I hope so. She's just starting to let me take him out the house. I say he's ready for a Cabela's/Bass Pro road trip! But momma ain't going for it. Lol

Type I ,II, III
All kids under 16 on vessel less than 26 ft. In la.

Easier to find in paper pamphlet than online

When I mentioned taking my daughter with me in the boat my wife was not having it. She dooesnt do small boats either. I told her that her phobias weren't going to affect our daughters life. I just explained to her that I grew up on the water and that I was taking my girl hunting and fishing, since then my wife (without me) took her and found a life jacket and have both been out with me twice. They both have extremely fair skin so short trips, plenty of sunblock and plenty in the cooler. My daughter will be 5mo old next week.. Start em young, start em right.

I've basically told my wife, ill be in the boat, if you want to see me much during hunting season. You'll load up...

5 months is young but when she get old enough swimming lessons is a must.

Yeah, I realize its younger than most. We've had her in infant water survival classes since she was 6 weeks. Basically teaches them how to float and cry if they fall in the water. Pretty cool stuff.

Basically, I told my wife that my daughter was going... Either she could come along and hold her and make sure everything is ok, or she can be a nervous wreck till we get home. We're not on the water over an hour and I never run the boat in anything but some Lillie's and grass. Wife's nervous as it is, no reason to make her shit herself, we don't keep diapers that big

My earliest memories are of my family (I was the youngest born) going in the boat to a sandbar. I can remember a few of those flashbacks. I was about 2 and a half. And always talked about going in the boat and my sister and mom was always amazed that I could remember it at such a young age.

My dad built a couple of boats before I was born -1963 (yeh I am old). Right before I turned 6, dad bought a fishing bateau and we were in the water all the time, mostly the spillway at Belle River. We went almost every week. Rain, shine, heat, cold (like get on the bank and build a fire cold in the shell cuts). I never new what Pierre Part looked like in the daytime, before the year of 1973. We went early and stayed late. Big flood of 73 put that to an end and an end to fishing in the spillway for a long time till the flood had gone away and fishing came back.

My dad taught me how to find our way around the spillway we fished which was from Bayou Long by old river to south of Adam's landing and all of the 21, 16, shell cuts and everything connected to them and Bayou long He taught me to drive the boat early. He would pick the places he thought we should fish, and made me look at the maps and show him where it was, how to get there and multiple routes to other places if we want to move fishing spots. He said that I had to learn all that to be safe in case something happened to him while we were out. We also went to Lake Verret, Palourde, Grassy and Grand Bayou by that sink hole at Bayou Corne. He would constantly school me on that stuff. I never thought it was dumb though because I loved it. Until this spring I have not been to all those places in a lot of years, because when I did fish it was in Gibson or other places with my older brother and a few friends. Some of it has changed. But I can still pick out a lot of places now still when I go and remember the great times with my dad.

Now this has nothing to do with life jackets at all. What it has to do is telling you men out there to make sure you convince the people (mostly women I am sure) in your life that it is very important to bring your kids out with you at an early age. Get them used to being out there and wanting to be out there. Bring them hunting and fishing. Bring them froggin and juggin, crabbin, crawfishing. Bring them to museums and points of interest around your great state, which ever it may be. Every state is beautiful and has history in own right and is great. Teach them about loving nature and all the wildlife. Teach them how to harvest the wildlife that God gave us for our meals. And to do it in a responsible way.

I never had children, I wish I would have. I bring my nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews now. But I will never be able to replace the memories of being with my dad in the outdoors. He gave me the greatest gift a man could ever give his children--- time with him teaching me to love our land.

Sorry to write a novel. Just feel it is important is all.

It's not parents I worry about it the unsafe people out there. Buddy of mine had his son and dad in the boat . Bam out of nowhere a guy rolling in his boat ran them and threw then out the boat the son had life jacket on. Saved his ass.

I like hearing a man recount his time on the water with his father... Something about it is timeless and irreplaceable. Those are the types of stories I hope to create with my daughter, just like i have done with my dad and oldest brother. I know at some point she will be into phones, make up, filthy little boys... Etc. but I want her to be able to say that her daddy taught her right. I cringe at my oldest nephew (13yrs old) that can't find his way back to his house from more than a block away. He'll be soooo screwed if he ever has to put his iPad down. But my brother (middle brother) is content with feeding him tranquilizers and video games so there's not a whole lot I can do. And it sucks.

Sorry for my mini rant... It's just kids these days I guess... It honestly hurts me inside a little bit.

And yes, always watch out for the other guy. Take every precaution possible wether your little ones are in the boat with you or not.

Yeah, I guess you're right about that. My brother and myself have gone round and round about it. For whatever reason he doesn't want him out on a boat or hunting because it will turn him into some type of "primitive killer"... I persisted for several years. And have given up I'm almost ashamed to say. In a couple years I'm going to start asking HIM to go and not asking his dad if he can.