MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut residents are headed to the shoreline to enjoy time on the water with the current stretch of warm weather. The U.S. Coast Guard is reminding boaters to keep safety precautions in mind.

If you are a Connecticut resident operating a registered boat of any kind, you must possess a Safe Boating Certificate or Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation.

All passengers on a registered boat must be assigned a life jacket. You must wear a life jacket if you’re using a jet ski. Make sure your boat has a marine radio that can reach the Coast Guard on channel 16, and be sure to monitor the weather.

The Coast Guard recommends the following: “Having an EPIRB – emergency positioning indicating radio beacon. That basically takes the search out of search and rescue. We’re able to fly directly to you,” AST 1st Class Derrian Duryea said.

Linda Indenbaum and Michael Cadden like to get a jump start on the day with a kayak through the Milford Harbor.

“Four, five times a week, we come out at 5:30 in the morning,” Indenbaum said. “We find peace and serenity out on the water, and it’s just an awesome way to start the day.”

To enjoy the trip on the water, they make sure to follow the proper safety guidelines.

“We go out together for safety and obviously wear our life jacket because you never know what’s going to happen,” Cadden said.

The U.S. Coast Guard provides stickers for non-motorized boats, like kayaks. The stickers are placed on the side of the boat with the owner’s contact information. If the Coast Guard finds the boat in the water, they can contact the owner and confirm they are safe. The Coast Guard also recommends boaters establish a ‘float plan,’ which includes notifying friends and family about when and where they plan on boating.

“And that’s really just for safety,” BM1 Bernard Lietaert said. “So if someone reports your boat didn’t come back, we have an idea where to start looking and what we’re looking for.”

The Coast Guard advises boaters to check the forecast before heading out, as severe weather can quickly become dangerous.

Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection operates 117 boat launches. These launches are at ponds, lakes, rivers, and the Long Island Sound, and unless noted otherwise, many of these launches are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.