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Marine

Be prepared before your trip. Stay safe at sea.

When venturing out on the water, it is essential that you are properly prepared for all possible situations including emergencies.

Important safety tips for marine based activities

We encourage you to be well prepared with the correct safety equipment before heading out onto the water.

Going out to drop a line, go for a joy ride or seek an adventure, it is important that you do your research to make sure you and the people on board are going to be safe and well prepared for all possible emergency situations. This may include:

  • checking the weather conditions. Understand how the weather affects the conditions of the ocean is important. If the weather isn’t looking great, reschedule the boating trip for better conditions. Find more information on weather warning and the five vital weather checks from the Bureau of Meteorology.
  • carrying safety equipment suitable for all possible emergency situations. Check carriage requirements with your local marine safety agency to ensure you are compliant.
  • carrying reliable means of verbal communication. This may include a marine radio. Do not rely on your mobile phone as your only means of communication on the water.
  • letting your emergency contact know of your trip plans and details, including your approximate time of arrival. A family member or friend will be able to alert search and rescue (SAR) authorities if you have not returned home safely by the specified time. Don’t forget to contact your emergency contact once you have returned safely.
  • carrying a registered GPS distress beacon. In some cases it is the law.

Last updated: 

Monday 9 November 2020