The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Marine Patrol Division is offering free boating safety courses this fall in Orange Beach. The courses aim to help boaters stay safe on Alabama's waterways while learning about state regulations. Marine Patrol officials say the classes are important for both new and experienced boaters. Anyone interested in boating on Alabama's public waters is encouraged to attend.

Three upcoming classes will be held on Saturdays in October and November. The first course is today, October 25, followed by sessions on November 1 and November 22. All classes will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the ALEA Marine Patrol office located at 27557 Larry C. Kelley Drive in Orange Beach (see map below).

Senior Troopers Jacob Manning and Kenneth Wade will serve as instructors for the courses. Manning will teach the October 25 and November 22 classes. Wade will lead the November 1 session. Interested participants can contact the instructors directly through their ALEA email addresses.

The Marine Patrol Division plays a crucial role in protecting Alabama's waterways. The division enforces boating laws, educates the public about water safety, and organizes community activities. Officers patrol public waterways throughout the state and oversee boat registration and operator licensing. They also manage Alabama's waterway marking program, which currently maintains 1,518 hazard and control markers across the state.

Alabama's Marine Patrol operates through three geographic districts. The Northern District covers 27 counties and patrols the Tennessee, Coosa, and Black Warrior Rivers plus smaller waterways. The Central District spans 32 counties and monitors the Coosa, Tallapoosa, Alabama, Tombigbee, and Chattahoochee Rivers. The Southern District includes eight counties and covers the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers, Mobile Bay, and the Gulf.

Boating remains extremely popular in Alabama due to favorable weather and plentiful water resources. More than one million boaters use the state's waterways each year. Alabama offers approximately one million acres of lakes, 1,600 miles of rivers, and 53 miles of coastline for recreational boating.