Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
A Message from the Executive Director

Whether you call the Mississippi Gulf Coast your home or you are merely visiting, in all likelihood you’re drawn to the Coast in part because of the wide variety of water sports that our area has to offer.

Swimming, fishing, diving, sailing, and boating in Mississippi Sound, its adjacent bays and bayous, and open waters of the Gulf beyond the Gulf Islands National Seashore are activities that everyone enjoys. This manual and the course that it is designed to supplement are your keys to enjoying water activities safely.

The Department of Marine Resources is committed to the practice of safe boating, and we also want to encourage you to be safe while on the water. It only takes a split-second to turn an otherwise enjoyable trip on the water into a tragedy. To help reduce the risk of boating accidents, we encourage you to enroll in one of our free boat and water safety classes. Taught by one of our qualified Marine Patrol instructors, these full-day classes are designed to prepare you to operate your boat safely. Topics such as boat registration, rules of navigation, basics of trailering, first aid on the water, and coastal weather are all part of this intensive training. The classes are taught throughout the year at a location near you.

With an estimated 75 million folks heading for the water in their boats each year and nearly 7,000 boating accidents reported annually, it is easy to see why it is in your best interest to sign up for a safe boating course. By learning and practicing the principles taught in the course, you will help reduce the risk of boating accidents and make Mississippi waters a safer place for everyone.

William W. Walker, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

Office of Marine Patrol 1141 Bayview Avenue Biloxi, MS 39530 228-523-4134 228-435-0626 FAX Bureau of Boat and Water Safety 298 Bayview Avenue Biloxi, MS 39530 228-523-4126 228-374-5006 FAX