Mornin' folks. I have been posting this across social media to get my boating and fishing friends to take pause before hitting the water once Mother Nature starts smiling on us again.
I just looked at the weather forecast for the upcoming week. Many places across the District will see air temperatures approaching the 70's with sunny skies and light winds. My first thought was that I am going to get in some long overdue boating, both by kayak and my power boat.
Then the safety nerd in me got a little worried. The air temps rise much more quickly than water temps. Shallow water temps rise more quickly than deep water temps.
Water temps are 39 degrees in Galveston Bay and in the low 40s across coastal Louisiana. The average person would have about 30 minutes of consciousness in water that cold. That's factoring in surviving the initial cold water shock, which without a PFD may not happen.
Respect cold water. It is a cruel and merciless killer. Wear a PFD. Have a reliable means of communicating in an emergency. PROTECT your cell phone if it is to be your sole source of communication. Waterproof cases and pouches are cheap. Coastal boaters should have a VHF with the DSC Distress feature enabled. PLBs and EPIRBS are highly recommended for those who boat in remote areas or offshore.
Here's a test for you. What is the water temp where you boat? I'll help those along the Gulf Coast out a bit. Boat Smart and have fun!
https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/WestGulf.shtml
Today, 08:13 AM
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