldn’t lean over the sides of the boat, especially during times with a high volume of water traffic. They should be sitting at all times the boat is in motion.

I’m going to once again preach about the importance of sunscreen. As someone with the complexion of Casper, I cannot say enough how quickly an outing can turn south with too much sun exposure. Try and keep your top up as much as you can, and reapply often.

Now, I have yet to take Addy on the boat. So I am not speaking from a lot of experience, but I imagine I will only take her out during the week and not in “big” water. Any new experiences can be nerve-wracking for a new mom, so take your time and only stay out as long as you are comfortable.

It will probably be a tiring experience, taking your little ones out, but one they will be talking about for days.

Ahoy!