Boating with babies.

[Big Shaun]

Hi,

Just wondering what age have Ausfish members started to take their young ones on the water. We just had a first baby this week. Cheers.

Shaun

[gavinc400]

my little girl was 6 months old when we first toke in my tinny she sleep most of it we nornally keep to quite time of the year and all ways in a life jacket

[bushbeachboy]

I'm not letting my young bloke in the boat until he's 4 or 5 and can swim strongly.

[Dean1]

I took my neice out when she was 4 or 5 in the tinnie, she loved catching winter whiting off shorncliff but it got choppy on the way home and she was terrified balling her eyes out and peed her pants I reckon about at least 8 yrs old at least.

[PinHead]

grandson is 6..loves going on the boat but he knows the boat does not start until he has his lifejacket on. Took granddaughter on the cruiser when she was 8 months old...she was in a life jacket the entire time. Biggest thing to be careful of with the kids is the sun and wind burn.

[Ron173]

My 3 yr old comes out on impoundments with us all time, loves it and has done for a year.

The criteria for us was when her lifejacket fitted her correctly, which is around the 10kg mark

[dodgyone]

Younger the better on enclosed waters. My little bloke loves coming out crabbing in the esturies. He is 2 and a half. Holds the esky up ready as the pot comes over the side. Got a little girl arriving in the next couple of weeks so the minister for war and finances approved the step up to a bigger rig.
Life jackets on at all times. One thing to be careful with is they get scared very easily. Can take along time for a kid to get over a seemingly terrifying ordeal in their eyes. I know that from first hand experience with myself.
Small trips and often, even if you only catch a few small fish. Wont be long till they will be ready to be the decky on the long hauls.

[nigelr]

Interesting thread Shaun.
Personally, my grandkids will have to be both comfortable and competent at both treading water and swimming. And the river will be their domain until about 10 or 11.
A friend of mine took his son to sea at about 7, but I'm nowhere near as fit/young as him, and as such, less able to be physically responsible for a childs' safety in a worse case scenario. His young fella is very comfortable in the ocean, he surfs, does nippers etc, IMO this makes a collosal difference to being able to control panic in an emergency situation at sea.
Ultimately, this is a decision every skipper has to make for him/herself, based on their own abilities, and that of their crew, including children.
Cheers.

[madman1]

As soon as Abbi was able to fit in the smallest lifejacket she was an official Ausfisher, 5 months old i recall.

She and we haven't looked back.

Interesting thread.

The younger the better.

Cheers


Mark

[on-one]

We've taken our boy out a few times starting when he was about 6 months old, still need to do some work to child proof the boat so there's a safe play area and one of us doesn't have to hold him the whole time

[MyWay]

my was only 6 m old when he 1st time was on boat i took him just for cruse on Monday
so i was trying to taking him when is not much traffic out there ' anyhow he enjoy it every moment when he sleep my wife make anchor in calm area for for 3 hour to till he wake up
and there is no fish there at all

[lippa]

took my lil fella for his first trip, 5 months the other day

[wind rider]

my boy was 6 mths old when he went out for the first time. must have a life jacket on at all times dad set the example. 3 now and must come every time i go now. gets upset if it is to rough and he has to stay home.
he loves to throw the sinkers in the water have to hide them now.
loves fishing.

[Roughasguts]

Babies are fine!!!! It's when there 2 and 3, that the keys get thrown over board, and the anchor rope gets undone, and they draw all over the inside of the cabin for you. Watch them then there a hand full, but all me kids and babies love the boat, never cry or complain just look out across the water nice and peace full.

[fish-n-dive]

This is a great question.

I have had them as young as 5yo on board in Fairburn Dam (with life jackets) when it was at about 6% (a couple of feet deep in most places).

I feel that at that age, even if they are strong swimmers, it's usually a long way to shore so the question I would be asking myself is, "can I hold on to all of them until we get rescued - I have a few littles) ......... I'd hate to live out the rest of my life knowing I hurt (or worse) one of them.