Anyone operating a boat or a pleasure craft fitted with a motor will be required to get a certificate proving their competency, according to a new Transport Canada rule that begins next week.

Boaters will need a pleasure craft operator card by Sept. 15 and must carry it on board at all times.

Once certified, the card is good for life, and the new requirement applies in areas outside the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the department said.

Sarah-Jane Raine and her husband, Norman, have a lifetime of experience on the water, and said that until now, anyone could buy a boat and start boating.

"You get on it and you take off, and that's unfortunately what's caused some of the [boating] problems," said Sarah-Jane Raine.

Experienced boaters like Denis Flynn say the new rule is long overdue.

"I think you have to take some kind of responsibility out there and I think it's safer for everyone," he said.

Those who police the waterways and rescue boaters in distress agree.

"By doing this, it's forcing people to learn a little bit about what to carry on a boat, and I think it's a great idea," said Anthony Garron with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

"Bare minimum is better than nothing. That's the way I like it," he said. "One day I'd like to see practical exams out on the water but … baby steps first."

Experts estimate that less than half the recreational boaters have an operator card. Boaters without one after Sept. 15 could be fined $250.