Krista's Blog

Aug. 12, 2011 - Stop by the Nobody's Waterproof booth at Marble Falls boat races this Saturday

Aug. 13 marks the last official Nobody's Waterproof event of the year. We will be at the boat races on Lake Marble Falls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. When you take a break to grab some lunch or cold drinks, stop by our booth and see what you can win. Also, we are looking for people to tell us their water-accident stories – rescues, near-accidents, minor accidents that could have become serious, etc. There are lots of them out there. We just want to get some people telling us their stories on camera so we can use them on our website to show how easily these things can and do happen to real people.

On Aug. 6, the Nobody's Waterproof team hosted its last Lake Travis event for the year. The sweltering heat combined with lower lake levels and a burn ban at Travis County parks contributed to pretty low visitation. Interestingly, staff members from LCRA's Water Management team have conducted a few boating surveys over the years and found that when the level of Lake Travis drops below 640 feet above mean sea level, boating recreation drops to 40 percent. They also say that one-third of the boaters come from public ramps, one-third come from marinas, and another third from private docks.

While most summer vacations are coming to an end, it doesn't mean that people are no longer going to the lake. It's hot. REALLY hot, and swimming at the lake is one of the few ways to still enjoy summer in scorching temperatures above 100 degrees!

But just because you think you might have more water for yourself with fewer lake-goers doesn't mean that you can boat or swim like there is no tomorrow. You still have to be safe. Even if you are the only boat as far as the eye can see, you still shouldn't go full throttle and run the risk of hitting a stump or running aground in areas with less water than usual.

So, seek refuge from our blistering summer in the cool water around the area but don't let the heat cloud your good judgment! Have a safe rest of the summer and wear a life jacket! We won't be hosting anymore events after this weekend, but we will be participating in events organized by the Central Texas Water Safety Coalition, of which we are a member. I'll still give you a heads up on those events as they unfold.

July 29, 2011 – Hot, dry days as we wind down our Nobody's Waterproof events. We will be at Bob Wentz Park on Lake Travis this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wow, it's hot outside! And we all know that in Texas, summer-like temperatures can stretch well into football season and even Thanksgiving. Staying hydrated is critical when you are outdoors. It may seem odd to think about bringing water with you to the lake or taking a break from swimming to drink some water (other than what you might have accidentally swallowed while skiing or swimming!), but it is important not only to your health but to your safety while you're out having fun.

Becoming dehydrated can have a negative impact on both your physical abilities as well as your mental judgment. I'm pretty sure those are NOT things that you want impaired if you are boating or swimming. And if you add alcohol instead of water, then you are really increasing your chances of an accident. Now, I'm not telling people not to drink alcohol, but if you are boating, you do need to have a designated driver just like in a car. And the majority of accidents on lakes, whether in a boat or just swimming at a park, do involve alcohol. Something to keep in mind, so chug that water often!

August typically signals the end of the official summer recreation season – school starts again for most ages, and families go back home from their vacations. As we wind down the "official" summer recreation season, we have just two Nobody's Waterproof events left on Lake Travis. That means you have just two more chances this summer to chat up our outreach team about water safety and win free prizes. We are looking for folks to tell us about their near-accidents on the water to give people an idea of how easily and often things can go terribly wrong. So, look for our folks and tell them you have a water-safety story to tell. Then we can get you on camera telling it so your story can reach others.

Be safe, have fun and watch after others in your group!

July 15 -- We're bringing NWP to Inks Lake

We will be at Inks Lake State Park Saturday, July 16, with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to get the word out about water safety. TPWD has helped take Nobody's Waterproof statewide, and this is the second year they have helped step up the Nobody's Waterproof event on Inks Lake. Our summer water recreation season is far from over, with temperatures over 100 degrees forecast well into next week for the Austin area. Hot days like that draw people to the water as an inexpensive way to tolerate the heat, or at least get a break from it.

Inks Lake is a popular lake, and because it's a state park, it gets even more visitors. That means some visitors come prepared to dip their toes in the water, and some people who didn't plan on getting in the water may change their minds once they get there. So water safety reminders are important. People like to jump into water -- be it from diving boards, the side of pools, rope swings or cliffs. All of those things carry risk with them, but jumping into a natural water body where you can't see what's below the water's surface can be especially dangerous. And with our drought continually reducing the amount of water in our lakes and rivers, a jump into the water that someone enjoyed last week could result in serious injuries today.

Lots of injuries occur as a result of jumps into shallow water. Rocks along the shoreline that weren't there before now pose a threat to people -- both swimmers and boaters. Many injuries take place from a jumper's impact with the water, regardless of what lies beneath the surface. And then there are numerous injuries from people climbing cliffs to jump from them. Way too many opportunities to hurt yourself, so please pass on inclination to jump into that lake or river, and just carefully ease yourself in so you can get an idea of what's below the surface!

A quick note on the importance of wearing a life jacket and the success of the free life jacket loaner program at Bob Wentz and Mansfield Dam parks on Lake Travis: I'm pleased to report that I noticed firsthand the many life jackets in use at Mansfield Dam Park over Fourth of July weekend -- both by adults and kids. Entire families were sporting red, yellow, green and blue life jackets that bore the Travis County mark. Way to go! So remember, if you happen to arrive at one of those parks and realize you forgot your life jacket or decide that swimming at the lake requires a little more energy than you thought, go grab one of the free loaner life jackets and enjoy a nice relaxing float. Just make sure to return them for the next person to use!

Come see us at Inks Lake and have a fun, safe summer!

July 1 – Look for us Saturday in Devil's Cove & Mansfield Dam Park on Lake Travis!

It's the last really big summer holiday at the lakes so find our Nobody's Waterproof team at Mansfield Dam Park and in Devil's Cove 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free snow cones, water safety trivia prizes and fun. A live radio van from LA JEFA will be there with us from 11:30-12:30.

Few things can feel as carefree as bobbing in the water at the lake on a breezy summer day with friends or family on a holiday weekend. It's important to have that leisure time in our lives when we can fully relax. The trick is not relaxing your judgment to the point where you put yourselves or others around you at risk.

I'm talking about things from boating after drinking too much to something as simple as just stopping to recognize the risks associated with trying to swim farther than you might be physically capable. It's so easy to be lulled into a false sense of security to the point where the idea of someone in your group drowning seems like an impossible scenario. But that's exactly what has happened eight times already this year on Austin-area lakes.

Four people have drowned on Lake Travis, two on Lake Marble Falls, one on Lake Buchanan and one on Lake Austin. In some instances, bystanders tried to save the victims but had to let go because they were being pulled under the water, too. So sad on so many levels.

So I'm going to add to my recommendation to wear life jackets by asking you to take a life jacket or some other things that float with you to the lake because they can be used to have effortless fun in the water AND they can double as a make-shift rescue aid in the worst-case scenario.

At the end of the day, all you really need is some good judgment, some knowledge of the lake, some water bottles and some good sunscreen! There's a reason our safety campaign is called Nobody's Waterproof. We are all vulnerable if we aren't aware of the consequences . . . and the lake doesn't discriminate. Have fun, play it smart, and be safe!

June 24 – Look for us Saturday in Devil's Cove & Bob Wentz Park on Lake Travis!

Come see our fun, lively Nobody's Waterproof team members Saturday, June 25, as they serve up water safety trivia with sides of free prizes! They will be in the booth and in Devil's Cove from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with water safety trivia to help raise water safety awareness among lake visitors. Drought summers create different things for boaters and swimmers to look out for on the lakes. Boaters need to watch out for the shallow areas and rock outcroppings that might not have been there the last time they visited the lake. For swimmers, islands start peeking out of the water, tempting people in the parks to try to swim out to them. As Yoda would say, "Do or do not. There is no try." The key word here is TRY, because if you can't make it out to those islands, or even more importantly, can't make it back to shore, there is a very high price to pay. And seven drownings on area lakes this year make it well worth the reminder to folks how quickly a fun situation can turn serious. There are so many factors that can affect you on a hot Texas summer day at the lake. Are there lots of boats creating wakes that make you work harder to swim? Are you a swimmer, prepared for the fact that you can walk from three feet of water into 13 feet in a single step? Are you drinking alcohol or water? Keep an eye on each other when you're in the water so you can try to help someone in trouble if it comes to that. And wearing a life jacket is the single best thing you can do to ensure your safety. Heck, there are even free life jacket loaner stations at the most popular Lake Travis swimming areas – Bob Wentz and Mansfield Dam. They are free to use and they just might save your life or the life of someone you care about. Keep it safe when you're out there staying cool and having fun!

June 10 – Look for us Saturday at Bob Wentz Park at Windy Point on Lake Travis!

Our Nobody's Waterproof™ outreach team will give out free snow cones and prizes while encouraging safe recreation on the lakes this Saturday. Visit them on land at Bob Wentz Park at Windy Point on Lake Travis this Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cool off with a free snow cone, win prizes by playing Water Safety Jeopardy, and above all, have a fun, safe weekend on the water! Also look for the Nobody's Waterproof boat in Devil's Cove, where team members will be interacting with lake partiers to give them chances at free prizes and make sure they have a good time without risking anyone's safety.

DID YOU SEE OUR OUTREACH TEAM IN DEVIL'S COVE OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND? They were out there May 28, battling the windy, choppy lake conditions to ask boaters water safety trivia questions and reward them with beach balls, t-shirts, sunglasses, waterproof pouches and more. We even had a couple of TV news photographers on board with us for a while to see what the campaign was about and how it works. We shot a few short videos while we were on the water with the news crews, so check out the videos posted over on the right to see if you or someone you know happened to be caught on our cameras! Everyone in Devil's was great to us – appreciative and understanding of what we were out there to accomplish. Some folks even recognized our boat from last year! On shore, we served up free snow cones, played Water Safety Jeopardy, and enjoyed music from the radio live van from LA QUE BUENA 104.3 FM.

But the weekend wasn't all fun and games. Sadly, two people drowned on the Highland Lakes May 29 -- one on Lake Buchanan near Shaw Island and the other on Lake Travis near Bob Wentz Park at Windy Point. Accidents happen, and conditions we don't foresee can put us in dangerous situations. So, please be safe when you're out on the water and please wear a life jacket. No one is bulletproof and no one can completely control the environment when out on the water. Nobody's Waterproof.

May 26, 2011 - Free snow cones and prizes this Saturday.

Our Nobody's Waterproof™ outreach team will give out free snow cones and prizes while encouraging safe recreation on the lakes this holiday weekend. Visit them on land at Mansfield Dam Park on Lake Travis this Saturday, May 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cool off with a free snow cone, win prizes by playing Water Safety Jeopardy, and above all, have a fun, safe Memorial Day on the water! Also look for the Nobody's Waterproof boat in Devil's Cove, where team members will be interacting with lake partiers to give them chances at free prizes and make sure they have a good time without risking anyone's safety.

Also, as a reminder, LCRA does not ban the use of any type of watercraft on Lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, Travis, Fayette and Bastrop. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department Park Police will enforce the City of Austin ordinance that prohibits the use of personal watercraft on Lake Austin from 5 p.m. Friday, May 27, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 31. The City of Austin has jurisdiction over Lake Austin. For more information, call Austin Park Police Lake Patrol at 329-8841.

May 20, 2011 - The National Safe Boating Council May 21 "Ready-Set-Inflate" Day.

Bring your boat (or your personal watercraft) to Mansfield Dam Recreation Area on Lake Travis for a free boat inspection tomorrow! The National Safe Boating Council made May 21 "Ready-Set-Inflate" Day. Last year, water safety groups gathered at their various locations to show their support for wearing life jackets. The videos on our home page are actually from last year's Ready-Set-Inflate initiative. This year, the Central Texas Water Safety Coalition is going to gather up as many members of the public as well as the coalition and commemorate the event at Mansfield Dam park at 2 p.m. LCRA's Nobody's Waterproof outreach team will participate with other coalition members. There will be free boat and PWC inspections, safety info and even demos on knots from morning until late afternoon.

May 13, 2011 - Yes, it's Friday the 13th, but forget about Jason. The lake is only scary if you don't play it safe!

Our Nobody's Waterproof team just finished up two days of Beach Fest activities at Matagorda Bay Nature Park. More than 900 schoolchildren from the coastal region attended this great annual Beach Fest Coastal Expo. They participated in a bunch of hands-on activities that increase awareness of Texas coastal ecosystems, demonstrate their importance, and illustrate how to protect them while having fun at the beach. So of course, our water safety gurus were there to make sure they knew how to be safe, too, while out having fun. The next stop for the Nobody's Waterproof outreach team will be a big one – Memorial Day weekend on Lake Travis (May 28). In addition to the fun lake gear giveaways to people who correctly answer a couple of water safety questions, a van from a local radio station also will be there to suport our campaign and hand out their own give-aways. I'll tell you more about those plans soon. Until then, have fun and be safe!

April 21, 2011 - Easter Weekend

Easter is one of the busiest weekends for area parks. The weather is warm, and if it's sunny, people will swim or just splash around on the shoreline with their bare feet and legs. So take just a few seconds to incorporate water safety as an underlying theme in your thoughts and actions. It will help you have fun in a way that doesn't put you or anyone around you at risk of an accident. Keep it simple and keep it safe. Wear a life jacket – they keep you from drowning. Be smart with the alcohol – don't over-indulge and designate a driver (for a boat and for your car). Have fun and enjoy the lake all summer! P.S. – Our first Nobody's Waterproof event on Lake Travis will be May 28. Stay tuned to learn about cool prizes you can win as Memorial Day gets closer!

September 10 - Nobody's Waterproof event at the Coastal Expo!

The Nobody's Waterproof booth will be at the Coastal Expo, a collaboration between the Lower Colorado River Authority & Texas Parks and Wildlife. The September 10 Coastal Expo will run from 9 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. at the Colorado County Fairgrounds in Columbus.

July 24 - NWP event on Lake Bastrop this Saturday!

The Nobody's Waterproof crew has moved our event to Lake Bastrop this Saturday, July 24th. Look for our booth from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. and stop by for a FREE snow cone. We have lots of new flavors and exciting prizes if you want to come play our fun trivia game. We look forward to seeing you out there!

July 12 - NWP Crew out at AquaPalooza July 10-11

Wow, what a weekend! The NWP crew was out at AquaPalooza Friday and Saturday and had a blast. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to say 'hello.' We enjoyed educating the crowd on water safety and, thankfully, no major problems were reported at the event. Our crew will be out at Lake LBJ on July 24th and we'd love to see you out there. Keep an eye out for our boat; we are always ready to challenge you with our safety trivia!

June 30 - Hang out with the NWP Crew this Saturday, July 3 @ Mansfield Dam

Fourth of July weekend is almost here, and Nobody's Waterproof is ready to celebrate. Come out and join the NWP crew at Mansfield Dam on Saturday, July 3, for free snow cones and a chance to win some awesome prizes! Our booth will be set up from noon to 5 p.m., so come by and say hello! If you are out on the water, look for our Nobody's Waterproof boat and answer our safety questions to win some fabulous prizes!

June 1 - Memorial Day weekend visitors to Lake Travis reminded, Nobody's Waterproof

LCRA's Nobody's Waterproof Campaign toured Lake Travis Saturday, May 29, reaching out to boaters with water safety tips. The crew invited media on their day-long effort to educate lake visitors in Devil's Hollow with water safety trivia, games and prizes.

KXAN, KVUE, FOX7, KEYE and Univision/KAKW all reported on our efforts in their nightly newscasts. Click on the links to watch the stories online.

May 24 - NWP Campaign Makes Morning News

To celebrate National Safe Boating Week FOX 7 News took a trip to Lake Travis at Mansfield Dam Park to find out how to stay safe on the water this summer. FOX 7 reporter Nik Ciccone talked with LCRA and Nobody's Waterproof about the campaign and the importance of wearing a life jacket. Take a look.

May 22 - National Safe Boating Week

Saturday, May 22, kicks off National Safe Boating Week, which lasts through Friday, May 28. Look for the Nobody's Waterproof crew on Lake Travis, and don't forget to wear your life jacket! For more information on National Safe Boating Week and events going on across the country visit the National Safe Boating Council's website, www.safeboatingcouncil.org.

May 19 - Nobody's WaterproofTM and LCRA get airtime on 101X

May 19 Nobody's Waterproof and LCRA got airtime on 101X Jason and Deb from 101X FM chatted about the YouTube video Deb did for our Nobody's Waterproof Campaign on their morning show. To listen, right click here and download the podcast titled "Water Safety." You can also click here to read Deb's blog.

April 23 - Nobody's WaterproofTM debut on Univision Radio Austin

Nobody's WaterproofTM debuted on Univision Radio Austin on Sunday, April 4. Right click here and download the mp3 to catch the full interview.

Nadie Está a Prueba de Agua hizo su debut en Univisión Radio Austin el Domingo 4 de Abril. Haga clic a la derecha en el enlace para conectarse en la Internet y escuchar la entrevista completa.

April 17 - Nobody's WaterproofTM Crew at McKinney Roughs Nature Park to celebrate Earth Day

Join me April 17 at McKinney Roughs Nature Park to celebrate Earth Day. I'll be on site with the Nobody's Waterproof Crew getting pictures and video of the event. Arts and crafts, environmental speakers and music are just part of the fun that will be going on from 10-3. Plus, stop by the Nobody's Waterproof booth to play games, win t-shirts and other giveaways and don't forget to try out the Nobody's Waterproof watercraft simulator. Click on the link for a press release of the event and a map to McKinney Roughs State Park. Hope to see you there!

April 9 - Nobody's WaterproofTM recognized for videos

Water Safety Summit in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Nobody's WaterproofTM videos were entered in a competition for video public service announcements. The Nobody's WaterproofTM campaign won second place for its "Wear It" videos in both English and Spanish. The award was presented by the National Water Safety Congress and the National Safe Boating Council.

March 29 - Listen up!

Nobody's WaterproofTM Radio PSA's hit the airwaves March 29th. Listen to our safety messages on your favorite radio station and remember to "Play It Safe".

About Krista

Hi, I'm Krista and I'm the spokesperson for LCRA's Nobody's Waterproof Campaign. Follow my blog to get the latest information on our Nobody's WaterproofTM events. I'll also tell you about contests and how you can win cool prizes, I'll even give you tips on how to "Play It Safe" this summer so stay tuned and remember…Nobody's WaterproofTM, wear a life jacket!