Boating and a 1 year old

[TMoNeE]

Hey gang what do u guys suggest for boating with a 1 yr old. She seems to really hate the pfd but safety is obviously the priority how do ur babies like te boat and pfd and what suggestions do you have so we can enjoy the boat as a family?

Thanks

 

[spikeitaudi]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

PFD are required here in New Jersey for 13 year olds and younger. Not much else you can do. You can try a Type 5 inflatable PFD as they are smaller overall but much more expensive. Not sure if they make Type 5 PFD for infants though.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Yea the PFD's are a pain when they are that old... My daughter looked like she was in a straight jacket when she had hers on and her movement was really restricted and it kept making her fall over backwards while sitting down... once they get a little older it will be easier.

I did buy this little chair for the beach and it has proven invaluable on the boat....she's 2 1/2 in this picture but even when she was smaller it kept her sitting up right and was pretty stable being it sits so low.

But it can still tip over as we found out as I was bringing in a nice sized fish last fall.....hmmm..fish ....pick up daughter off the deck.....fish.....pick up daughter....

 

[BuckyBadger]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Sorry, no advice for you - thinking back that would be a tough age. But, I can offer you some reassurance that is does get better and it shouldn't be too long. We started when our youngest was 2.5 and she took right to it.

Once she develops a little more awareness of her surroundings she'll be paying too much attention to everything else to even notice the pfd. Actually that's when the fun really starts - don't touch that; get down off of that; hands inside the boat; that's not safe; no we're not there yet;

 

[mippel]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

My 2yo is fine, as long as she is driving

We make sure that we have lots of toys and a bucket so she can play in some water. We also had her in a swim class where she wore her vest and swam in it.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

just keep the vest wet, get it wet before you put it on her if its hot outside. I would take my daughter to a beach and sit in the sand with her and take it off to give her a break at some point in the day. I also bought a really nice one so it would be as comfortable as possible.

My daughter started at 9 mo old and now she loves it, and corrects people on the terms Bow, Stern, Port, and Starboard even. its great

 

[aspeck]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

When my daughter was that age we put her in her life jacket around the pool so she would get used to it and the safety it brought her in the water. Now at the age of 8 she does not hesitate to put on the life jacket ... even before we get in the Yukon to head to the lake! It is her second skin. Hang in there, it will get better and she will get used to it.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Go on the net and see if they have a swim suit with an approved flotation device built in.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

When my daughter was that age we put her in her life jacket around the pool so she would get used to it and the safety it brought her in the water. Now at the age of 8 she does not hesitate to put on the life jacket ... even before we get in the Yukon to head to the lake! It is her second skin. Hang in there, it will get better and she will get used to it.

yep, my kid is the same way. We went to walmart and let her pick out a "cool" one. its black/pink with some rose design on it and its neoprene and she loves it. Shes proud to wear it so it worked out well. We started her in the pool with a non-uscg approved one before that also just to get used to the idea. i forgot about that, but its a good idea.

 

[TMoNeE]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Yea the PFD's are a pain when they are that old... My daughter looked like she was in a straight jacket when she had hers on and her movement was really restricted and it kept making her fall over backwards while sitting down... once they get a little older it will be easier.

I did buy this little chair for the beach and it has proven invaluable on the boat....she's 2 1/2 in this picture but even when she was smaller it kept her sitting up right and was pretty stable being it sits so low.

But it can still tip over as we found out as I was bringing in a nice sized fish last fall.....hmmm..fish ....pick up daughter off the deck.....fish.....pick up daughter....

Yeah thats the problem, its like a straight jacket for her, but it has the head flotation protection if she were to get thrown out of the boat if an accident were to occur. I might try one of the nicer neoprene ones just because they have some flex to them, but after that we might just have to wait til shes a little older, although id really like to get her out this season

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Go shopping to find a store that has PFDs for small children with characters on them that you know your daughter likes. Once you are sure that the store has something that she will pick out, go back with her and let her point to the one she wants. She will them identify with the PFD as something that belongs to her, instead of something that mommy and daddy make her wear.

I can't guarantee that this works with every kid, but it usually does.



???

 

[grego]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Find a babysitter! at that age she or he WILL! not remember boating anyway. lots of things can occur and if the worst happens, you will NEVER!!! forgive yourself! imho.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

Yeah thats the problem, its like a straight jacket for her, but it has the head flotation protection if she were to get thrown out of the boat if an accident were to occur. I might try one of the nicer neoprene ones just because they have some flex to them, but after that we might just have to wait til shes a little older, although id really like to get her out this season

It will get easier....but dont write off the whole season.. take your trips with reasonable expectations...you wont be able to be out as long and do as many things but you can still squeeze a little fun out of it....besides you'll be spending most of your time driving the boat so your wife will be may more miserable than you....

 

[180shabah]

Re: Boating and a 1 year old

My daughter has been in the boat since she was 3-4months old, and she definitely looked like a pig in a blanket last summer, but it kept her face up.

Here she is napping in her pfd



And showing a little attitude after we re-pfd her. She had it off for lunch.