Boating Safety Classes and Courses

Online Personal Water Craft Course

To take the free DBW Personal Watercraft Safety Course online, CLICK HERE. (Not approved for CA Boater Card)

Wave Runners, Jet Skis, Sea Doos, Tigersharks—personal watercraft or PWCs, go by many names, and they all mean fun. They are found at most waterways these days. In 2015, there were nearly 100,000 PWCs registered in California! Personal watercraft are fast, powerful, and fairly easy to operate, but they are also involved in many boating accidents and injuries. With their ever-increasing popularity it is important for all PWC users to know how to operate them safely and with courtesy at all times.

California boating accident statistics paint a picture of PWC use and misuse. For example, PWC account for 13% of registered vessels, but 17% of all reported boating accidents in 2015 involved PWCs. Of those PWC accidents, the majority (59%) involved a collision with another vessel or fixed object. There are three main causes of PWC accidents: inexperience, operating at excessive speed, and inattention on the part of the operator.

Finally, there are two statistics that show a real need for public education on the proper, safe and fun use of PWC; over half of PWC accidents (57%) involved people who had borrowed a vessel and another 37% had rented their equipment. These accidents might not have occurred if the operators had taken the time to read the owner’s manual and safety literature that most dealers provide after a sale, or taken a safe boating course.