re: The new boater's safety course

What principal do you think you're defending exactly? Are you under the impression you know everything there is to know about boating?

I really don't have any problem with the state doing this. Considering the level of stupidity and ignorance of the average guy in a boat in this state about boating safety and the consequences of that ignorance, I kinda like the idea that they at least have to be exposed to the subject one freaking time in their lives.

The principle that time spent on the water is more valuable than time spent taking a class about being on the water. Unless they are taking people out on a boat and teaching them on the water then I would consider this class just another way to give money to the government.

Personally I'd like everyone to know a few very basic things like right of way, and the fact that you are responsible for the damage your wake causes BEFORE they get in the boat. There are way too many people on the water with zero clue about those things and no amount of time spent in the boat without proper instruction will let you 'pick it up'. We don't just let people drive cars without them proving some basic knowledge and boats are a lot more fatal in accidents than cars.

I get the anger over the arbitrary dates, but someone was gonna be pissed about that no matter what. I'm usually against pretty much all governmental intrusion but I spend a couple days a week on the water and I can spot someone that knows what they're doing because they stand out of the crowd since most everyone else simply does not. I don't care if you kill yourself, but I'd really like you to know just enough not to kill ME. The fact that you figured out how to get that boat down the ramp and turned the key doesn't mean you know what you're doing in a boat no matter how many times you've done it.

I took it a couple months ago. Took me 6 fricking hours and this was going through clicking as fast as I could. Each slide forces you to wait between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Nearly all the answers to the quizzes could be found on a google search but it was still a pain in the arse.

ETA: They must have changed the class recently because it is impossible to take it in only 2 hours.