People in the Essex urged to take care if heading out on the water this weekend
The RNLI is urging people to act safely when in the water
Last updated 7th Apr 2023
As the long weekend gets underway people across Essex are being reminded to take care if they're planning on venturing out on the water.
With more than 350 miles of coastline, Essex is the perfect place to explore but the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is urging people to do so safely.
"Check the equipment"
Nick Ayres is the Water Safety Lead at the charity. According to Nick this time of year can often throw up some challenges: "Every year around Easter, we sometimes get that hot spell, bit of nice weather, bit of clear weather, where people start to head out a little bit further.
"So we're looking to ask people to take that into consideration and read the tide times if you're heading out to a location along the coastline", he said.
As well as checking the tide times, according to Nick there are other things you can do to stay safe: "Be prepared, so if you are hitting the water stand-up paddleboarding or getting out on kayak, make sure you check the equipment.
"It might have been a year, or just under a year, since you've used it", he said.
Nick also added that some of the right equipment includes a buoyancy aid, life jacket, and a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch just in case you need to contact the coast guard via 999.
"The water this time of year is actually at its coldest"
And while spring is finally here, "the water this time of year is actually at its coldest and that's' what a lot of people don't realise", Nick added.
"We sometimes see quite lively water, where there's a lot of water moving around with the off shore breezes. So make sure you know the location you're doing to" and make sure you're going in a group, he concluded.