Tips for Boating With a Baby

Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by Boatsetter Team

So you’ve welcomed a bouncing bundle of joy to your family, congrats! While adjusting to your new life at home, you may wonder whether you can also adapt your life on the water accordingly. The good news is, yes! Whether you or someone else owns the boat, here’s how to make boating with a baby a happy, memorable, and safe experience:

1. Stock the proper-size life jacket
2. Hold your child while wearing your life jacket
3. Leave operating to someone else (when possible)
4. Designate a safe nap space
5. Create shade
6. Childproof the vessel
7. Pack supplies
8. Have fun!

Raise even the youngest among the next generation of boating lovers safely with these tips.

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1. Stock the proper-size life jacket

Federal law requires all children under the age of 13 to wear a personal flotation device (PFD). The U.S. Coast Guard warns infants to weigh at least 18 pounds to ensure a PFD fits properly.

Make sure the one you select has an extended cushion at the neck, which provides head support while in the water and will flip your baby face up. It also should have a strap to go between the legs, to keep the jacket from riding up.

2. Hold your child while wearing your life jacket

While a car seat might seem like a good solution, it’s too heavy to float if your boat suddenly capsizes. Either you or someone else should always hold your baby. Additionally, you or the other baby wrangler should wear a PFD. This way, you’ll each be better off if an accident does occur.

3. Leave operating to someone else (when possible)

Holding your child makes it a challenge to take the wheel or help dock stress-free or safely. Boating with a baby, therefore, is better when one of you holds your child and another person manages boat-handling tasks. If extra people aren’t an option, then designate a safe place on board to lay down your infant for the moments you need to take action.

4. Designate a safe nap space

There’s no need to disrupt your little one’s napping routine while on the water. Instead, try to arrange your outings to coincide with his or her typical nap time. Create an area inside the cabin or on deck where you can lay down your baby without anyone being in the way, items shifting and falling, or your baby rolling off furniture.

5. Create shade

Considering a baby’s skin is sensitive, hats and pediatrician-approved sunscreen are musts. (Not all sunscreens are safe for babies.) Sitting beneath a T-top or a bimini as much as possible is equally important.

6. Childproof the vessel

Boating with a baby requires childproofing the same way it does in your house. Keep fish hooks and other sharp objects out of reach. The same goes for boat soap, fuel cans, and system-related fluids. Be mindful of chains, ropes, fishing line, and other items that can also entangle them.

7. Pack supplies

Create a “boat diaper bag,” packed with bottles, binkies, extra clothes, wet wipes, and of course, diapers. Further, consider adding a new waterproof toy or two to your boat-only bag. This way, if they fling it and it goes overboard (and you know it will), it doesn’t get ruined the way their favorite stuffed animal could.

8. Have fun!

Boating with a baby can be even more enjoyable because you get to see the marine world through their eyes. Splash in the shallow water, stroll on the sand, and point out fish and wildlife. Their giggles, oohs, and aahs will remain in your memory banks forever.

Like what you read? We’ve got more:

• 7 Tips for Planning Date Night on a Boat
• Hurricane Preparedness Checklist for Boaters
• What Information Should Be Included on a Float Plan?

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Diane Byrne

A journalist with more than 30 years’ experience, Diane M. Byrne is the owner
of MegayachtNews.com, a daily website educating American superyacht owners, buyers, and
their circles of influence about the leading builders, designers, cruising destinations, and more.
She founded the website in 2007 as the first, and still the only, American-focused online media
outlet exclusively covering this market. It features all-original content, for real stories of real
interest.

Diane is additionally one of the most-sought-after journalists for expert editorial coverage and
commentary about not only superyachts, but also general boating and yachting. Her byline
appears in Boatsetter.com, DiscoverBoating.com, and the magazines Luxury Guide, Ocean,
Yachting, and Yachts International.

Additionally, Diane is the Chair of the U.S. Superyacht Association, having been on the Board of
Directors since 2015. Outside of yachting, she’s a trustee of Sempre Avanti, a non-profit
resource supporting Italian and Italian-American individuals, businesses, and organizations in the
United States and Italy.