Brandon Nelson
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Bellingham Weather
My Wife in her Swimsuit on Bellingham Billboards!
It’s TRUE! I’ve been seeing Heather’s photograph showing up at beaches all over Whatcom County, and indeed in her water-wear. But not exactly what you’re thinking.
Heather is the highly fashionable model – dressed in her Gore-Tex Kokatat drysuit with full survival paddling attire — on public service safety signs put up at beaches and boat launches in hopes of educating paddlers and other recreational boaters about water safety.
The signs start with the headline: “COLD WATER CAN KILL!” and I couldn’t agree more. Bellingham Bay is NEVER a benign body of water because it never gets warm. In the dead of record-hot summers like this one has been the average water temperature in the Bay is in the mid-50s. That will snuff the life right out of you if you find yourself swimming for any length of time without proper insulation and outer layers.
In the colder months, and especially when the wind starts kicking up waves and making it harder to locate a swimmer separated from his or her boat, the survival time window is reduced dramatically.
At a minimum, when you head out on the water you need to be wearing:
1) A proper-fitting, Coast Guard approved life jacket;
2) Insulating layers designed for immersion in cold water, such as fleece and a drysuit or wetsuit;
3) A means of communication with rescue officials, such as a waterproof VHF radio — and the skills to know how to use it!
So gear up and dress for the water and your skill level the next time you set out for a paddle on any Whatcom County bay, lake or river. Take a minute and read the sign — and check out the babe in her swimsuit! That’s my girl!
