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The calendar reads that we are in the final months of the traditional summer season here in Pennsylvania. But, as we all know, 2020 has been far from a traditional year.

With warm temperatures likely to continue well into the autumn, there will be plenty of opportunities left to enjoy the 2020 boating season after Labor Day. As more and more traditional fall activities are canceled in response to COVID-19, experienced and first-time boaters will likely be spending more time than ever on the water as they turn to our ponds, lakes and flowing waters for recreation, exercise and affordable fun.

If there is one silver lining to the past five months, it is that countless people of all ages have either discovered or rediscovered the joys of fishing, boating and other outdoor activities.

That sure happened this summer. It is hard to go anywhere without seeing brightly colored kayaks and canoes on the tops of cars – including my own – or on local waterways. There continue to be reports from across Pennsylvania about retailers who are having trouble keeping boats in stock as unprecedented demand at times outpaces supply.

For everyone connecting with Pennsylvania waters, there is one overwhelmingly important message that applies year-round and to seasoned and novice boaters alike — wear your life jacket.

If you take to the water during the remaining days of summer or this fall, please wear your life jacket. As of this writing, there have been nine recreational boating fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2020, and none of them were wearing a life jacket.

That sobering fact is even more stark than the typical year in which 80% of boating fatality victims were not wearing a life jacket. Law requires that you have a life jacket on board for every person on your boat. Children ages 12 and under are required to wear a life jacket at all times when aboard a boat less than 20 feet, long including all canoes and kayaks.

Life jackets must properly fit the individual. As Tropical Storm Isaias reminds us this week, late summer and fall in Pennsylvania also bring the threat of thunderstorms and major rain events during hurricane season, so monitor the local weather forecast.

Heavy rains can lead to immediate flash flooding and cause water to rise to unsafe levels for several days following a storm. If there is any question about the safety of your boating trip due to weather, please do not go. There will be plenty of other opportunities, and it is simply not worth taking an unnecessary risk.

While it may not feel like it now, cooler weather will be here before too long. From Nov. 1 through April 30, everyone—regardless of age — must wear a life jacket while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak.

As masks became commonplace throughout the past several months, we have all heard the refrain, “My mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”

Well, something similar can be said for life jackets. It is obvious that my life jacket protects me, and your life jacket protects you. What may be less apparent is that someone else’s life jacket protects you from the heartbreak that comes with hearing about a tragedy happening to them because they were not wearing a life jacket.

And, your life jacket protects passing boaters and the first responders who come to render aid by keeping you afloat and giving them time and the opportunity to save you if you run into trouble.

To learn other tips for staying safe on the water, please visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website at www.fishandboat.com. If you are looking for places to boat near you, please download our free mobile app FishBoatPA to connect with your local waterways.

Wear it, Pennsylvania.

Timothy D. Schaeffer is executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.