What Safety Equipment is Required on a Boat? Here's Your Guide

Do you ever just hop on your boat and take off from the dock? When you're anxious to hit the water, it's tempting to skip a few steps to get out there sooner — but that can be dangerous.

However, responsible boaters know to pause and make sure their boats are ready for a safe day on the water before leaving the dock. That includes inspecting your vessel to ensure everything works and it's ready for the water. Additionally, you need to know what safety equipment is required on a boat so you can bring it with you to help protect yourself and your passengers. 

Keep reading for our guide to the safety equipment every boat should carry. 

13 Essential Safety Items Every Boat Needs

As you already know, boating safety is essential to enjoying the water. Here's a list of vital safety items, why each one matters, and additional tips on correctly carrying safety equipment.

1. Life Jackets (Personal Flotation Devices)

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) are essential lifesaving equipment, especially in emergencies like capsizing or falling overboard.

U.S. Coast Guard regulations require one PFD for each person on board. As an additional tip, you must ensure the life jackets on your boat are appropriate for the size and age of the passengers and are easy to access.

2. Fire Extinguishers

Another valuable piece of safety equipment is a fire extinguisher. Fires can spread quickly on boats, especially when there's fuel onboard.

When you have a Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher on your boat, you have a much better chance of controlling or extinguishing a fire before it can grow.

Check the extinguisher's expiration date and ensure it's the right type. You'll need a Class B extinguisher for fuel-related fires. 

3. Sound-Producing Devices (Whistles, Horns, or Bells)

You need to be able to signal other vessels, particularly in low-visibility situations like fog or at night. Whichever sound-producing device you choose, test it regularly to ensure it's working correctly and meets legal decibel requirements. 

4. Navigation Lights

Navigation lights are essential on a boat. They improve visibility and help other boats identify your position and movement, reducing the chances of collisions at night or in low-light conditions.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with the required light configurations for different types of vessels and check that the bulbs are working.

5. Visual Distress Signals

Flares or signal flags help alert others if you have an emergency, especially in remote or offshore areas where help might not be nearby.

Keep your flares up-to-date and know how to use them before emergencies. Otherwise, you might panic during an emergency or have flares that don't work. 

6. Emergency Radio or Communication Devices

A marine VHF radio is critical for contacting the Coast Guard or other boats in an emergency. Cell phones can also help, but you might not have service, especially if you're far from shore.

As a quick tip, be sure to program emergency channels into your radio and conduct regular communication checks, so you have what you need if something goes wrong.

7. A First Aid Kit

Accidents can happen anywhere, including onboard a boat. With a well-stocked first aid kit, you can immediately treat various injuries until professional help arrives or you can get to shore.

Regularly check your kit for expired items and replenish it with bandages, antiseptic, and pain relievers.

8. Throwable Floatation Devices

Throwable floatation devices — like life rings — are designed to be thrown to someone already in the water. That gives the distressed person a better chance of staying afloat until they can be rescued.

Make sure you keep your floatation devices easily accessible and that everyone onboard knows where to find them. 

9. Anchor and Line

Anchors stop your boat from drifting, helping to keep it away from other vessels and dangerous areas. If your engine fails or you're in an area with strong currents, you want to be able to keep your boat in one place.

Choosing the correct type of anchor for the boating environment matters because you need the best one for the seabed in locations where you typically travel. 

10. A Bilge Pump or Manual Bailer

A bilge pump helps remove water from the boat, reducing your risk of sinking if your ship springs a leak or you encounter heavy rain. A manual bailer also works, but it can be more challenging to use and may not be as efficient.

Inspect and maintain the bilge pump so it will work if needed. 

11. Charts, a Compass, and GPS

Safe navigation is vital to boating, and these tools can help. While they're not things you need on a boat by law, they're critical if your electronic systems fail or you're in unfamiliar waters.

Even if you have a great GPS, always have a backup paper chart just in case. 

12. A Carbon Monoxide Detector

If your boat has an enclosed cabin, carbon monoxide from engine exhaust can accumulate there. This odorless gas can be deadly.

Make sure you install carbon monoxide detectors and test them regularly, especially on motorized boats with cabins. 

13. Tool Kit and Spare Parts

Small mechanical issues are easy to address if you have the right tools, which can prevent you from being stranded or ending up with a much bigger mechanical problem in the future.

Pro tip: Along with essential tools like screwdrivers and wrenches, carry duct tape and spare fuses on board.

Bonus Tips for Carrying Safety Equipment

Ensuring you have the proper safety equipment onboard is about more than meeting legal requirements. It's also about protecting and potentially even saving lives.

Inspect your boat and its safety equipment regularly to ensure functionality when needed. 

Also, check your local boating regulations carefully and keep up with Coast Guard requirements for boats, as what safety equipment is required on a boat can vary by state, region, or from year to year. 

Along With These Safety Things Needed on a Boat, Take a Boating Safety Course

Along with what safety equipment is required on a boat, don't forget to carry the knowledge you'll gain in a boater education course. A state-approved or Canada-approved course can teach you about boating and water safety to increase your confidence and peace of mind.

BOATERexam delivers fun and engaging online courses for boaters in the U.S. and Canada! We make it fast and easy to learn everything you need to know to boat safely, including the equipment you need on board and what to do in an emergency.

Before hitting the water this season, make sure you've passed a course. In the U.S., choose the course for your state. In Canada, take our Canada-approved course!