What state did you grow up in?

Two things you can do that will literally save your kids life, put them in swimming lessons at an early age and make them wear a lifejacket while always on the boat.

15 is a bit old.. More like what you're saying, around 8ish

13

TPWD rules only apply to public lakes? Not private lakes?

I have one little phrase that helps me make these decisions. Please think of it as part of your decision making process.

"That's why they call them accidents."

13 by law....we have put Ty through swimming lessons since he was 6, he's 14 now I still make him wear a auto vest while we fish

� 31.066. Life Preserving Devices
(a) A motorboat, including a motorboat carrying passengers for hire, must
carry at least one wearable personal flotation device of the sort prescribed by the
regulations of the commandant of the Coast Guard for each person on board, so
placed as to be readily accessible.
(b) The operator of a motorboat less than 26 feet in length, while underway,
shall require every passenger under 13 years of age to wear a wearable personal
flotation device of the sort prescribed by the regulations of the commandant of the
Coast Guard. A life belt or ring buoy does not satisfy this requirement.
(c) A person may not operate a recreational vessel 16 feet or more in
length unless the vessel is equipped with:
(1) the number of wearable personal flotation devices required under
Subsection (a); and
(2) additionally, at least one immediately accessible Type IV throwable
flotation device of the sort prescribed by the regulations of the commandant of the
Coast Guard.
(d) A person under 13 years of age on board a vessel described by Section
31.073(a) or (b) must wear a wearable personal flotation device of the sort prescribed
by the commandant of the Coast Guard while the vessel is under way.
(e) An adult operator of a vessel described by Section 31.073 may not
permit a person under 13 years of age to be on board the vessel while the vessel is
under way if the person under 13 years of age is not wearing a wearable personal
flotation device required by Subsection (d).

...WHY would you EVER take the kids life jacket off ?
I wear mine when I am fishing all the time.
get the kid a light weight auto inflate and teach him to wear it all the time when on the water.......even when fishing, especially when fishing
the kids can fall out and hit their head on a stump just as easily as a grown adult.
CHANGE the culture of boat & fishing safety ........ nothing unmanly about wearing a life jacket ALL the TIME

I started taking mine off when I was 8. I grew up around boats my entire life and I always wore it while the big motor was on. My daughter will be 9 in September and I make her wear the self inflating always.

Life Jackets are seldom needed under normal conditions. Once a child can do a mile swim or float for an hour (unassisted), consideration can be given to not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device) while not underway. Life jackets are for the unexpected----accidents. All should wear PFD's while underway; particularly at high speeds. If you have ever seen the carnage done to a boat when a steering cable snaps under high speed torque, you would never question wearing a PDF while underway. .

Little know fact: " in over 80% of all male drownings, the fly is open". Hang on when you [censored] or use a urinal.

My son got to where he didn't want to fish in the summers cause his life jacket was too hot! Now he wears a kids cool mesh one and likes it a lot better and sometimes will jump in and swim a bit to cool off!

The rules in our boats has been everyone has a lifejacket on when big motor is running, even though all daughters and son in laws worked as Life Guards, and everybody under age 14 had life jacket on all the time, it does help that my wife never takes hers off. Rules still hold to this day even though one of the Son in laws is Lt.Col and a F16 instructor pilot, they all agree and enforce the rules for grandkids. Like somebody said accidents do happen and if you get thrown out and hit your head, the swimming skills you have will not help you.

My 3 kids wear their jackets year round when they are in the boat. They are 16, 11, 5 and have been in the boat since they were in a car seat. They have always had a jacket that met their age requirements. During the summer they go with me fishing and usually swim behind the boat while I fish. I'd rather them just wear their jacket to be safe. I hardly ever wear mine unless it's windy.

I do think it depends on the state and where you fish though. When I go home to Tennessee and fish below the dam it is a requirement for everyone regardless of age to wear a life jacket. You never know when the spill ways or turbines will blow a big boil of water and dump you into the water. For every where else on the river children 12 and under must wear a PFD at all times while on the open deck of a recreational vessel that is not anchored, moored, or aground.

At what age can my kids take their jacket off while fishing in a boat? Well, what age do you feel comfy with them not wearing a seatbelt in a car? At *dead* age. I don't care what the law says, as long as they're on my boat they wear their jacket 100% of the time.

It's not like it's a girdle or a cast. You can wear even the cheapest Wal-Mart special life jacket for 8-10 hours on the water as long as you bought the right size and not have any problems.

Wear it. Make them wear it. One mistake is all it takes and you'll have your own topic on TFF, "OMG another one drowned in Fork the other day"