Volunteer Boater Education Instructors

LDWF relies on Volunteer Boater Education Instructors to help carry out its mission of reducing the number of boating incidents, injuries, and fatalities on Louisiana’s waterways and help thousands of people safely enjoy recreational boating in this Sportsman’s Paradise. Through countless hours of teaching, volunteer instructors pass on their wealth of knowledge on:

• Choosing a boat including sailboats, canoes, and personal watercraft
• Legal and equipment requirements
• Laws, rules, and regulations
• Navigation charts
• Trailering a boat
• Safe boating practices
• Boating etiquette
• Handling boating emergencies
• Survival skills
• And much, much more. 

Requirements

No experience is required as LDWF offers training, but Volunteer Boater Education Instructors must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Pass a background check. If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or a felony, or are under indictment on a felony charge, you will be disqualified. Convictions of other types of misdemeanors or boating safety violations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may or may not be cause for disqualification.
• Have successfully completed a National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)-approved boater education course
• Be willing to complete an instructor certification course and/or co-teach with a tenured Boater Education Instructor.

Volunteer Boater Education Instructors must also demonstrate a professional demeanor, be courteous, respectful, good communicators, people oriented, dedicated, and motivated, and believe in the importance of education. Students will look to you as an example of a safe and knowledgeable boater. In this role, you have a great responsibility to be a positive influence on future boaters.

Apply

Complete the application and submit it to LDWF via email to boated@wlf.la.gov or mail to:

Submitting an application does not guarantee that you’ll be approved as a Volunteer Boater Education Instructor. If your application is approved, you will be notified to attend the next available instructor certification course and/or co-teach with a tenured instructor. Once you successfully complete the course and/or co-teach, you’ll be certified as a Boater Education Instructor. You’ll receive a log-on identification to begin scheduling courses, and you may begin teaching.

Please note that LDWF reserves the right to remove volunteers from the program at any time.