Off Season?

Boaters often are curious about how state watercraft officers keep busy during Ohio winters. Patrolling is one activity that continues into winter as some hearty anglers and waterfowl hunters remain active on Ohio waterways until they become ice covered.

Officers educate boaters about the dangers of hypothermia and overloaded vessels, often working with local wildlife officers during the cold weather months.

Watercraft officers conduct more Ohio Boater Education Courses (OBEC) during the winter when compared to summer patrol season to promote safety, awareness and understanding of boating laws and regulations, as well as getting to know your vessel.

They develop education programs for special groups such as schools and sports clubs. Additionally, watercraft officers conduct special presentations on boating safety to various community groups. The officers are visited frequently at the Division of Watercraft exhibitor booth during winter trade shows to answer boating questions and also can be heard discussing boating safety from time to time on local radio.

Some officers previously assisted with the development of the popular "Cold Water Boot Camp" video series that shows the effects of cold water and immersion hypothermia on the body and how dressing properly and wearing a life jacket can increase the chances of survival.

Winter is when the Division of Watercraft conducts a lot of the training for its officers, who receive the instruction necessary to maintain their professional skills. Watercraft officers engage in years of specialized training to ensure the boating public can enjoy Ohio waterways in a fun and safe manner.

Officers stay in contact with local courts to keep apprised of law changes and to update local court information and personnel. They handle boating related legal matters that continue into the winter while working with local prosecutors to make sure cases are handled and violators are prosecuted. Officers also serve outstanding warrants issued for unpaid tickets or failure to appear in court and follow up on reported stolen vessels and boating complaints.

There's more.

Officers also are involved in boat registration and titling investigations, theft investigations, and conducting hull identification number (HIN) inspections on vessels as needed.

Additionally officers maintain their preparedness to provide mutual aid assistance as may be requested by other government agencies.