whats the deal?

With these stupid boaters licenses? I took the 70 question online test yesterday and it took me an hour and there are all these dumba$$ questions about yachts and boats under and over 39.5 feet and boats over 65.5 feet. All this crap that is completely irrelevant to what i do on the water. Why dont they have seperate tests? Just like with cars, you need a truckers license to drive a semi, you need a motorcycle license to drive a bike. It doesnt make sense why they wouldnt separate yachts, pwc's, and boats under like 30 ft? other wise people that will never step foot on a yacht have to know all this crap about them. The majority of the questions were focused on big boat stuff. Anyways i didnt pass and so i have to do it again or just say f the test and not get pulled over. Sorry for the rant , is this boaters license thing only in wa and certain states? or is is nation wide?

Not here in Oklahoma. I think as long as you are 14 or 15 you can operate. No class, no tests. They were trying to pass a mandatory Boaters Safety for under age drivers I think but I dont know if they ever did

Nation wide in Canada. I'll be glad when more people have figured out what the Right of Way means on the water. I'd like the fisherman to avoid my windsurfer.

I wish everyone would have to take the test. PA's is simple and will admit to learning more than expected.

I really wish that it applied to everyone, when i was 10 and illegally driving our sea doos, i was a better, more aware driver then a lot of adults, and i still am. I wish the test was not what you know about boats, but how you drive them, knowing the rules is one part, but knowing how to physically operate one safely is a much bigger deal, anyone can be a rules wizz on the waters and still have no idea how to operate on the waters. We dropped our donzi in yester and it was packed out, and i cant remember how many times i shook my head because of how dumb people are. This guy intertubing in the middle of lake wa. got infront of me and i went to his right because he had a tuber, then he turns right and starts doing cirlces right infront of me with the tuber behind him, he never looked over his shoulder, and pretty sure he didnt even know i was there, he must have had his eyes and ears shut because our donzi is loud and i was pretty close, people like that should not be allowed on the water.

^^^^ couldn't agree more there needs to be a test on how to drive the boat safely instead of one on just the rules of the road

It amazes me that people think they can just pop their boat in and take off thinking everyone will watch out for them

I saw some people out on a pontoon rental obviously their first time on a boat cruising down the main channel on the wrong side never looking back bumpers out and dock lines dragging in the water had those lines been a foot longer and they would have been cruising behind a Sea Tow boat

I definitely agree I think everyone 14 and over should be required to take either a boating safety course or get a boating license. I think it would weed out all the dumbass drivers or at least educate them not to be dumbass drivers

While I HATE the idea of tests and qual's to operate a boat, it should be common sense for the most part, I do agree that it's probably not a bad idea and would help to educate the true nube's. We all were one at one point, and with a little education we'd all probably be better boaters than we are now. A lot of folks will say hey I bought or qualified to rented it so I know how to operate it and actually have NO CLUE, most of them are just ignorant of how little they actually know and once instructed on the right way are normally good to go and actually thankful for being shown the right way. The rest, well let just say we'd all be better off without them on the water. That being said as for the test covering all aspects of boating while I can understand the reluctance of some to learn the rules of "yachting" etc if you take the time to learn more than just what if takes to operate your boat it'll make you a better boater by understanding other points of view, case in point how many on here now the limit's of sailboat's and there limitations or maneuverability.