ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For recreational boaters, a simple fall overboard is the number one boating accident "event" that leads to the most fatalities. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that in 2006, 275 persons died in 721 boating accidents that began with or involved a fall overboard. While some accidents involved other factors, being able to quickly get back in the boat - without help - isn't easy, as a BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water's test of 11 portable boarding ladders recently found. The non-profit BoatU.S. Foundation is funded by the 650,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States.
While many larger boats have built-in ladders, these tests focused on small boats. What follows are five tips that will help ensure a fall overboard doesn't become tragic. A complete report as well as video footage that can help you select the right one for your boat is at BoatUS.com/Foundation.
1. Wear your life jacket. All of the BoatU.S. volunteers participating in the testing program wore a life jacket and all agreed that a fully clothed adult with no buoyancy would have difficulties attempting to re-board using any type of ladder.
2. You don't need to spend lots of money for a functional boarding ladder. Testers found an affordable model fashioned from four-inch wide yellow webbing proved best. Simplicity also ruled the day as the highest-ranked ladders all had fewer than three steps. The ideal ladder length, measured from the water's surface to the bottom rung, averaged 20 inches.
3. Some ladders work better with certain types of boats. Depending on a boat's construction or deck layout, most ladders performed well with one particular kind of vessel, and did poorly with others. It's important to match the ladder to the boat.
4. Before you head out, your boarding ladder needs to be positioned so it can be reached from the water. Also, attaching the ladder to the wrong spot on a narrow, lightweight boat can increase the chance of capsizing, especially if there is wave action.
5. Practice is a must. Many ladders were difficult to use on the first try and threw testers off-balance when weight was placed on them, causing the device to swing underneath the boat. Only practice solved this problem.
BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water
