BOAT SAFETY

Personal flotation devices: All aboard must have a life jacket available, and on an open boat, all those 12 and under must wear a life jacket at all times.

Age restriction: No person under 16, unless under the direct supervision of an adult, can operate a boat with a motor rated at more than 15 horsepower.

Lack of training: Of 724 recreational boating accidents in 2015, only one involved an operator who had taken an approved boating safety course.

Bay Area red zone: In 2016 in the San Joaquin delta, with high numbers of personal watercraft and alcohol consumption, Contra Costa County had the highest number of boating accidents of any county in Northern California.

Big swells: When running a boat in the ocean with deep swells, always run the boat so it quarters the swell; never run it sideways (it can broach) or straight into (it can pitch pole) into a deep swell.

Lighting: At night, boats must be equipped with a red light on the port bow, a green light on the starboard bow, and a white running light at the stern; you can therefore determine the direction of operation of other boats in the vicinity.

Water sports: You must have a spotter aboard to watch behind the boat for the safety of those you are towing. If they fall, the spotter then alerts the driver and then raises a square red flag to alert other boaters for as long as a person is in the water.

Alcohol: Drunken driving is the No. 1 contributor of boating accidents.