NOAA and National Safe Boating Council Celebrate 25th Anniversary with Continued National Safe Boating Week Partnership
May 01 2024 - 8:00AM
The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service
are celebrating 25 years of partnership for the annual National
Safe Boating Week. This year’s National Safe Boating Week will be
held May 18-24, 2024.
National Safe Boating Week is held annually the
week before Memorial Day as part of the NSBC’s Safe Boating
Campaign, a global awareness effort that encourages boaters to make
the most of their boating adventure by being responsible. NSBC and
NOAA offer boating safety resources at
www.safeboatingcampaign.com/resources/national-safe-boating-week-toolkit
and www.weather.gov/safety/safeboating-week.
“Understanding how to interpret a weather forecast,
including air and water temperatures, sustained wind speeds and
gusts, advisories, storms, fronts, and much more is critical to
ensuring a safe and responsible boating experience,” said Peg
Phillips, executive director of the NSBC, a national non-profit
that helps create a safe boating experience for all recreational
boaters. The NSBC is a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, as a part
of NOAA’s Weather Ready Nation™ initiative.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, there were over
405 total weather and hazardous water-related accidents, resulting
in 92 fatalities and 152 injuries in 2022 alone.
“Know before you go…boating! Stay safe by checking
current and expected weather conditions from the National Weather
Service before going out on the water. It’s not a place to get
caught in a storm,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National
Weather Service. “Click on weather.gov before and during
your trip, and have a NOAA Weather Radio on board to keep alert to
changing conditions.”
Furthermore, boaters should have at least two
communications devices with them when on the water that work when
wet. Satellite phones, emergency position indicating radio beacons
(EPIRB), VHF radios, and personal locator beacons (PLB) are
recommended.
In addition to keeping an eye to the sky and
checking their favorite weather app, boaters may tune into the NOAA
Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) on a VHF radio to keep track of
weather conditions. NWR includes more than 1000 transmitters,
covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories.
About the National Safe Boating
Council
The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) is a
national catalyst for recreational boating safety and organizer of
the Safe Boating Campaign, with support from boating safety
advocates around the world. The Safe Boating Campaign is produced
under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust
Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information
about the NSBC and its programs, please
visit www.safeboatingcouncil.org.
About NOAA
The NOAA’s National Weather Service is the official
government source for weather forecasts, watches and warnings in
the U.S. The National Weather Service’s marine forecasts provide
timely weather information relating to U.S. coastal and offshore
waters, the Great Lakes, and the open oceans to ensure the safety
of life and protection of property, promote international and
interstate commerce by improving the efficiency of marine
operations, mitigate environmental impacts and enhance the quality
of life for the United States. NOAA’s National Ocean Service
provides navigation products, such as nautical charts, tides, and
currents, that protect lives, strengthen the maritime economy, and
position America for the future.
Media Contacts:
Peg Phillips, National Safe Boating Council,
pphillips@safeboatingcouncil.org, 703-361-4294
Mike Musher, NOAA’s National Weather
Service, michael.musher@noaa.gov, 301-427-9000