Before you even think of taking your brand new boat out for a trip on the water it is in your won best interest to take a boat safety course and have a boat safety inspection to check for the mandatory safety equipment. The US Coast Guard can provide you with a list of mandatory as well as suggested boat safety equipment.
Life jackets, or personal floating devices as they are officially called, should be readily available for every occupant of the vessel. They should also be adjusted to the size of the person who is intended to wear them in case of an emergency. They should be in good working order with all the straps and clips in place and operational. It is a good idea to have them fitted to the persons so that if necessary they can be put on without much further adjusting. In some states there is a minimum age for which the wear of a life jacket is obligated at all times.
As a large part of boating safety there should also be present on board a recently inspected fire extinguisher. It should be clearly marked so that anybody can spot it if necessary and get to it in time. There are different types of fire extinguishers, designed to extinguish different kinds of...