The NASBLA Seal of Safe Boating Practices program has been around for over ten years. It provides a way for NASBLA to provide recognition to boating safety publications, pamphlets, videos and other media not eligible for NASBLA approval as a boating course, but still considered to be beneficial to boating safety.
The program offers review and validation for any boating media you create, including videos, pamphlets, brochures, and coloring books. An exception would be stand-alone boating education courses, which must go through the full, formal NASBLA course approval process. Other than courses, nearly every other type of media or material you can think of is eligible for the seal. Of course, the program isn’t for endorsing boating products such as PFDs, paddles or other equipment.
Our panel of boating education and safety experts reviews every submission for common-sense requirements, such as showing boaters in life jackets, proper safety practices and sensible boat operation. Once a piece passes review, the seal can be affixed to the material, showing boaters, agency leaders, opinion makers and those knowledgeable about boating safety that you have taken all the right steps to make a great product.
Of course the best time to submit materials for review is before those items go into production. After a piece has been mass produced, it’s difficult to include the seal on the actual item, presenting a missed opportunity.
There is intrinsic value to having your materials reviewed, voluntarily, by a panel of experts. You demonstrate your commitment to safety and education, and the seal provides national validation for your efforts. This seal is well respected in and around the boating safety community, and we hope to see more groups, organizations and agencies take advantage of this service.
Some of the past recipients of the seal include: Alan Madison Productions, Tread Lightly Foundation, Kawasaki Motors, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadrons, Boat U.S. Foundation, as well as a number states and federal agencies.
For complete details or more information, please check out the NASBLA website, or you can contact NASBLA headquarters directly if you have any questions about the program or to determine if your item is a likely candidate for the seal.
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