WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. - The warmest Memorial Day in more than a decade is forecast for Monday.
As people head to the beach, the YMCA of the North is reminding people about water safety.
"We want to make sure that people are wearing their life jackets. Just not bringing them with them but actually wearing them. Because if you're sitting on them and something happens in a boat, you're not going to be able to grab it. So don't pack it, actually wear it," said Shannon Kinstler, senior association aquatic director of YMCA of the North.
Kinstler said make sure the life jacket says on it that it's U.S. Coast Guard approved and make sure it's the right fit.
Once in the water, Kinstler said parents should keep an eye on their kids even if there is a lifeguard on duty.
"We go places and we think they'll be safe because there's other people around. You really need to watch them," she said.
"Probably two great things for kids to know to do to be safe in the water is being able to have the ability to swim and then roll over and float, to take a breath, and then be able to continue to swim," Kinstler explained. The second skill is to know how to jump in and get back to safety.
Kinstler said people should never swim or boat alone, saying, "You need to have somebody there who can keep an eye on you if something happens."
Even though temperatures in the Twin Cities are expected to hit the nineties, it's still early in the season and cold water can be a shock to your system.
"With colder water your body is going to protect your brain and your heart and it actually pulls the circulation out of your arms and your legs so you're not going to react and swim quite like you used to," Kinstler said.
It's another reason to wear a life jacket. Kinstler said if you fall out of your watercraft and cannot get back in, stay with your craft.
"You're much easier to see versus if you're just alone in the water," she said.
The Y offers swim lessons throughout the summer and free lessons for people who cannot afford them. Free lessons are supported by donations from Abbey's Hope, Hawkins Inc., Delta and USA Swimming Make a Splash Foundation.