Boater Safety
Top 10 List
- EMPTY BALLAST TANKS when not towing riders in wake boats, surf boats, and ski boats.
- MINIMIZE LARGE WAKES and be aware of the IMPACT on OTHER BOATERS as well as DOCKS, BOATHOUSES and SHORELINE.
- OBEY the 100 FOOT RULE. Boaters must stay 100 feet from any fixed or standing structure while underway. Not sure how to measure 100 feet? Check out the yellow signage at Halls across from the gas boat slips. This is a GEORGIA LAW and DNR had to write numerous citations in 2018 for violations.
- STAY TO THE RIGHT WHILE UNDER WAY. Rules of the road apply on the lake as well. It's GEORGIA LAW and makes the lake safer for all.
- TURN ON NAVIGATION LIGHTS BEFORE DUSK. Red/Green on front/bow and White light on the back/stern. ALWAYS HAVE A SECONDARY EMERGENCY LIGHT ON BOARD.
- CARRY COAST GUARD APPROVED LIFE JACKETS for each person on board. CHILDREN 12 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER MUST WEAR A COAST GUARD APPROVED LIFE JACKET WHILE THE BOAT IS UNDERWAY. SWIMMIES for the little ones QUALIFY ONLY IF THEY HAVE TAGS THAT STATE COAST GUARD APPROVED.
- DO NOT ALLOW SMALL CHILDREN TO RIDE IN THE BOW OF A BOAT. GEORGIA LAW does not prohibit small children in the bow but this is VERY DANGEROUS. Children can easily bounce out of the boat when encountering waves.
- DO NOT SKI, TUBE, WAKEBOARD or RIDE PWC’s after SUNSET. This is GEORGIA LAW.
- KEEP a valid, operable FIRE EXTINGUISHER on board every boat.
Lake Rabun Association is strongly committed to promoting safety on the lake. Since the Association has no legal authority to make rules and laws governing use of the lake, it focuses on boater and lake safety education, supports enforcement of applicable Georgia laws, and works to prevent accidents and preserve the serenity and beauty of the lake through various programs, including the following.
LRA offers an annual boater safety class, taught by DNR instructors, which focuses on a wide range of Georgia boating safety laws as well as lake safety guidelines specific to Lake Rabun.
A CPR/AED class, taught by the Rabun County Emergency Medical Services Captain, is also offered annually and provides clear and current instructions on administration of CPR and use of AEDs to save lives.
Under the LRA sponsored Deputy Ride Along program each summer, an off-duty Rabun County Sheriff’s Deputy accompanies the DNR driver as they patrol the lake. Having two persons in the DNR patrol boat facilitates better enforcement of boating laws, issuance of citations for violations and, in turn, a safer lake for all.
LRA recently reinstated testing of lake water on a regular basis and will be reporting test results to LRA members when available.
During two Lake Clean Up days each summer, LRA volunteers work alongside Georgia Power crews to clean debris from the lake and shoreline. Dates of the current year clean up days are located on the Member Event Calendar.
LRA members, through an affiliated fund at North Georgia Community Foundation, recently made significant contributions to assist the Lakemont Wiley Volunteer Fire Department with the purchase of a new state-of-the-art fireboat. The new fireboat is equipped to accelerate response times, assure safety of a majority of lake residents and to increase the likelihood of early containment and environmental preservation of Lake Rabun.