PADDLING RESOURCES
General resources including Coast Guard contacts and water craft-related websites and apps
U.S. COAST GUARD
Coast Guard NY – 718.354.4037. EMERGENCY – 718.354.4353
WEB RESOURCES FOR WEATHER, TIDES, CURRENTS & MORE
NOAA Weather Radar – www.weather.gov/okx
NOAA Tides & Currents – www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Regions
Currents – www.deepzoom.com
NOAA Tide Predictions – www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html?gid=62
Ocean Conditions including Water Temps – www.ndbc.noaa.gov/docs/ndbc_web_data_guide.pdf
Marine Charts – www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov
USCG Navigation Center – www.navcen.uscg.gov
NOAA Marine Forecast – www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts/FZUS51.KOKX.html
Astronomical Data – www.aa.usno.navy.mil/data/RS_OneYear
PHONE APPS
ST2 (Saltwater Tides 2.0) App – www.saltwatertides.com
NOAA Weather App – www.weather.gov/wrn/mobile-phone
Willy Weather App – www.willyweather.com
HOW TO USE A VHF MARINE RADIO
A FLOAT PLAN FOR EVERY TRIP
Make it a habit of always letting your Emergency Contact(s) know your when you are about to go out on the water.
In case of an emergency, the Coast Guard will have life-saving information to get to you as quickly as possible.
Fill out a FLOAT PLAN, take a photos of it and send it prior to launch so your contacts know your start location, intended route and amount of kayakers in your group. There are also a number of handy FLOAT PLAN apps available. If you’re on Strava, you can allow others to follow your progress and see when you arrive back at the put-in safely. At the very least message a friend when you head out and when you return.