YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Officials with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission say this is the first weekend of the year where people are going to be heading to the water and they expect it to be a very busy time for them.
Officials say the biggest tips for boaters include checking the conditions of the water before you go and making sure that you know possible obstacles that may be a problem depending on what type of boating on.
They also strongly advise boaters to wear a life jacket, and for new boaters, they advise them to not go into conditions or areas where they're not comfortable in.
One of the biggest tips they also recommend is letting someone know where you're going and when you are planning to be back.
Officials say they'll be looking out for safety violations, missing equipment, and people operating a boat at a unsafe speed. They also say that they have been out getting ready for boating season.
"All of our officers have been preparing their boats, transitioning from trout season to boat season," Lt. Col. Tom Burrell from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said. "They've been out making sure they're familiar with any obstacles that have occurred on the water in the winter, like downed trees, damaged launch areas, anything like that."
Burrell also said that officers have been in contact with police and fire departments, as well as EMS, to make sure that there are plans in case of emergencies.
Officials also say that even though alcohol is legal on the water, they don't recommend operators to part take and to always make sure there is a sober person to operate the boat.