Guides for Families

Everything You Need to Know

Practical answers to the questions families ask most often before a burial at sea ceremony.

San Diego Wind and Sea Conditions by Season: What Families Should Know

How San Diego's weather changes by season — spring fog, summer afternoon wind, fall calm windows, and winter swells — and what it means for planning a ceremony.

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How to Scatter Ashes at Sea in California: The Permit, the Three-Mile Rule, and the GPS Certificate

The California disposition permit, the EPA minimum distance requirement, what happens during the ceremony, and what the GPS coordinates certificate means.

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Eight Bells: The Naval Farewell Tradition at a Burial at Sea Ceremony

The centuries-old maritime watch system, what eight bells means as a final farewell, and why the tradition persists at ceremonies today.

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What to Bring to a Burial at Sea: A Checklist for Families

Required documents, what JADA provides, what to bring if you want it, and what to leave ashore — everything in one place before the ceremony day.

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