Okanagan Boating

We have many great seasons here in the Okanagan, but one of my favorites is boating season. It is a great way to get out and enjoy our wonderful Okanagan sunshine and some of the watersports are great exercise. It is also a great way to spend time with friends and family. We have enjoyed Okanagan Lake as much as we can as local residents and as a family.

We purchased our first boat in 1993, it was a bow rider Bay Liner. Our kids were still little when we got it and they enjoyed spending summers on the lake. Along with our two kids we usually had a full load of nieces and nephews as well. A picnic packed lunch, snacks and plenty of bottles of water and we would spend the whole day on the lake. We enjoyed watersports such as skiing, knee boarding, wake boarding and of course tubing. Plenty of sunscreen, hats and towels packed in giant beach bags made for plenty of trips from the vehicle to the dock. We had our boat stored in the Westbank Yacht Club for many years so loading up and heading out on the water was much easier.

Teaching our kids and family water safety was very important on the boat. Anyone driving the boat must have a boating license. We made sure there was a lifejacket approved by the department of transportation on the boat to fit every person’s weight. Our kids had to wear a lifejacket on the boat all the time, especially when in the water for any reason. Our boat always had the safety equipment needed in case of an emergency, such as paddles, a whistle and flares. Boat safety is an important part of enjoying the wonderful season.