Miami officials urge Floridians to sign up for boating safety text alerts

May 19 through May 25 is National Safe Boating Week, and the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces is urging boaters to plan ahead for Memorial Day weekend by signing up for safety text alerts.

Miami-Dade Parks reports that 6,961 Floridians have signed up for Miami-Dade Marina SMS safety alerts.

Miami-Dade Marina text alerts, is a free service that keeps boaters informed with real time boating information on bad weather conditions, ramp closures, and re-openings by text alerts, email, or mobile phone.

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Whether you’re planning a day of fishing or yachting on the seas, Miami-Dade Parks wants boaters to practice boating safety such as inspecting the vessel, equipment, weather conditions, and life jackets.

County officials recommend that boaters call a marina prior to taking the waterways for updates to plan your boating route, traffic conditions, and availability of short-term wet slips.

Miami-Dade Parks’ offers six full-service marinas that offer amenities such as dry storage, boat ramps, dockage, fuel, bait, boat rentals, diving equipment, and landing facilities.

Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, and is made up of 270 parks and 13,573 acres of land.