question for Pennsylvania Wakeboarders.....

guys- i live in Nj and have a boating liscense. my girlfriend, however, does not. in NJ she is required to complete a boating safety certificate to get her boating liscence.

My question is-do i even need to bother with this if we go boating in PA? it appears that you guys dont need a "boat liscence" for your state for a ski boat.

What's wrong with taking (and hopefully passing) a boating safety course? When I'm out on the bay on summer weekends it's often dangerously clear that many of the shoobies out there know absolutely nothing about correct watercraft operation. I think it's almost criminal that as long as someone is born prior to January 1, 1979, he or she can just buy a boat and then go out on the water and "operate" it. When boating, very serious situations can occur with little or no warning and the operator of the vessel needs to know exactly what to do. David, send your girl to the boating class. The day may come when you'll be very happy you did.

My wife and I took the course years ago when it was not required. I am very glad that we did. Driving a boat is nothing like driving your car. You are just asking for trouble going out on the water and not really knowing what your doing. They have alot of navigational aids that help you as your boating.

Although boating can be very dangerous and I do agree there are far too many crazies or "shoobies" on the water, I dont feel the boating safety course really helps. To opperate a PWC you must complete the coarse, and overall they're still a bunch of lunatics, right? It's more of a common sense issue. Driving a 20 ft. ski boat in inland waters (bay or lake) does not require a Boating coarse, it requires good judgment, responsibility, and expiriance (three things which can't be taught in a coarse). I took the course and thought it was a joke, at least 3/4 of the info was useless for what I do on the water. Easiest way to get a boating liscense... go to wwww.boatsafe.com Take the "online course" at a cost of $15. You complete the course, adn take the certificate to the DMV. Although NJ technically requires a "proctored exam" You won't have a problem. Just my $0.02
-Marc

marc-have you taken the certificate at boatsafe.com to a nj dmv and sucessfully had it accepted?

this is from boatsafe.com's website for NJ:
"Successfull completion of NASBLA-approved boating course required for all PWC operators. Power vessel operators on non-tidal waters must also have a license. New Jersey does not accept online courses."

you have to take the course somewhere offered in NJ. I took mine with the power squadrons but you can get yours from the Coast Guard, etc. Its usually about 8 hours long & 2 weekday classes. Dave- you should really find out about taking that class it will help you out with a lot of the questions you have had.

the only way to get BOAT put on your license is when you go to the DMV they will ask if you took a required boating safety course. you have to take that course if you choose to boat in New Jersey unless you were born before 1978. Also make sure you have a orange flag out if you go wakeboarding.

The license is only required for PWC's, not boats.

adam, in nj you need it for boats too. thanks mango. where do i put the orange flag? fyi-the girlfriend is already registered for the class next week.

The orange has to be displayed if any of these three things are happening: 1. Someone is being pulled behind the boat 2. Someone is in the water 3. A rope is in the water. The flag is supposed to be 48" above the highest point of the boat.
I have an ornage flag on a 48" stick and I bungee cord it to the side of the tower.

A bunch of my friends have taken the boatsafe "course" and brought the completion certificate to the DMV and they had no problems... Not a guarentee it will work everytime. NJ requires a proctored exam but, Chances are the DMV worker won't know what the word "proctored" means. About 6 guys I know have done it, and 6 have got boating liscenses.

thanks guys.