Ten people were found not wearing lifejackets, seven boats were not carrying required safety equipment and six boats were found unregistered after a major safety and compliance blitz by police and NSW Transport officers across the NSW South Coast on the weekend.
Safety officers worked over three days, which included the Canberra Day holiday in the ACT, making 858 inspections across southern NSW waterways.
Jervis Bay, which is part of the ACT, was a major focus for the campaign. NSW police assisted by random breath-testing boat owners and jet ski riders to ensure they were below the 0.05 blood alcohol content (BAC) threshold.
Areas of Jervis Bay, Durras, Broulee Bay, Tuross Lake and Batemans Bay are all subject to special restrictions and include "no go" areas for boaters. All these areas were patrolled over the three days, with boat and jet ski owners cautioned or penalised for transgressions.
There has been a rise in boating-related fatalities in the past year, which NSW Transport says is unacceptable.
"While conditions such as bad weather and rough seas have played a part in a number of these fatalities, many of the people who lost their lives on NSW waterways this boating season were either not wearing a lifejacket or weren't keeping a proper lookout," the acting executive director of NSW Maritime, Alex Barrell said.
"Our message to boaters is to have fun but to always keep safety top-of-mind when heading out on the water.
"Weather can change quickly and conditions can turn dangerous for boaters."
There were 21 people cautioned because they failed to have their lifejackets properly serviced, and seven people received penalty notices for speeding on their jet skis.
In NSW waters you must have a general boat licence if the powered vessel is capable of 10 knots or more. And if you drive a personal watercraft (PWC) such as a jetski, you must also have a PWC licence, observe all signposted speed limits, and keep at least 30 metres from other vessels, structures and the shoreline.
When driving any vessel, you must keep 60 metres from any people in the water or any dive flag.
