Determining the Information Needs of Puget Sound Boaters

Puget Sound is known for its highly variable weather and ocean currents. Trip planning for this challenging environment is critical for boating safety. We conducted a survey of the Puget Sound boating community to determine their information needs. We used a web-based questionnaire supplemented with face-to-face surveys. We received 610 responses. The respondents represented a wide range of the boating community. The boaters' most important environmental need was for daily weather forecasts and their most desired forecast parameters were wind speed, currents, and wave height. Respondents also commented on their frustration with accessing the needed information. Analysis of this survey and guidance from an advisory panel are being used to develop a usercentered designed (UCD) web portal, the Boater Information System (BIS) that will attempt to improve the situation awareness (SA) for a diverse user group.