An already busy boating season is expected to be even busier for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer.
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“There’s a lot of people out here. The state parks have been really busy. A lot of people are getting to experience the outdoors a little more so we’re definitely seeing a trend that’s continuing: people using our facilities a lot more,” Garrett Heasley, ODNR Natural Resource Officer told News Center 7′s John Bedell Wednesday.
With the increase in activity, both this year and for the holiday weekend, ODNR officers will be busy themselves ensuring boaters have proper safety equipment before getting on the water.
“The Fourth of July weekend, it’s a very busy weekend for boating and for just outdoor recreation in general. We’ll be out patrolling the areas. We’ll be out doing vessel safety checks at the ramps, checking people’s safety equipment, making sure they have everything they need to be safe before heading out on the water,” Heasley said.
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Publicly accessible boat ramps are known to back up during busier times, like holiday weekend. Heasley said there are some things boaters can do to speed up the process for themselves and other boaters.
“So if at all possible, have two people that are experienced to help load and unload your boat that way things go a little quicker. You want to make sure you prepare for your trip away from the ramp. Take all your straps off, get everything loaded into the boat before you get onto the ramp. That way you can get in and out as quickly as possible,” he said.
Safety on the water is always a topic around holiday weekends, and Heasley echoed that, reminding boaters especially to watch for changing weather conditions.
“If you see dark clouds on the horizon you might want to think about getting out of the water or riding out a storm possibly. The boat ramps get pretty crowded if a pop up thunderstorm comes in so you need to be well prepared to ride out a storm if you have to because you may not be able to get back in with all the other traffic trying to get in at the same time,” he said.
The expected busy weekend on the water is also being felt by boat sales, with dealerships reporting a surge in demand for watercraft. That surge has been steady since April 2020, according to Justin Dysert of Taylor’s Southshore Marina in Waynesville.
“And it’s not just your boaters who had been boating, it’s boaters that got into it and got back in and then first-time boat owners coming into the industry so we’ve seen a massive surge in the demand for boats today,” Dysert said.
A year after the start of the surge, boat manufacturers still can’t keep up with the demand and are telling people there’s still a lengthy wait for parts.
“Right now we’re in our show room and we have like three boats left to sell. Normally, in any given year, we’d have 20 to 30 boats sitting here,” Dysert said.
“It seems COVID has really pushed people to rediscover the outdoors is how I like to put it.”
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