Coast Guard offers safety tips for beach & boating season

MARQUETTE — As the weather continues to warm up, people will flock to area beaches to have a little fun in the sun. The United States Coast Guard is reminding all beachgoers and water enthusiasts to keep a few safety tips in mind when in and out of the water.

Any trip in a kayak requires a life-jacket and a whistle on-board. Leaving a float plan with a person you can rely on is highly encouraged.

That way if the Coast Guard ends up searching for someone, they will have somewhere to start. Keeping an eye on the water conditions is an important safety tip, especially with any swimming, canoeing or boating that’s done in Lake Superior.

“Depending on the weather, we’ve seen Lake Superior go up from six and seven (foot waves) then it could be one and twos and calm the next day,” said Petty Officer Terry Bailey. “We use this thing- the marine forecast- you can use that. It’s a link online that will tell you the weather for the day.”

Bailey added places like Picnic Rocks and Little Presque are spots to keep a lookout for changing current conditions. If you happen to go by the U.S. Coast Guard Marquette Station, you’ll notice a new pier that’s been recently installed for them.