Rules of the Water at Minnesota Lake Resorts
Before you leave land, make sure there are enough lifejackets or personal flotation devices (PFDs) onboard for all of your passengers. The law requires that all children under 10 years of age wear a life jacket on board. For passengers older than 10, there must be a U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable PFD for each person on the boat that is readily accessible.Like on land, there are laws in place on the water. These laws are in place to protect the safety of all those boating. It is against the law to operate a watercraft carelessly, or to operate a watercraft whose wake endangers or interferes with another person"s property, to operate a watercraft within an area marked off for swimming. When using a watercraft for recreational purposes like water skiing, tubing and wake boarding, there are other important laws to follow. It is against the law to tow a person unless there is a mirror or another person in the watercraft continuously observing the person being towed. Water activities are prohibited one hour after sunset until sunrise the following day. The towrope for those activities cannot be longer than 150 feet without a permit from the county sheriff. The person being towed must either be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD or have it in the towing watercraft.
It is a good idea to take an online boating course to review boating regulations and be more educated on the laws of the water to help maintain safety. Organizations like the DNR, the Red Cross, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary have free or low cost publications or educational programs to learn more about boating and general water safety.