Expert answer: The BabyCenter Editorial Team

It depends. According to the U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety, your baby should not travel on a boat – including rowboats, kayaks, motorboats, and sailboats – until he or she weighs at least 18 pounds and can wear a personal flotation device (PFD), also known as a life jacket or life vest, that fits snugly.

Most babies will weigh 18 pounds somewhere between 4 and 11 months old. If yours hits that milestone early, consider also whether he or she can sit up. Being able to sit up will help your baby stay upright in the PFD and make it easier for you to hold onto him or her when the boat dips, weaves, and rolls.

It can be difficult to find a PFD that fits your child. When shopping, ask for an "infant" sized PFD. These are almost always labeled, "Approved for use on recreational boats and uninspected commercial vessels not carrying passengers for hire, by persons weighing less than 30 pounds." Despite this labeling, your baby needs to weigh at least 18 pounds in order for a vest to fit well.

The only way to know whether the PFD fits is to put it on your child, tighten the straps, and lift him or her up by the jacket's shoulders. If your baby's chin and head slip through the neck opening, then it doesn't fit properly, and you should wait a bit longer before boating together.

You should also test the PFD in a controlled environment, such as a swimming pool – with you holding your baby – before taking him or her on a boat. Hold your baby, wearing the PFD, in the pool. When you let your child "float" in the water, the PFD should keep him or her in a face-up position.

Remember also that you should wear a life vest or PFD at all times on board a boat. In an emergency there might not be enough time for you to put one on. You need to stay safe to keep your baby safe.

Finally, never keep your baby in a car seat while on a boat. If the boat were to capsize, the seat would sink instantly.

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