Wellness Articles

Boats and Booze -
A Dangerous Combination

Wellness Index

Drinking and driving often end in disaster, but drinking and boating can be even more hazardous. In fact, over half of the boating accidents that result in drowning involve alcohol. The reason is "boater's hypnosis." After about four hours of exposure to sun, wind, glare, vibration, noise, and boating motion the sober boater seems to develop tunnel vision, staring straight ahead and unable to observe what's happening around the boat. It's like being drunk without having a single alcoholic drink. So the actual drinking of alcohol only compounds the "intoxication."

The false sense of authority resulting from drinking alcohol leads some to try daring maneuvers with a boat that they would never attempt sober. Alcohol only makes you think you are performing better. Instrument readings on boats have proven that alcohol impairs your judgment about possible dangers.

Alcohol also dulls your ability to react to emergency situations, reduces your vision at night by up to 75 percent, and makes you tipsy, so that you're more likely to lose your balance on a rocking boat and fall into the water. Two out of three drowning victims never planned to go into the water.

Even Good Swimmers Often Drown When Drunk

Alcohol reduces your ability to swim by:

• making it more difficult to hold your breath,

• disorienting you under water (people under water who are intoxicated often swim down rather than up),

• reducing your coordination and strength,

• and lowering your body's temperature, allowing it to drop dangerously low in cold water.

For Some People, One Drink Can Be Dangerous

Whenever you're on a boat, especially if you're the skipper, follow these safety rules:

• Limit your drinking of alcohol to one drink per hour or less.

• Always eat before you drink.

• Sip your drink.

• Switch to nonalcoholic beverages.

• And allow a nondrinker to operate the boat.

So remember that boating and alcohol just don't mix. As popular as boating is, it can be dangerous even without the handicap of alcohol. If you must drink, don't go near the water.

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