More than half of boaties on the River Murray were fined or cautioned for breaking water safety rules on the Australia Day long weekend.
Marine Safety Officers checked hundreds of coastal and river boats over three days to check drivers were complying with safety rules.
More than half of boaties along the River Murray were issued warnings or expiations for a range of breaches including speeding, not carrying safety equipment, driving unlicensed and driving too close to swimmers.
Officers also patrolled the South Australian coastline and with almost 200 vessels checked, the majority of water users were complaint with boat safety rules. Misuse of or not carrying lifejackets and not carrying appropriate safety gear were among the most common cautions for these locations.
The blitz was part of a larger six-week effort that launched at the start of the summer school holidays and saw more than 1,000 vessels inspected across the state.
The law requires skippers to carry enough lifejackets for each person on their boat and for all children under age 12 must be always wearing one in an open area while jet skiers and kayakers must wear a lifejacket at all times.
Check which safety equipment is required for your boat via marinesafety.sa.gov.au.
Stay informed on changing weather conditions and safety alerts at ses.sa.gov.au, bom.gov.au or call the SA Emergency Info line on 1800 362 361.
