GOFAST boats safe for children?
 

Wanted opinions on safety and appropriateness for a 10 year old to go boating on a Baja Outlaw on Lake Michigan with twin 454 engines.

Do gofast boats and kids mix?

Are they safe?

My oldest and youngest were on my boat at 10 and 9 days old respectively...... I definetly remember doing 65 with my youngest on his maiden voyage - at 9 days

Common sense is all it takes...... I don't run wide open with them and don't go pound waves, but I don't really use the boat that way anyways

A boat in good repair is as safe as its driver. Accidents are almost always are a result of human error.

My close friends son and daughter were both on the boat many times (Outlaw 35) at the ripe old age of 5 & 7..... The majority of safety lies with the owner/operator, captain or whatever you want to call the person in charge of the boat then a smaller part of falls to the how the boat is maintained and finally to the parent of the children. For instance I really don't let people other than me on the boat when firing it up, blowers on etc. as SFG said I don't go wide open or wave crashing with kids on board and as he said I don't drive that way anyhow,every piece of safety gear that is required is on my boat and then some. Finally my friend makes his children behave while on board life vests on at all time no exceptions period, must stay seated at all times the boat is moving no exceptions and it is his responsibility to watch his children.

So take those 3 big buckets Operator, his safety and knowledge of the boat and you as a parent willing to control your children at all cost and you can easily arrive at the safety factor in your head. If you can't answer those questions then ask and if you can't get an answer to some of them then pass on putting your children on any boat regardless of style.

YES, YES, and another YES

Use common sense and you should be ok

We have an 18 and 12 year old. Our 12 year old daughter has to run around the shower to get wet-- Not much mass-- the only thing that has worried me is because she is so lite that I'm afraid that she will just bounce out of the boat. So when she is in the bow (we have a bowrider) I just take it easy -- for sure on Lake Michigan - life preservers are a must -- all the time.

where are you going out from?

3pointstar

It's kinda like asking if you should put your kids in (any) car. Most cars will do over 80 mph right. Just because it can do it ,it doesn't mean you have to. I have 4 kids all under 10 yo. They all love it. I never go fast with then but I'm also not going slow. They have no problems going 50-60 and always always have vests on and there is alwasy 2 adults on the boat with them. At the end of the day when kids can't swim 2mph is just as deadly as 50mph.

My son was 1 on his first ride drove @ 3 1/2 and first time over 80 @ 7 we r on ours every weekend from May to October.

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Its all good just make sure the alcohol stays at the dock and it gets driven respectfully. Does he know you joined oso? LOL BTW lots of videos of people with no sense so use your judgment.

To the dash board better put him in tress martins class. LOL