Coast Guard Says, 'Paddles Up!'

As the waterways continue to get busy in the summer months the U.S. Coast Guard is hoping to make people more aware of how to be safe when they're on the water...

That's Wayne Spritka, the Officer in Charge of the Coast Guard Canal Station and Station Washington Island.

Spritka says that whenever you or anyone you know is going out on the water you need to make sure that you are following a few very basic safety tips...

New and inexperienced paddlers should seek out paddler education before heading out on the water. The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers the “Paddlesports America Course,” a four-hour, classroom-based introduction to paddling safety, techniques and safety strategies.