Contact:
 
Dave White, New York Sea Grant, Recreation and Tourism Specialist, P: 315-312- 3042, E: dgw9@cornell.edu

Syracuse, NY, June 30, 2020 - New York Sea Grant Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White talks with Brad Vivacqua, a reporter and anchor at Spectrum News, about some boating safety tips for this summer.

Like previous season, it is sure to be filled with busy weekends like those around the 4th of July holiday. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, how we enjoy the outdoors in public spaces is different. 

"Everyone who goes out on the lake [Lake Ontario] needs to be responsible, even if you're not operating the boat or watercraft," says White. 

White reminds that a life jacket must be placed onboard for everyone occupying the boat. Also, all passengers under 12 years old are required to wear a life jacket at all times.

"A common mistake is that too many people who may be kayaking or paddleboarding fail to wear a life jacket." 

"Boating is one of the most fun activities that you can participate in, so these safety tips are to make sure that you have a really good, fun day out on the water.

That said, White encourages folks to come up with a checklist before they go out on the water so that they do all that they need to when it comes to boater safety.

White is widely recognized for the “Discover Better Boating” segments he hosts on Spectrum News, which is available on channels 1 and 200 exclusively for Spectrum customers in the Central New York region including Syracuse, Ithaca, Utica, Watertown, Binghamton, Elmira and surrounding areas in upstate New York.

And for more of NYSG's "Boating and Marine Trades" news see www.nyseagrant.org/marina.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.