Water Recreation

California has one of the highest levels of recreational boating activity in the nation. With 1,100 miles of coast, hundreds of navigable rivers, lakes, and the Delta, there are ample recreational opportunities for the State’s approximately four million boaters. As California’s population has increased, so has the popularity of boating as a recreational activity. That’s a lot of Californians having a lot of boating adventures on thousands of miles of beautiful waterways!
As a boater, water enthusiast and angler, you love being out on the water safely and have a stake in clean, healthy waterways. To ensure that your experience is a safe and enjoyable one, it is important for you to always implement safe and clean boating practices that will help to keep boating in our state safe, clean and fun! Remember safety and the environment go hand in hand.
Adults and kids wearing life jackets are sitting in kayaks in Tomales Bay and waving to the camera.
Life jackets hanging on a rack.

Life Jackets

Under California law, every child under 13 years of age on a moving recreational vessel of any length must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

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Aquatic Centers Offering On-the-Water Courses

Aquatic Centers operated by universities, colleges, local public agencies, and nonprofit organizations, provide classroom and on-the-water boating safety education in kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, powerboating,...

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Boating Clean and Green

As a boater, you love being out on the water and have a stake in clean, healthy waterways. In order to ensure that your experience...

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Boating Safety and Education for All

Welcome to the California Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) safety and education page! DBW relies on partnerships with many organizations (educational institutions, aquatic centers,...

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Dockside Podcast

Dockside is the podcast that helps you save and enjoy the waters you love by sharing clean and safe boating practices. This podcast is brought...

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Life Jacket Loaner Programs

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) partners with public and private entities to make life jackets available to the public on a...

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Life Jackets

Under California law, every child under 13 years of age on a moving recreational vessel of any length must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket...

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Ocean Safety

Watch a YouTube video about ocean safety

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The Changing Tide Newsletter

The Changing Tide newsletter is the quarterly publication of the California Clean Boating Network (CCBN). The newsletter is dedicated to promoting clean boating practices in...

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Water Recreation

California has one of the highest levels of recreational boating activity in the nation. With 1,100 miles of coast, hundreds of navigable rivers, lakes, and...

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