NORTH PLATTE–Many locations across southwest Nebraska are hosting boating safety courses as part of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s statewide effort to offer boating safety courses. The courses are home-study or six-hour classroom sessions.
Nebraska law requires any motorboat operator, including drivers of personal watercraft, born after Dec. 31, 1985, to complete one of the two types of boating safety courses and be in possession of a course certificate. Operators must be 14 years old to drive motorboats and personal watercraft in Nebraska.
Option A offers all certification requirements in a six-hour classroom environment.Option B requires participants to download and study materials online before attending a three-hour review and test-out session.
Course dates across the region (all are Option B unless otherwise noted):
• April 29 & 30, Cozad (Option A)
• May 4 & 6, Imperial (Option A)
• May 6, McCook
• May 12 & 14, Ogallala (Option A)
• May 13, McCook
• May 19, Kearney
• May 20, McCook
• May 21, Grand Island
• May 23, North Platte
• May 23, Lake McConaughy
• June 2, North Platte
• June 11, Kearney
• June 13, Lake McConaughy
• June 18, Grand Island
• June 27, Lake McConaughy
• July 1, Kearney
• July 1, North Platte
• July 4, Lake McConaughy
• July 8, Grand Island
• July 18, Lake McConaughy
• Aug. 1, Lake McConaughy
• Aug. 4, North Platte
To attend a boating safety course in Grand Island or Kearney, register with Daryl Teter at[email protected] or (308)440-1863. To attend a course in Ogallala/Lake McConaughy, register with Scott Eveland at [email protected] or 308-289-0017. To attend a course in North Platte, register with Rachelle Allbery at 308-539-1895or [email protected]. For McCook, register with Mid Plains Community College at 308-345-1823. For Cozad, register with Brian at 308-784-2808. For Broken Bow, register with Mid Plains Community College at 308-872-5259. For Imperial, Mid Plains Community College at 308-882-5972.
Additional classes will be added throughout the spring. For the latest class listings, visit the Boating Education calendar at www.BoatSafeNebraska.org.
A $10 fee applies to most classes. For more information on Nebraska boating safety, please visit www.BoatSafeNebraska.org.