Lake Simcoe was a busy spot on Friday afternoon and staff at local marinas know this is just the beginning of what could be the busiest weekend of the year.

Joining boaters on the water is the York Regional Police marine unit and officers say they will be keeping a close eye on lake traffic.

"When the weather's like this, they'll try to get out on the boat really quick and they'll forget some of their safety equipment," says York Regional Police Const. Cory Wood. "Obviously when your vessels moving, you can't consume any alcohol. We try to keep people cognisant of the fact that when you're drinking and it's this hot, you're going to get dehydrated and drunk very fast."

There's another concern with this warm weather. Police say people often head out in inflatable tubes or stand up paddle boards, and they're not prepared.

"Little or no safety equipment at all. No PFD's (personal flotation device) and within moments, initially they're close to shore, but then as the breeze picks up, the further away they become from shore, they get pushed out before they know it, they're out in the lake a mile, mile and a half out and it's impossible for them to swim back in," says YRP Sgt. Chris Hyland.

Along with checking for safety equipment and alcohol, police say the heat is no excuse to not wear a lifejacket.

"Always have the PFDs on the children because you can hit a wave you don't see, and next thing you know someone’s in the water. With a PFD on, it's a matter of turning around and picking them up, without a PFD on, the results could be tragic," says Wood.

Safety aside, police are reminding boaters, if you're caught drinking and driving on the water it could affect your driver's licence.