Water Safety in Georgia

For Georgia families, the two most important water rules are about boats. Every child under 13 must wear a life jacket on a boat, and anyone born on or after January 1, 1998 must pass a boater education course before driving a motorized boat. On the coast, add tides and currents to your planning; at the beach, check the rip current risk, because many beaches have no lifeguard.

Georgia drowning and boating numbers

1.33 per 100,000

• Drowning: CDC puts Georgia's average annual drowning death rate for 2018-2021 at 1.33 per 100,000 people (opens in a new tab), close to the national rate.
• Boating: The U.S. Coast Guard counted 93 reportable recreational boating incidents in Georgia in 2024, with 11 deaths and 46 injuries (opens in a new tab). Deaths by year: 11 in 2020, 17 in 2021, 23 in 2022, 16 in 2023 and 11 in 2024.
• Boats: 324,676 registered vessels in 2024.

CDC counts drowning deaths of residents; the Coast Guard counts all deaths in reported boating incidents. More on our Georgia data page.

The coast: tides, shoals and storms

NOAA lists 2,344 miles of official shoreline (opens in a new tab) for Georgia. Most of it winds through marsh, sounds and tidal rivers.

Georgia DNR's coastal division warns that Georgia's estuaries can be deceptively complex (opens in a new tab), with rapidly shifting shoals, strong tidal currents and sudden storms. Its advice before a coastal trip:

• Check the weather forecast and understand the tides and currents.
• File a float plan (opens in a new tab) so someone knows where you went and when you'll be back.
• Don't drink alcohol while operating a boat.
• Know the navigation "rules of the road."

DNR also notes that many of the dozens of boating incidents Georgia reports each year involve inattention, excessive speed, impairment, or the absence of life jackets (opens in a new tab). See our float plan guide and boating under the influence.

Beaches without lifeguards

On Cumberland Island National Seashore, the National Park Service says there are no lifeguards on the island (opens in a new tab) and asks swimmers to know the rip current risk before going in. In an emergency, call 911 and tell the operator you are on Cumberland Island.

Wherever you swim on the coast, learn how to spot and escape a rip current, and keep young children close using the tips in supervising kids around water.

Georgia boating rules

From Georgia DNR:

• Life jackets: wearing a Coast Guard-approved life jacket is the law for children under 13 (opens in a new tab) and a smart habit for everyone on board.
• Boater education: since July 1, 2014, everyone born on or after January 1, 1998 who operates any motorized vessel on Georgia waters must first complete a DNR-approved course. See mandatory boater education (opens in a new tab).
• Age rules: children under 12 may only operate non-motorized or small motor vessels under 16 feet when supervised by a competent adult (opens in a new tab). Ages 12 to 15 can operate vessels under 16 feet with a boating education certificate or adult supervision. Operators 16 and older may operate any vessel with proper ID, plus the course if born after 1997.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check DNR before you go. Our guide to life jackets for babies and kids helps with sizing.

Official Georgia resources

• Georgia DNR mandatory boater education (opens in a new tab)
• DNR coastal boating safety editorial (2025) (opens in a new tab)
• Cumberland Island safety (NPS) (opens in a new tab)

What you can do today

• Make sure every child under 13 has a life jacket that fits before your next boat trip.
• If you were born in 1998 or later, take Georgia's boater education course before you drive.
• Check tides and the forecast, and leave a float plan, before a coastal trip.
• Teach your family how to escape a rip current.
• Find swim lessons with our guide to finding swim lessons.