In addition, Jennings recommends that all boaters take a basic boating course. If you don't know, you can get yourself and others in a lot of trouble. Some of these include buoyancy, hypothermia protection, fit, comfort, visibility, cost, and legal requirements for your vessel and onboard children. The book illustrates various types of PFDs and covers a host of other boating safety topics. Swimmers also need to take precautions this summer and should be aware of locations where potentially dangerous currents can develop.
Rip currents are powerful currents that can pull even experienced swimmers away from shore.
These currents have been known to develop on some Great Lakes beaches. One such beach is on northern Lake Michigan. The open expanse of coastline along US-2 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is inviting, but the waters are dangerous under certain conditions, said Michigan Sea Grant Extension Agent Ron Kinnunen, who is a member of the Mackinac County Water Safety Committee Review Team. Rip currents are generally more prevalent after storms. However, rip currents can also form where there is a break in a nearshore sandbar or the current is diverted lakeward by a jetty or other barrier.