Long weekend boating campaign

A STATEWIDE campaign to remind boaters to routinely check the expiry date of essential boating safety equipment kicks off in NSW this October long weekend.

Acting chief executive of NSW Maritime Steve Dunn said inflatable lifejackets, flares and emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) all carried expiry dates and it was crucial such safety equipment was kept in a serviceable condition.

"Boating Safety Officers will be out in force in bays, inlets, rivers, dams and lakes this long weekend conducting random inspections of boating safety equipment," Dunn said.

"Especially when it comes to inflatable lifejackets the message is: wear it, inspect it, service it."

"Inflatable lifejackets are growing in popularity due to their compact size, but with that comes the added responsibility of ensuring all mechanisms are in good working order and ready to activate if needed," said Dunn.

"A poorly maintained inflatable jacket may not inflate when you need it most."

NSW Maritime's Don't Expire campaign also includes a flier, a sticker and a resource page on the Maritime website to support the on-water education and compliance initiative and to help drive these important messages home to boaters.

"As every responsible skipper knows, regular checks need to be made of certain safety equipment items to ensure they will work when needed, such as in life threatening circumstances," said Dunn.

The new NSW Maritime resource page which generates email reminder alerts for important dates can be found at http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/expire.html