Boating with 5 year olds

[mbrown131]

Hi there! I'm interested in picking up a Sea Doo Challenger for the family but I'm worried my kids are too young. I have twin 5.5 year old boys that can swim and a 3 year old that can basically swim. Of course we're not throwing them in the water, they will ALWAYS wear vests, etc. But I'm interested in others that have experience with kids this young. Is it fun for them to cruise around, swim in the water, safely tube with parents in the tube, etc.

Thanks in advance!

- Matt

 

[Dave burke]

I had boats before my kids were born and we took them boating and swimming very young. Just make sure you have proper life jackets.

Have fun

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

All kids are different Matt, but my kids are 6 and 9 (girls). They both love the lake and have since they were babies. Right now they love to tube as long as I don't get too crazy, but they have fallen off a few times and they don't get upset about it. Of course they have to wear good life jackets anytime they are in the water or on the boat. My 6 year old has one with a strap that goes between the legs we buckle before she tubes.

Lots of good boaters and info on here, let us know if you decide to get the boat!

 

[Dave burke]

Tell us also about the Sea Doo you’re thinking about. How old, supercharged or not, etc.

 

[HangOutdoors]

With smaller children its about Life Jackets, Proper safety equipment, Something to Provide Shade, and Plenty of Hydration as well as sun protection. Make sure you have a good First Aid kit on board. Teach them when they are young and growing up and they will be safe around water and boats for a lifetime.

 

[BJSelzer]

I'll echo what everyone else said about the life jackets being the most important part by far. Get good ones and buy new sizes as soon as they need them. Not worth cutting corners with vests.

My youngest is about to turn 6, but boated all last season as a 5yo. She loves the boat when it is going fast. Dislikes any slow cruising though. She also has a blast on both the sit down and lay down tubes with her slightly older siblings and does fine in the water if she gets thrown. She even tried the kneeboard by herself at the end of last year and though I wouldn't say she loved it then, she managed just fine and I expect will grow to enjoy it this year as she gets more confident / braver.

I will add that I expect it helps a lot that she has older siblings. Being the oldest, your twins may be more hesitant for a while but if they are anything like my kids will become raving fans very quickly.

 

[suke]

I'd stay away from anything 2008-2009. They had butt loads of engine issues, not just the supercharged ones. Nothing worse than a good day ruined like a broken down boat 3 miles from the ramp.

On the topic at hand I have a 6 yo boy, and we got our first jetboat when he was 4. He rode on jetskis prior to that at age 3. He loves jumping off the back, swimming, and tubing. He's our only child so we're a bit protective(momma, really). This year I want to get him up surfing with me. We shall see what momma will let us do.

 

[Trannyguy]

My kids all started boating as infants a couple as early as 6 months old. As long as you have the proper life jackets and don’t get to rough they will love it. My kids are now 9,13,15,and 17 and all still love going to lake with us. The younger they are usually they just like anchoring and playing in the water but as they get older the more stuff they will want to do. Not to mention the amount of help they can be loading and unloading everything as long as they are taught to be safe. Never to young in my opinion.

 

[Dean P]

I have 2 boys 14 months apart. They were 2.5 years old when we attached them to us on our jet skis. I feel introduction to boating can start at any age with lots of safety in mind. They are 29 and 28 now and still love it!!!

 

[Acard7]

My daughter was 2.5 when she was introduced to our [prop] boat and a tube (mom or dad with her on the tube obviously). She absolutely loved it. We can’t wait to get into the water this year with our AR230 and avoid having to worry about the back of the boat as a constant hazard.

Having the right life jacket is a must, plus a Bimini as well (as stated above). Our daughter always seemed to fall asleep when we would cruise around. She knows how to swim very well with her life jacket and we plan to do swimming lessons again this year when we aren’t on the boat. We have a red head so we use anywhere from 50-70SPF sunscreen .. Obviously bring plenty of food, snacks, and drinks because when my daughter isn’t swimming her stomach is a bottomless pit.

 

[AZMark]

I have a hard time picturing a kid of that age not wanting to go on a boat and swimming in the lake. I think it’s when they get older that it becomes more of an issue with friends, sports, video games, etc.
We’ve been taking our 4 month old out for the past two months and he loves it even though his life jacket is a head to toe situation at this age.

 

[tkeru408]

Our six year old twins love being in the water, but they get kind of bored just cruising around if they can't get in. Last fall, once the water got too cold to swim in I still wanted to take the boat out and cruise, so we had them bring some toys they could play with to keep themselves entertained. They also loved practicing driving the boat (with me standing right behind them, of course) and the scarcity of other boats on the lake in the fall made it a perfect time to practice.

Like others said...safety, safety, safety. Have plenty of first aid supplies around and, of course, life jackets on at all times. Our rule is they have to put them on before they step out of the truck at the ramp and they keep them on until they're ready to get back in the truck before we leave. There's too much other stuff for mom and I to focus on trying to launch the boat to worry about them being around the ramp without life jackets on. The only exception to our life jacket rule is if we're beached and off the boat in shallow water somewhere since they do know how to swim.

 

[rad1026]

I'm like AZMark. I won't go in to my philosophy on child rearing but if you like boating and live to get out on the water are you going to stop doing it because your kids get a little whinny about it? Drag them out there. If it makes you happy, they will be happy. The younger the better. Teach them to enjoy the outdoors and the love of physical activity. My kids have been on hobie cat sail boats since before they could walk. Skiing and snowboarding since they could carry the gear. Was it a heck of a lot of work? Yeah. Was it worth it to have our family still love to do things together, without a doubt.

 

[Bizywk]

We started our kids young, and everyone contributed. With our first boat, our 5yold was responsible for pulling the drain plug. She loved being part of the crew. We even bought a Little Tykes as an early form of a "Car Seat", long before they are what they are today. At times, I'd even mimic her steering actions so that she'd think she was piloting the actual boat. It is one of our best boating memories.

In fact, we just purchased a replacement tug boat on-line last month to repeat that family tradition for our first Grandchild which was born last year. We'll be taking him out this summer. Vintage Little Tikes Little Tug Boat Blue Child Toddler Size...Cuuuuuuuuute! | eBay

Hang Outdoors was right. They're not going in the water, so you prepare for extreme emergencies with high quality fitted flotation devices, responsible actions by the entire crew, and think safety with every move of the throttle.

 

[captainhook]

I took my kids on the boat in car seats. I just bought this boat and you're gonna like it, damn it! I would not consider 5 or 3 years old young. My youngest was less than 6 months old when he went the first time and had it been warmer earlier, he would've gone earlier.

 

[CaptainBarker]

I run a watersports charter boat 6 days a week with loads of families with small children 5 yrs old or younger. The main things I come across is they don't like wearing life jackets, and teaching them they have to be seated while the boats making way or someone is doing a watersport bc I have to speed up and down so much due to falling off of the tube or pulling someone out of the water to ski or wakeboard. Out of 100's of families they all do fine especially if the parents are helping me out. I've even had the family dogs tube with them. (Going slow)

 

[CaptainBarker]

 

[Julian]

Our daughter started boating as an infant.

 

[Sean R]

We got our first boat when my boys were 3 and 5 and they loved it. One thing they still do to this day, the minute we get on the boat they say " can we have a snack". there 14 and 16 now.

 

[suke]

My daughter was 2.5 when she was introduced to our [prop] boat and a tube (mom or dad with her on the tube obviously). She absolutely loved it. We can’t wait to get into the water this year with our AR230 and avoid having to worry about the back of the boat as a constant hazard.

Having the right life jacket is a must, plus a Bimini as well (as stated above). Our daughter always seemed to fall asleep when we would cruise around. She knows how to swim very well with her life jacket and we plan to do swimming lessons again this year when we aren’t on the boat. We have a red head so we use anywhere from 50-70SPF sunscreen .. Obviously bring plenty of food, snacks, and drinks because when my daughter isn’t swimming her stomach is a bottomless pit.

Everybody passed out from a day on the boat. LOL! We tend to bring our neighbors along when we go out. My little one was helping me drive, you can see the top of his head in the pic. Everyone else falling asleep sitting up.