Old Lyme — With the approach of the unofficial start of the summer boating season on Memorial Day weekend, officials who regulate and manage boating activities in the state are calling attention to the basics of safety while on the water.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Boating Division, located at DEEP Marine Headquarters on Ferry Road, will begin its Safe Boating Week activities on Saturday with life jacket demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at West Rock Ridge State Park in Hamden and at 1 p.m. at the Coast Guard offices in New Haven.

Each day through May 22, the agency will host events around the state focusing on a various themes: dressing for water temperatures; operator responsibilities and vessel safety checks; the importance of using vessel pumpout facilities; boating education; not drinking and boating; and safety for towed water sports such as tubing and waterskiing.

“Every day during Safe Boating Week, the boating division is attempting to emphasize one aspect with demonstrations,” said Jerry Desmond, boating safety coordinator at DEEP and a retired Stonington police captain. “We’ve asked all the police departments with marine patrols to put boating safety messages out this week.”

Events in southeastern Connecticut will include vessel safety check demonstrations at Spicer’s Marina in Noank on Monday, and demonstrations on Tuesday of a new, solar-powered pumpout emptying out a boat tank from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brewers Pilot Point Marina in Westbrook.

In addition, public service displays about safe boating created by 14 student ambassadors from around the state will be shown at the Legislative Office Building next week.

Desmond said one of his main messages this year is to encourage people to wear their life jackets at all times when they’re on the water, regardless of whether they are legally required to or not. Anyone 12 and under is required to wear a life jacket while on a boat. Boats must carry a life jacket onboard for each older passenger but they are not required to wear it, unless they are in a Jet Ski, waterskiing or in kayak or canoe between Oct. 30 and May 1.

“But we’re trying to promote a culture where people wear them whether they have to or not,” he said.

Yolanda Cooley, environmental analyst in the boating division, shared statistics that make a strong case for wearing life jackets. Between 2008 and 2012, 75 percent of boating accident deaths were caused by drowning, and 90 percent of those tragedies involved people without life jackets, she said. There were a total of 29 such fatalities during the four-year span.

She also noted that in the two decades since the state began requiring boating safety certificates for operators of motor boats larger than 12 feet and sailboats larger than 19 feet, boating fatalities have dropped 57 percent and accidents are down 26 percent. To obtain a certificate, boat operators must complete a boating safety course offered by DEEP. Information about the courses can be found on the agency’s website, www.ct.gov/deep.

Desmond, who has been teaching the course since 1993, said he’s noticed a shift in boaters’ attitudes during that time. At first, he said, there was some resistance, but now most people accept and even embrace the classes, he said. Even those who’ve been boating all their lives learn a lot, he said.

“It certainly is beneficial to take a refresher course, because of all the boating laws that have changed,” he said.

One unique component of the state’s boating safety program is its boating education assistants.

Wendy Flynn, education and outreach supervisor for the boating division, said the 14 seasonal employees visit boat launches to conduct vessel safety checks, talk to boaters about how to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants and animals and make sure they are aware of safe boating practices. Covering dozens of launches at lakes, rivers and coastline statewide, keeps the crew busy throughout the summer.

“They have to do a lot of traveling,” she said, as a group of the boating education assistants finished a day of training Friday at marine headquarters.

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy