Sask. expert offers water safety tips ahead of hot weather

Saskatchewan residents will be seeking relief from this week's hot temperatures on their favourite lakes and rivers. But recent drownings in the province have highlighted the issue of water safety.

Rebecca Mollison is a volunteer with Saskatoon Search and Rescue and the owner of Back 40 Wildnerness First Aid.

CBC News spoke to Mollison Tuesday before she hit the South Saskatchewan River on her paddleboard.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CBC: Why do you love being on the water and doing all of these outdoor activities here?

Mollison: In Saskatoon, this river is our recreational lifeline. I think there's so many different opportunities for recreation around it, whether it be biking or paddling, just hiking, picnics, anything like that. So this river gives me multiple sources of recreation every day.

And it sounds like, through your work, you want other people to enjoy it too, in a safe way.

Yes, I think there is the ability to enjoy a micro-adventure in our backyard. Safety means that we're also self-sufficient and prepared and comfortable so that we can enjoy our time, or even stay out longer, or handle when things change, like the weather, or any kind of event that might happen.

So you're saying safety doesn't just begin when you step into the water. Can you talk about all the steps you went through before you got here to the shore?

So this morning, I checked the weather — 24 degrees this afternoon. The wind is only going to be nine kilometres [per hour] from the north, so a nice little gentle breeze headwind. I checked the river flow rate, so we've got about 105 cubic meters per second, which is up a little bit from the years past.

Then I got my gear ready, and packed some snacks and some ice coffee, and here we are.

What gear do you have?

I chose to paddle today, so I actually checked the pressure of my paddleboard, making sure that it's at the 15 PSI that it's supposed to be. I have a good paddle. Then I made sure I have all my components, like my leash. Then I'm making a choice on a life-jacket.

I've already put on sunscreen before I came out, but I will take it with me for extra. I actually have a sun shirt so that I can wear long sleeves and a hood — I'm very fair skinned — and my wide-brim hat. Those are things that will help me stay out longer and protect from that sun exposure.