Watertown, NY, January 18, 2018 - There are plenty of things for boaters to do in the winter.

But New York Sea Grant's Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White, who stopped by Watertown's WWNY-TV 7 News This Morning studios, says safety is important. White was wearing a "float coat," which has a built-in life jacket, helpful if you're ice fishing or snowmobiling in the winter.

"These coats will keep you warm and they're usually in brighter colors so that you're more easily visible," says White. "Also, if you do have a problem when you're on or near the water you're going to float, which will extend your 'survivability' in certain situations."

White also talks about flares, which you are required to have on-board (three of them). Flares are dated, so check when they expire. Also, if you have a flare gun, White reminds that you can't transport them over some international waters. "If you're going into Canadian waters don't carry flare guns on board, as they do not comply with Canadian law." Also on the don't-bring-aboard list: some dive knives, as they can be seen as weapons.

For more details on some on-the-water do's and don'ts, check out the video above.

Since April 2006, White has been bringing Sea Grant's "message" to the morning masses at WWNY TV 7, a Watertown-based CBS-affiliate, during one of the highest rated TV blocks in the "wake-up hours," the 6:30-7 am stretch.

Sea Grant's 'five minutes of fame' - which potentially reaches around 10,000 viewers in New York's Jefferson and Northern Oswego Counties - has featured topics over the years such as boating safety, aquatic invasive species, diving in search of sunken wrecks, the dune and Salmon River stewards program, shoreline land issues, tourism, and marine safety.

More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.