It is a given when planning a boat outing, you should always check the skies first.\u00a0 And NOAA,\u00a0 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are\u00a0 the go-to guys for weather forecasts, updates, alerts, and alarms.\u00a0 They are the scientists who study the skies and the oceans.\u00a0 There are three easy ways to get the information you need and you can get it fast by:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Internet – In today’s world accessing the Internet is easy, so obtaining the most recent forecast for the area you are in is just a click away.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 By phone – the National Weather Service<\/a> has offices in every state, so if you click on the link, put in the zip code of the area you will be boating and you will get the information you need along with a phone number.<\/p>\n But, there is the possibility of bad weather coming from seemingly no where and what do you do then?<\/p>\n High winds can be one of the biggest weather related threats to boaters; causing large waves and turning the waters choppy.\u00a0 Of course the best course of action is to know before you go<\/strong><\/em> and if there is a possible threat of high winds or thunderstorms – don’t go.\u00a0 Postpone your outing for another day.<\/p>\n If you do decide to go out and find yourself in a thunderstorm, hold on.\u00a0 The things you have to be ware of is visibility, were there other boats around before the storm?\u00a0 Chances are, they are still out there, too and cannot see any better than you can.\u00a0 Those in the know (NOAA) say, slow down, start blowing your horn in intervals like every 10 seconds or so to let other boaters know you are out there, and wait for a break in the weather before heading back to where you started.\u00a0 You definitely do not want to be racing for the marina, along with other boats, all of you practically blindfolded from the weather.\u00a0 That is just not good.\u00a0 So, make sure everyone has their life jackets on properly and keep everyone from panicking, that will not help. Next time, don’t go if there is any bad or questionable weather in or near the area.<\/p>\n If you are out and get caught in a storm where lightning is present, here are a few tips:<\/p>\n If you can hear thunder, you are in striking range for lightning.<\/p>\n There are gadgets available that can assist boaters to avoid or get through these situations.\u00a0 There are lightning protection systems, but do some research and go into detail of the standards for lightning protection as determined by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and the job should be performed by a licensed marine electrician.\u00a0 This is not a do-it-yourself job, by any means.<\/p>\n There are also items called the ThunderBolt Lightning Detectors which It might be just as well to keep an eye to the sky and just stay in for the day.\u00a0 That would make for the safest and fool proof way, too.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NOAA-Weather-Radio-Flashlight-Cell-Phone-Charger-Blue-with-Cables1-300x183.jpg\" "\\"NOAA-Weather-Radio-Flashlight-Cell-Phone-Charger-Blue-with-Cables1\\"")
<\/a>3.\u00a0 By NOAA Weather Radio – Most newer marine radios\u00a0 carry the NOAA weather radio frequencies, almost all offer the tone alarm feature, and are handy gadgets to always have on board.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/thunderbolt-storm-detectors--150x150.jpg\" "\\"thunderbolt-storm-detectors-\\"")
<\/a> pick up active storms with active cloud-to-ground (or water) lightning. While the ThunderBolts detectors are handy and may even work, they are not cheap, not even close.<\/p>\n