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June 6, 2008

It may feel like summer, but the ocean is still cold

It’s going to be hot this weekend –– height-of-summer-hot –– with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-90s.

But it’s not the height of summer, and ocean waters betray that fact –– they’re still in the 50-degree range.

The Coast Guard wants beachgoers, boaters and sun seekers to keep that in mind when they head to the beach this weekend.

“I wish I could say it in gentler terms,” Al Johnson, Recreational Boating Specialist for the First Coast Guard District said in a statement. “But plain and simple, cold water shocks, incapacitates and kills, and our waters show no mercy to the innocent, unsuspecting or unprepared boater or paddler."

"Wearing a life jacket isn’t guaranteed to save your life,” he added, “but it does guarantee a better chance of surviving.”

In addition to life jackets, the Coast Guard recommends in a news release that boaters and paddlers get Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons vessel safety checks.

For a list of additional suggestions for staying safe as spring comes to an end, click below.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 12:06 PM | Permalink

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