Try boating today: Affordable 3-hour courses for beginner and experienced boaters in Osage Beach
by Scott Croft 7 Sep 2022 15:07 UTC
Affordable on-water boat training courses offered on Lake of the Ozarks © Scott Croft
Ozarks Boat Safety and Training (OBST) and the national nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water make it easy and affordable to learn how to drive a powerboat with a series of hands-on courses for beginner and experienced boat operators that run Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. through mid-September. Courses are three hours long and priced at $185. No prior boating experience is necessary.
Classes depart from Freedom Harbor at 6515 Chalet Drive. All instruction is offered aboard 20- to 28-foot single-engine powerboats, and class size is limited to three students per vessel to ensure each student gets sufficient time at the helm under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain certified to teach the National Safe Boating Council modular curriculum.
Courses include Introduction to Powerboating, great for beginners, as well as Precision Docking & Boat Handling - perfect for boaters looking to improve their skills. The minimum age to participate is 18 years old. Early registration is encouraged and there is a three-person minimum for courses.
OBST's goal is to develop and improve boating skills and confidence at the helm. Courses are taught by Capt. Doug Beck and Capt. Bob May, who are both founding members of the Lake of the Ozarks Water Safety Council which was formed in 2016 to help address the cause and effects of large boat wakes and promote boating safety education. Locals may also recognize Capt. May as host of the local program, Bob's "No Wake Zone" radio show.
The OBST partnership is one of 16 locations across the U.S. with BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training programs. Register at www.BoatUS.org/On-Water.