Boat Gear Checklist

Gear Up For Great Time On The Water

Note: Gear marked by an asterisk * is required by Texas law.

• Life jackets*. Also called personal flotation devices or PFDs. A sure way to keep from drowning. State law requirements:
  • Children under 13 years of age in motorboats under 26 feet must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD while under way.
  • All vessels under 16 feet (including canoes and kayaks) must be equipped with one Type I, II, III or V for each person on board. Read more.
  • Vessels 16 feet and longer, in addition to the Type I, II, III or V for each person on board, must have one Type IV, which must be readily accessible. Canoes and kayaks over 16 feet are exempt from the Type IV requirement.
• Functioning navigational lights and mirrors for the boat.*
• Sound-producing device.* This means a working horn or whistle. No, your buddy's catcalls don't cut it.
• Texas certificate of title.* An on-board copy is required by state law, with the numbers correctly affixed to the boat.
• Working fire extinguisher that's easily accessible. (Quick check: Does it take you 10 minutes to find because it's stowed under towels, below a toolkit, behind a moldy box? If so, it can't help you if you need it.)*
• Two-way marine radio. The best ones for mariners are water-resistant, battery-powered models with two-radio capability and a range of up to 12 miles. Get one at local retailers such as Academy.
• First-aid kit. You never know when you or someone near you might need it.
• Sunscreen. So it makes you look a little splotchy? It's protection for your skin.
• Water. Yes, we know you are going to be swimming in it and boating on it. But you need to drink it, too, so you don't dehydrate.
• All-hazards radio. Learn more about NOAA and all-hazards radios.