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Speaker: Brigadier General Dave Johnson, USAF retired, former USAF Director of Weather, and former director of NOAA's National Weather Service will use a power point presentation about severe weather on the Lake, discussing how and where storms are formed and how boaters and swimmers can protect themselves while on the water.

If you have previously taken the Boat US Course it is valid if taken prior to Dec 31, 2008. If the course was taken on Jan 1, 2009 or later it is not acceptable in Virginia!! To find an acceptable on-line course

On Jan 1, 2009 the Virginia regulation required all online courses to switch from the testing format to actually being an online course that contains similar content to a classroom course. With the new online format a student will have to take a 10 question after each module or chapter and if they don't pass with a 90% they will have to take the module or chapter again. The format also has timers on each page and chapter that only let the student progress as fast as the program allows. What this has done is eliminate someone taking an online test without reviewing any course content. We also hope that the 5-6 hour requirement will help keep someone from taking the course for another person since it take so long.

Also, there will be an Optional VA Boater Card available this summer that will allow anyone who has completed a course to turn in their documentation and an application along with $10 to get a new card. This will be a lifetime card that is about the thickness of A credit card.

One other question that comes up a lot is: If I am from another state and operating a VA registered boat (family member's boat) do I need a VA course. NO, they need to comply with the Boating Education requirements in their state of residence. But, I would recommend they have documentation showing they are from another state otherwise the CPO or officer will assume they are a VA resident and look for documents to that fact.

Finally, the age restriction law for PWC operators is still in effect. The New Boating Education Compliance Regulation does not supersede the age restriction law for those operators under 16 years of age...people seem to confuse the two.