As we await the salt-water paddling season to get into full swing, it’s a good time to take stock of our equipment and brush up on paddling etiquette.

Dive into the equipment piles you’ve managed to bury over the winter. Drag out all your gear, give it a close inspection, and replace anything that looks a little sketchy, frayed, or funky. That includes your boat, your life jacket, skirt, dry suit, wet suit, strobes, lights, radios, rescue and safety gear you carry – everything. This is the stuff that will bring you home safely.

If you haven’t already, get to the gym or start your own personal fitness program to shed some of those winter calories you collected staving off the chill. And go back to your bookshelf and pull out a couple of those favorites such as Derek Hutchinson’s “The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking” (Globe Pequot), Shelley Johnson and Vaugh Smith’s “Guide to Sea Kayaking in Maine (Globe Pequot), Jonathan Hanson’s “Complete Sea Kayak Touring” (Ragged Mountain Press), or John Dowd’s “Sea Kayaking, A Manual for Long-Distance Touring” (Graystone Books).

You probably have a few others there as well. The point is – do some mental retraining now, before you head out on the water. Your personal safety and that of others depends on making common-sense decisions both on and off the water.

The Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors have been preaching safety for years, and at Thursday night’s meeting in Augusta they began handing out their newly designed boat launch sign that will remind paddlers about water safety and etiquette as they ready for a launch.

An attractive light blue and white, the 12- by 18-inch signs remind paddlers to share the ramps and docks, launch quickly, stay out of other boats’ way, and be visible. Also while on the water, paddlers should practice Leave No Trace ethics, stay clear of seal ledges and nesting bird sites, and respect private property. And for safety’s sake, the signs remind us to wear our life jackets, dress appropriately for the water temperature, and leave a float plan.

The signs are a group effort of MASKGI, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Department of Marine Resources. Ideally, the signs will be posted at as many public boat launch sites as possible to be a last-minute reminder to us as we head out for a day on the water. MASKGI’s Web site, maineseakayakguides.com, is at the bottom of the sign. I’d recommend going there while you’re still at home.

One of the items listed on the sign – be visible – served as an entree to Thursday night’s guest speaker, John T. Bear of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. Affectionately (many times not so affectionately) referred to as speed bumps, kayakers are often the bane of lobstermen primarily because the small boats are relatively invisible – both to the naked eye and radar. While on the water, Bear said, visibility and common sense go a long way. He pointed out that a small triangular orange flag on a 3- or 4-foot mast is one way to be seen in ocean chop.

Bear said lobstermen are often intent on their work and not concentrating on the water forward of their boats while hauling traps. If you approach a working boat, he suggested, do so from the rear, that way the sternman or boat operator will have a better chance of seeing you. Lobstermen are working, Bear said, but will take the time to wave.

Over the past four or five years, the Harpswell lobsterman said, he has noticed fewer close calls with kayaks, surmising that it must be through educational outreach such as that of MASKGI that is working. Paddlers are staying out of boating lanes, nearer shore, and out of the way of working boats, he said.

If there’s anything else average paddlers can do, it’s to dress themselves as colorful as possible to be as visible as possible. That includes the choice of hull color of your boat, Bear said. Stay away from darker colors like black, blue, or green, colors that blend into the water, he said. Orange, yellow, or bright red stand out, he suggested.

Guides attending the meeting offered their suggestions for paddling in low-light situations. Retro-reflective tape on kayak hulls, deck lines, paddles and life jackets is one of the best ways to be seen by other boaters. Scott Shea, MASKGI president, offered an idea of using red and green glow sticks taped to the paddle shaft next to the blade (red on the left, green on the right) as a means of attracting attention and telling other boaters which direction you are traveling.

White lights visible for 360 degrees, flashlights, head lamps, fog horns, whistles, strobe lights, and flares are also necessary tools for warning others of your presence or attracting help. One of your best tools is a VHF radio that you can use to hail other boats or the Coast Guard in an emergency.

Another tool that will help educate folks planning to paddle on the ocean is a new film put out by the American Canoe Association. Maj. John Fedderman of the Marine Patrol played the DVD for the group attending Thursday night’s meeting. “Decide to Return” features a couple heading out for a day trip on calm waters. To the untrained eye the two appear to be relatively well equipped.

As the scenario unfolds the results of poor planning, lack of local knowledge, unfamiliarity with ocean currents, no compass or chart, improper clothing, and lack of snacks can turn into a near-fatal experience. In the end the couple is rescued from the sea by a passing lobsterman. While it may sound overly dramatic, it’s not, according to Fedderman and Bear.

With a little planning, proper equipment, a lot of knowledge, and an improved personal fitness level, you can help keep sea kayaking the safe sport that it has been. If you need more skills, seek out an instructor, take a rescue clinic, and practice, practice, practice. Coming back really is the goal.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.