Water Safety Articles

Discover the Park – Activities

Wave Watch buoys are LIVE for the 2026 season

Wave Watch buoys are LIVE for the 2026 season

Ice may still be clinging to some of the cliffs of the northernmost islands, but boating season 2026 has officially begun. On Wednesday, May 20th, Friends of the Apostle Islands joined the National Park Service and representatives of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to splash the Wave Watch buoys for the new boating season.Ice on Devils Island cliffs - Jeff Rennicke photosFive solar-powered spotting buoys were deployed at strategic boating locations throughout the Lakeshore and are already transmitting data to the Wave Watch real-time data page. From now until fall, these buoys will...

Wave Watch buoys pulled for 2025 boating season as boater safety plans for 2026 start to take shape

Wave Watch buoys pulled for 2025 boating season as boater safety plans for 2026 start to take shape

A growing number of power boaters, paddlers and sailors made smarter, safer choices thanks to Wave Watch buoys positioned in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore during the 2025 boating season. The buoys provided real-time wave and water temperature information for five important locations in the Lakeshore. This week a team from the National Park Service and Friends of the Apostle Islands conducted the annual end-of-season buoy recovery mission, as Friends and our partners work on plans for 2026 and beyond.The recovery team, led by Supervisory Park Ranger Karl Carlson boarded the 28-foot...

What’s new and what’s unchanged about the Meyers Beach paddling experience

What’s new and what’s unchanged about the Meyers Beach paddling experience

We are now in the heart of the summer paddling season in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. July and August typically provide the warmest, calmest conditions for kayakers but in every season, safety must remain your top priority when you're on Lake Superior. Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore board member Neil Howk takes us along for the maiden voyage of his new kayak to share what's new and what's not, about the paddling experience at Meyers Beach and the mainland sea caves.My son and daughter-in-law surprised me with a kayak for my birthday. I decided to do its...

Wave Watch buoys reveal dramatic water temperature swings in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Wave Watch buoys reveal dramatic water temperature swings in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

These may be the longest days of summer, but you'll definitely want to know current wave and water temperature conditions before you jump in for a swim or head out in your kayaak. Due to a relatively cool spring, the largest freshwater lake in the world is about 5 degrees behind normal averages in warming at the surface. The difference between an invigorating swim and potentially life-threatening hypothermia is literally a matter of degrees and timing. And our Wave Watch buoys verify just how quickly conditions can change. Lake Superior's deep-water temperture is 39 degrees year-round but at...

Bodin Fisheries honors Friends with unexpected catch

Bodin Fisheries honors Friends with unexpected catch

The Bodin family knows a thing or two about fishing on Lake Superior. Nils Adolf Bodin immigrated from Sweden in the late 1800s, marrying Elizabeth Johansson. Together, they had six children and began the family fishing legacy that continues to this day.Lake Superior fishing tug - Jeff Rennicke photoRunning a successful fishing business takes both an understanding of and appreciation for the ways of the lake. So, when Bill Bodin recently received an unexpected opportunity to pick a local nonprofit to receive a donation, he immediately thought of Wave Watch and Friends of the Apostle...

Boater safety with a splash! Watch the Wave Watch deployment video

Boater safety with a splash! Watch the Wave Watch deployment video

Launching the Wave Watch boater safety buoys for the 2025 season takes teamwork, timing and some help from our Friends who value this life-saving service enough to support it. Late last week, a team from the National Park Service, University of Wisconsin - Madison and Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore boarded a park service boat to deploy five solar-powered buoys. Buoys that are now providing real-time wave height, period and direction, as well as water temperature for key locations within the Lakeshore. Thankfully, the plan, the people and the weather came together for a...

Wave Watch buoys are now live for 2025, providing vital boater safety information in the Apostle Islands

Wave Watch buoys are now live for 2025, providing vital boater safety information in the Apostle Islands

The buoys are back for 2025! Whether you're on the water exploring the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore or planning your next adventure, the Wave Watch buoys can help you stay safe. A team from the National Park Service, the University of Wisconsin - Madison and Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore deployed five solar-powered buoys on Thursday, May 22nd, just ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend. After several days of extremely windy weather and dangerous conditions, the weather calmed and the waves laid down enough for a successful deployment mission covering an estimated...

Wave Watch vital to the success of Escape Excursions

Wave Watch vital to the success of Escape Excursions

Captain Shelly Holland remembers the moment: “I’ll never forget that beautiful day when I first explored the Apostle Islands. The water was smooth as glass. I navigated by keeping close to the shoreline, making sure I wouldn’t get lost in the sprawling, magical waters. Towering sandstone cliffs rose majestically above vibrant emerald green waters, revealing caves of every shape and size. It was as if I had finally found the thrilling adventure I had been searching for my entire life!”Captain Shelly Holland at the helmIn the 15 years since that moment, Captain Holland has lived her passion to...

Love Our Lakeshore: Welcoming the Ajijaak to the National Park Service fleet

Love Our Lakeshore: Welcoming the Ajijaak to the National Park Service fleet

During this challenging time of change for our nation and for our national parks, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore wants to shine a bright light – a lighthouse beacon if you will – on this very special place and on the people dedicated to protecting the national lakeshore for future generations. That's the goal of our series entitled “Love our Lakeshore." (You can tell us why you Love Our Lakeshore by filling out our simple form at this link.) In this report we explore how the latest park vessel signals a new era of water safety in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.The...

Love Our Lakeshore: Wave Watch water safety program deployment planned for spring 2025

Love Our Lakeshore: Wave Watch water safety program deployment planned for spring 2025

During this challenging time of change for our nation and for our national parks, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore wants to shine a bright light – a lighthouse beacon if you will – on this very special place and on the people dedicated to protecting the national lakeshore for future generations. That's the goal of our series entitled “Love our Lakeshore." (You can tell us why you Love Our Lakeshore by filling out our simple form at this link.) In this report we update plans to deploy Wave Watch buoys in the spring of 2025 to improve your safety on the water. We also take a...