The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's boating law administrator, Capt. Richard Moore, said the agency's law enforcement officers are urging everyone on the water to wear life jackets, boat soberly and responsibly, and take a boating safety course.

Florida is home to more than 900,000 registered recreational vessels, and Moore said each of the owners and operators of those boats needs to remember some basic safe boating tips:

1. Be weather wise. Know the weather before you get under way.
2. Ensure that your boat and motor are sound and in good working condition.
3. Check all safety equipment, including U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, fire extinguishers, sound-producing devices, and visual distress signals.
4. File a float plan. Tell a responsible person where and when you are leaving, where you are going, and the estimated time of return.
5. Carry a cellular phone and be sure your VHF radio is working properly.
6. Don't overload your boat with people or equipment.

Boating fatalities in Florida last year were up from the previous year, while total boating accidents and related injuries continue to decline steadily since 1995. Statistics continue to show that boating fatalities would be reduced dramatically if all boaters would wear life jackets. Fifty percent of those who died in Florida's boating accidents last year drowned.

"Simply wearing life jackets, instead of merely having them on board, would have kept virtually all of those drowning victims alive," Moore said.

He said the FWC Boating Safety Section is committed to making diligent efforts to convince boaters to wear life jackets.

"With inflatable life jackets winning U.S. Coast Guard approval, the excuse that life jackets are too restrictive or too hot are no longer valid," Moore said. "The keys to getting boaters to wear life jackets are informing them of the dangers associated with boating and offering them devices that are comfortable enough for prolonged wear."

Drinking and boating is still a major boating safety concern and is every bit as serious as drinking and driving. FWC officers are out in force throughout the year vigorously enforcing Florida's boating laws and arresting people who operate boats carelessly or while under the influence of alcohol.