2024 Adelaide 4WD and SA Boat & Fishing Show
Marine Safety SA are ready to answer your boating safety questions! Find them at the 2024 Adelaide 4WD and SA Boat & Fishing Show (25-27 October) at the Wayville Showgrounds.
For those that attend the show, they will be offering the chance to win a new lifejacket by being a new or existing subscriber to their newsletter.
Towing safely on the River Murray
Towing skiers on the River Murray is a hugely popular activity – and it’s easy to see why!
However, when combining the high speeds and towing on a crowded river it can get dangerous. Key safety tips must be followed to ensure everyone has the best and safest experience.
Towing includes waterskiing, knee-boarding or aquaplaning, parasailing, wakeboarding and riding on inflatables (such as a tube, raft or biscuit).
Please remember:
- anyone being towed must wear a level 50 or 50s lifejacket
- before you go, ensure your boat and towing equipment is safe and suitable
- when towing, you must not tow more than three people at once. This includes three people on one device
- a boat must not travel within 100 metres of, or directly behind, a person who is being towed by another boat
- always check the waterway for hazards before you begin towing
- slow down to 4 knots when you are within 50 metres of any person in the water
- slow down to 4 knots when you are within 30 metres of other vessels, including moored houseboats.
If you will be enjoying the River Murray this boating season, make sure you are sharing the river safely with everyone.
Marine Safety Officers are out and about
The start of the boating season is well and truly underway, and the Marine Safety Officers haven’t missed a minute of it!
Marine Safety SA have been engaging with boaters across the State. Don’t get caught out, make sure you have everything you need before heading out.
Pro tip: the safety equipment checker tool makes it really easy!
So far this month, Marine Safety SA have conducted 217 vessel inspections at locations including Renmark, Mannum, Edithburgh, Port Hughes and metropolitan boat ramps.
Unfortunately, this resulted in 19 stop launches as the operator didn’t have all required safety gear.
Marine Safety SA love a day on the water – and they want you to enjoy it too.
Don’t ruin your day on the water by failing to prepare.
Plan ahead, gear up and stay safe
Remember to plan ahead, gear up and stay safe on the water.
Your lifejacket is your lifeline. Check the type of lifejacket you need with the online checker tool.
From 1 January 2025, all lifejackets will need to meet Australian Standard AS4758 to be compliant.
Lifejackets with the Australian Standard AS1512, AS1499 or AS2260 will no longer be acceptable in South Australia. These outdated lifejackets could be more than 20 years old and can no longer be sold.
Gear up and ensure your safety equipment is up to date and on board, prior to launching your boat. To keep everyone safe on the water, check your safety equipment against the safety equipment checker tool.
Safety gear is only helpful if accessible in an emergency.
Stay safe this boating season and learn your correct speed.
Understanding how to judge a safe speed, when and where speed limits apply, speed limit restrictions to personal watercrafts and restricted areas are all important in order to keeping everyone safe when in and on the water. Don’t risk it, stay up to date with the correct speed limits:
- 4 knots max within 50 metres of a person in the water or a person in an unpowered craft (such as a canoe or kayak)
- 4 knots max within 30 metres of another boat in the water, a jetty, wharf, or other places at which a boat is being launched or retrieved.
When using a personal watercraft (commonly known as a Jetski), have fun, but ride safe and observe the above speed limits.
Don’t bung it up!
Doing a basic safety check before you launch can save your life, especially if you forget to check that your bungs are in.
Luckily this boater noticed their boat was starting to sink while still close to shore. After realising their bungs were undone, they quickly returned to the boat ramp. The boat flipped but everyone is very relieved this did not happen out at sea.
A basic safety check includes checking:
- your bungs are in
- your battery is charged
- your engine has petrol
- you have all your safety equipment on board.
Order your free Marine Safety stickers
Making sure you know what lifejacket and safety equipment you need has never been easier – order the ‘Know which lifejacket’ and ‘Know your safety equipment’ stickers to ensure you have access to the quick online checker tools anytime, anywhere.
The following stickers are available:
- Safety equipment checklist – recreational vessels under 8 metres
- Safety equipment checklist – recreational vessels over 8 metres
- QR code to the online ‘safety equipment checking’ tool
- QR code to the online ‘which lifejacket do you need’ tool
- QR code to the online ‘report an incident or hazard’ tool
- QR code to the Marine Safety SA Facebook page
- Buoys, marks and beacons
- VHF marine radio channels
- 27 MHz marine radio channels
- Phonetic alphabet for marine radio
To order your free stickers, visit the Marine Safety SA online store.
Marine Safety SA team on channel 7
Did you see the Marine Safety SA team on Channel 7’s live weather cross? They were reminding boaters to know what your safety equipment and lifejacket requirements are before heading out on the water this boating season.
If you are out on the water, make sure you know your speed limits, especially around swimmers in the water and ensure you share the water safely with all users.
Plan ahead, gear up and stay safe on the water.
