Baby Age for boating

[mf01]

At what age did you take your baby on your boat? Also, how did you keep him/her in the boat? My son was born on 12/1/12. I don't plan on going out in the boat with him yet, but the warmer weather has been giving me the itch. I'm trying to set my own expectations.

[Double D]

My kids were already 3 by the time we got our boat, but I can tell you that if I had a child born on 12/1 he/she would be 7 months old by June and he would be on the boat, with the baby seat and MOM of course. A friend of mine had a child that was 4 months old during a boating reunion we had back in 2010 and they stayed all day!!

[ES]

Do a search on the site, I remember this topic coming up some time ago.
If I remember correctly, the key takeaway was use the car seat, have an adult nearby and cover the car seat with a towel/sheet to protect from the Sun. Especially with a younger infant I would be particularly concerned with strain on their neck and sun exposure. Apart from that I would suspect the baby will sleep very well with the engine noise and fresh air!

[swc5150]

I know my parents had me in the boat 3 months after I was born, and the only reason it wasn't sooner, is March 1st is still winter around here. We had my nephew out within weeks of being born, and nothing puts a baby to sleep faster than the slow rock of a boat and the sound of an inboard

[OKWAKEBDR]

Had my son out at 9 days old! Living on a lake makes it much easier though.

[cedarcreek216]

Both of ours were out before they were 4 months old. We used infant life jacket in the carrier but not buckled in, just in case the carrier got thrown from the boat they would separate and the jacket would work properly.

[biggator]

As soon as you can get them in a car seat. Kids love the movement - sleep like rocks.

As mentioned above - car seat, shade, adult supervision.. good times.

[MTRBTR]

2 Months Slept the whole time.

[GoBig]

My son was on the boat at 12 weeks. A USCG approved infant life jacket is a must and should be put on before getting on the boat! Never substitute holding the baby for a life jacket. They'll hate the life jacket at first but the earlier you get them used to it, the better. Never strap your baby into any kid of seat while on a boat! Get one of those baby bouncers and put it next to the driver's seat facing aft under the bimini. They will sleep all day! Like this one, only take out the toy thingy that hangs over their head...not necessary and will get in the way... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2508008 My boy is now 5 and is probably the safest boater in our family.

[GoBig]

...and congratulations by the way!

[hondaprlud]

We had my kids out @ 8 weeks. Lifevest on the whole time. An adult would hold them underway. When the boat stopped we would put them on the seat next to us. I don't think there is a too early.

[biggator]

FYI - most of the car seats float.

[acs220]

The Bumbo seats work good once the baby can sit up on their own. We used to put ours on the floor in the aisle between the driver and observer seats. Our son loved watching everyone ride. He would always follow them when we had him in the seat.

[uncalumx2]

My $.02,

What matters most is get a life jacket that fits. Put it on them and be ready to drop them in a body of water to test it (we dropped them in the tub) and make sure that they don't fall out of it upon impact. State laws vary, but in NC if you have no life jacket on and are underage then you can't be on the boat. Our oldest one (7 now) was a January birthday so he spent the summer on the water. Our youngest (3.5) was a June birthday, so we kept him on land a little more that first summer. As long as they can situp on their own and don't fall out of the lifejacket, you should be cool.

Both of our boys loved floating in the tub getting ready for boating season.

[ski4evr]

I've raised two boys on the water. Diapers suck!! Staying home sucks worse!!!! Carry plenty of ziplocks for dirty's and wet wipes (gallon size works best). Extra towels for a changing station (poop doesn't come off the vinyl very easily). Other than that, great family time for us--loved the wind, water, and music. "Nappy runs" were the best!!! We often "negotiated" for the observer's seat with the little one on those hot afternoon rides. "When the engine is running, LIFE JACKETS ON!" is the rule of the boat. The neoprene with the head pillow to keep them upright in the water is nice, but not guaranteed to work properly. It did after a while, but only after their balance improved. As soon as they can fit into a SuperSoft, that is the way to go.

Have a Blast!!! and Congratuations!!