Summer is officially here and as warmer weather arrives, our beaches and lakes are going to be much more crowded.
Port San Luis Harbor Patrol has been working diligently with CAL FIRE and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office to ensure everyone's safety this upcoming July 4th holiday — posting signage regarding fireworks safety, putting out extra trash receptacles, and increasing patrols of the harbor.
“Big things that we see on the beach are alcohol and glass, and that produces litter and some hazards for beachgoers the day after," said Matt Ashton, Chief Port San Luis Harbor Patrol Officer.
If you plan to go out on the water, Ashton recommends checking the weather conditions and your abilities should you choose to kayak or paddleboard this summer. Inflatable kayaks are not recommended out on the ocean.
"A lot of the rescues that we have for paddle craft are revolving around someone getting overcome by wind conditions and getting blown out of the harbor," Ashton said.
In the Avila Beach area, storm damage from this past winter could also make the trek to the beach a little more difficult.
“We do have a couple of areas that were storm-damaged," Ashton continued. "They're all marked right now. We have a staircase on the beach, the pier on the beach is still mostly shut down, but people can go out near the basement here and get on the actual wooden planks. But the majority of the pier is still shut down and under construction. And then there's a staircase, a couple of access points on the open beach that are closed down due to storm damage.”
Paying attention to your body and your water intake during warmer weather is also vital to your safety this season.
“Regarding common injuries that we see over the weekend, especially warm weather, holiday weekends, a lot of people will come down, they won't pay attention to their own body. They'll get dehydrated. They might drink too much alcohol, which is not permitted on the beach. Issues more related to heatstroke and dehydration are what we see a lot of over the busy holiday weekends,” Ashton said.
The same safety precautions go for the lakes as well this summer.
"We're hoping for the best as far as safety goes," said John Anthony, County Park Ranger Supervisor at Lake Nacimiento. "We want everybody to follow the California boating laws, get their boaters cards, carry the right gear. Unfortunately, the more boats we put on the lake, the more people are involved and the more chances we have for incidents.”
Drinking and boating will also result in a citation. The same laws apply as when you are driving. You can not have a blood alcohol content over 0.08.
All children under the ages of 13 are required to wear a life jacket when kayaking and paddle boarding.
