Know Before You Go
Safety first. Showing off the boat can come later.
Safety Is No Accident
At Supra, we build boats with performance, craftsmanship, and safety in mind. But even the best-built boat needs a smart captain at the helm. You play an important role in keeping yourself, your family, your passengers, and everyone around your boat safe.
Before you hit the water, take a few minutes to review these important safety reminders. Because the only thing we want catching you off guard is how good the day turns out.
Ten Safety Reminders
Review the Owner's Manuals for your boat
Every Skier's Choice boat includes an Owner's Manual for the boat and manuals for its components. Before anyone operates your boat, they should read and understand those manuals — especially the safety sections. If you've misplaced one, your dealer or Skier's Choice will send a current-year manual at no charge.
Review and comply with warning and capacity labels
Warning labels alert you to hazards that may not be obvious and explain how to avoid them. Never remove a label, replace damaged labels promptly, and never exceed the capacity shown on your boat's capacity label.
Prepare your boat with the proper accessories and equipment
Your boat leaves the factory with U.S. Coast Guard-required equipment such as a fire extinguisher, horn, and proper inland lighting. The law also requires Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices for everyone aboard. We recommend a first aid kit, signal device or flashlight, marine radio, anchor with line, and mooring lines with bumpers.
Know your boat and keep it properly maintained
Have a Supra dealer perform a pre-season inspection, and inspect the engine and exhaust systems each time out — watching manifolds, gaskets, and welds for leakage or corrosion. Replace worn or suspect hoses and fittings and keep scheduled maintenance current.
Know and comply with all boating rules and regulations in your state or region
Check with local and state authorities before heading out. Most states publish boating rules online, and the U.S. Coast Guard site covers federal regulations and recreational boating safety.
Take a safe boating course
In recent years roughly 70 percent of reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had received no boating safety instruction. Courses are offered by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Power Squadron, and others.
Do not allow “platform dragging” or “body surfing” behind your boat
Platform dragging (teak surfing) and body surfing behind a boat are extremely dangerous and banned in many areas. Both expose people to high concentrations of carbon monoxide and put them dangerously close to the spinning propeller.
Make sure every passenger is familiar with safe boating practices
Ask about experience levels, point out the warning labels, and set clear expectations — like staying seated while the boat is in motion. Give children particular attention and keep them in life jackets whenever they're aboard.
Use common sense
Most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics show 70% of boating fatalities are drownings, and nearly 90% of those victims were not wearing a life jacket. Alcohol is involved in about one third of boating fatalities — stay completely sober on the water.
Ride safely and know your limitations and those of your passengers
Know your waterway, avoid shallow water, shorelines, docks, pilings, swimmers, and other watercraft. Always use an observer other than the driver, agree on hand signals, wear a U.S. Coast Guard type III vest, and turn the ignition off whenever anyone is near the swim platform or propeller.
Ride With Confidence
Additional safe-boating resources are available from the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, the Watersports Industry Association, the National Association of Boating Law Administrators, and the National Safe Boating Council.