With the recent warmer weather, marine patrol officers say they're seeing more boaters out on the waters over the past week than they've seen all summer.
LAKE LEELANAU -- Cooler than normal temperatures this past summer have been keeping things quiet for the Leelanau County Marine Division.
Deputy Patrick Arena with the marine division says for the majority of summer, boating traffic has been light out on Lake Leelanau and boaters are following the rules.
"We haven't been as busy as I expected but that's good because that means people are being safe and staying smart," says Deputy Arena.
Deputy Arena says it might have been a quiet start to the summer out on the waters but with weather is warming up, that means increased patrols all to ensure boaters' safety.
"There's been a lot of boating activity in the past week or so than I've really seen all summer...We'll definitely spend a lot more time out on the water...The more boating activity we're going to have everyone on duty just of depends on what lake," says Deputy Arena.
He says the recent increase in boaters means the marine division is keeping a close eye out for specific things.
"The main reason I'll go up to a boat is if I see a problem. The big problem is distance and the way they're behaving. A lot of people don't know about the distance requirements of their boats....The thing I keep an eye out for is dangerous activity and the registration of the boats," says Deputy Arena.
Plus, with more boats out on the lakes, marine officers want to remind people about the need for life jackets.
"The biggest problem I'm seeing this summer is life jackets...life jackets is a big issue. For your normal speed boat there's got to be one life jacket for every person on board," says Deputy Arena.
As Labor Day weekend approaches, Deputy Arena says he expects boating traffic to only increase, along with marine patrols.
He also wants to remind boaters that they are not required to wear life jackets while on the boat. The safety gear just needs to be on board should an emergency arise.
