What is your reason for not wearing a life jacket? "It's not comfortable," or simply, "I'm not planning on going in the water, so why do I need one?" most often comes to mind. Unfortunately, both of those reasons don't hold water. Today's inflatable life jackets are as comfortable as wearing a simple belt or lightweight harness. And no one "plans" to go in the water, but when an accident does occur and boaters go overboard -- sometimes unconscious -- it's often too late to don a life jacket.

And while most boaters know that kids have to be in life jackets, don't forget that they need to fit properly. An incorrectly sized life jacket may be no better than not wearing one and give a false sense of security. If you need a right-sized life jacket, check out the BoatU.S. Foundation's free Life Jacket Loaner program that loans children's life jackets for the afternoon, day or weekend at over 300 waterside locations across the country.

Leave the alcohol at home. Alcohol played a "significant" role in nearly 40% of all boating fatalities in 2002. That's up 5% from the year previous. The Coast Guard estimates that boat operators with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent are more than ten times as likely to be killed in a boating accident than boat operators with zero blood alcohol concentration. You can take this risk for yourself, your boating guests and family, or you can leave the alcohol at home or corked until you are safely tied up for the night. You can make the right choice.