WakeSurfers

Huge fan of all watersports but this Wakesurfing craze is going to kill our sport.

These huge ballast ships and thirfers on smaller lakes and too close to shore are giving all of waterskiing a bad rap. Is this really what we have become, a generation of participation trophy athletes gravitating towards what takes the least amount of skill with the greatest impact on those around us, selfish!!!

Disturbing article about proposed restrictions on all of watersports because of the thirf boats.

http://www.smithmountaineagle.com/news/article_9cacfc08-7dc8-11e7-93de-2bd990402ee0.html

Thorny topic, indeed. My kiddos like to surf, but I'm a water-skier. On general principle, I HATE wakes.

However, I'm not sure I want to have more "Big Brother" looking over our collective shoulders, telling us what we can and can't do. So, how should the pleasure craft industry deal with the idiots and knuckleheads out there?

I'm in the marine industry and the following is an excerpt regarding wake damage (from a maritime law website):

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The general maritime rule applies to vessels of all types, from the largest ships to the smallest boats and personal watercraft, operating in the navigable waters of the United States. A vessel causing injury to others by her swell or wake is held responsible for any failure to appreciate the reasonable effect of her own speed and motion through the water at the particular place and under the particular circumstances where the injury occurred. Her officers are required to take all reasonable precautions to avoid injury to another vessel, including crew or passengers. All reasonable precautions must be taken even though past experience has shown that in the ordinary and usual course of events they are likely to escape injury..

A ship passing piers or docks where other vessels are tied up is obligated to proceed carefully and prudently so as to avoid creating unusual swells or suction which would damage craft properly moored or installations along the shoreline. The moving vessel must take into consideration the reasonable effect to be anticipated from her speed and motion through the water and must take such precautions by way of reduction of speed or alteration of course as may be necessary to prevent such damage.

On the other hand piers and docks along the shoreline are required to be kept in proper condition and vessels tied up there must be seaworthy and properly moored so as to resist ordinary and normal swells, even in narrow waters where heavy traffic may be anticipated. Some wash from passing vessels is bound to occur and must be anticipated and guarded against. Only unusual swells or suction which cannot be reasonably anticipated furnish the basis for a claim. Note that these rules are altered when a vessel proceeds within a “No Wake” Zone established by the United States Coast Guard.

REMEDIES FOR THE INJURED PARTY IN A BOAT ACCIDENT

So, what civil remedies do people who have suffered personal injury or property damage in have in these circumstances under maritime law? It is surprising to many that there is admiralty tort jurisdiction over such cases that gives rise to admiralty law remedies. In many circumstances, the injured party can bring a civil claim against both the operator and vessel owner individually (or in personam) and against the offending vessel itself, in rem. The in rem claim against the vessel is perfected by procuring the vessel’s arrest by the United States Marshals Service, and the vessel can be sold and the proceeds held as security for the injured party’s claim if it is not bonded out.

To recover in a civil claim for injury or property damage caused by the wake of a passing vessel, the injured party or owners of the wake damaged vessel must prove that swells or suction caused the injury or damage, that the damaged vessel was properly moored to resist ordinary swells or suction (if the claim is for damage to a vessel outside of a no-wake zone), and that the offending swells or suction came from the passing vessel. The fact of injury or damage from swells or wake establishes the prima facie liability of the vessel creating the swells or wake. If this is proven, then, to avoid liability under the admiralty law, the passing vessel must show that she was powerless to prevent the injury by any practical precautions she could have adopted. Admiralty law has adopted a pure comparative fault standard, allowing the finder of fact to apportion fault among the various parties as it sees fit under the facts of each case.

Wake damage caused within an official “No Wake” zone can constitute negligence per se and the vessel owner and operator can be held liable for any personal injury or property damage proximately caused by the wake without the need to prove any breach of duty to those harmed.
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No easy answers here -- and the popularity of the wake sports will bring out some passionate responses from all sides. Pass the popcorn...

I'm going to make a lake. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time at the Lake James reunion and even got some great early morning skiing in, but that lake was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I also had to keep the 176 on plane to keep from swamping the boat. I ran out of paths serveral times and even had to kill the power when a 50+ mph cigarette boat cut in front of me and almost hit a pontoon. It is LITERALLY calmer and safer for me to boat in Lake Michigan.

. The lakes are getting insanely crowded and I feel there is no good way to police them. It seems the government likes to make everyone pay for the actions of a few.

I'm making my own lake.

M3Fan wrote: I recently towed our 200 around up north for 2 weeks while we stayed up there and hit the Eagle River and Minocqua Chains extensively. What absolutely blew my mind was the tubing. Tubing EVERYWHERE and unfortunately with the same big boats that are used for surfing. .

Joel,
You should have driven a few extra miles and dropped the 200 in on the TL's chain! Yes, the tubers are out there especially on weekends like the 4th but, no were near what's on the ER side. I certainly agree with the anti tube campaign. and the same for the surfers.

Will we see you this coming weekend?

Interesting to see how this plays out. Those flying kite tubes were pretty much banned. No big deal, Small market, cheap product. Jet skis are banned in a lot of places, but not enough to impact market, I guess. But the wake boat industry is huge. I think it is safe to say it allowed/created CCs recovery in the business, selling those monster G boats.   Needless to say they are not going down without a fight.   It kind of saddens me a bit that that is all CC is pushing now. I see Race City Promos and ads all the time and they are just pushing surfing, surfing surfing. I get it, thats what is selling, but what are they doing to promote 3 event???? Oh yeah, nothing.

Hi Todd, unfortunately no we won't have a 200 at the Boat Show. However If you'd like to contact one of our sales specialists here at our dealership we do have a few pre-owned (2015-2016) 200's here! If you give us a call by 2:30 pm and we can agree on a deal, we'll give you a $500 credit towards our pro shop!

^^ the above is the response I received from the Orlando Nautique dealer afterl I asked on Facebook if they would have a SN 200 at the Orlando show they were advertising. By they're response they didn't even have a new one to offer!!

Orlando76 wrote: Hi Todd, unfortunately no we won't have a 200 at the Boat Show. However If you'd like to contact one of our sales specialists here at our dealership we do have a few pre-owned (2015-2016) 200's here! If you give us a call by 2:30 pm and we can agree on a deal, we'll give you a $500 credit towards our pro shop!

You want to spend the credit on waterskis.... uhhhh.... I'm sorry Todd, the proshop only stocks tubes and tiny surfboards...

I'm going to buy some giant bouncy balls for when we tie up and raft on Deep Lake. Seems like two wake barges and a pontoon pulling a tuber is all it takes to turn our small lake into a huge cauldron of 2 foot waves.

Our lake is loaded with surf boats and has become noticeably more rough on the weekends. I see a mix of them surfing and pulling tubes. I do feel like I have seen more people skiing this year, though, too.

Our local wildlife officers have started ticketing wake surf boats running too close to docks on our lake. That might help keep them from near the docks. However, as the surfers get better open water keeps them from advancing their tricks, so they head right into the ski coves for the calm water.

Seems like we will need some rules and regulations at some point because technology is helping the waves become bigger and bigger. There now is a 19 foot Regal IO that throws a heck of a wave, so even the smaller boats can now throw surf-able waves.

DayTony wrote: All these people buying up big expensive surf boats. If only they knew they could pick up a used repco or novi for under 10k that'll throw a bigger wake, hold 3 times more people and 2000+lbs of ballast and surf all day on $20 of #2 diesel.

But then there's no bling factor!!!

Keith wrote: Our lake in ME is pretty small and we have 'courtesy' rules. On weekends: before 7:00 am barefooters can run the lake in any direction, Between 7:00-9:00 am slalom skiers can run the lake in any direction. 9:00-11:00 the lake is run in a counter-clockwise direction and reserved for ski show practice (Aug-Sept). After 11:00 am the tubers come out and the lake gets messy. We have very few surfers on our lake. We surf when the lake is already rough and unskiable (mid-day). We try to get an afternoon ski in when it's raining or when there is a lull at dinner time but otherwise no suitable water after 11:00 am. I enjoy using my boat for all different types of activities, including surfing. We always ski first and surf later (when we couldn't ski anyway and the boat would otherwise be sitting at the dock unused). We still have more ski boats than wake boats on our lake, perhaps this is unique.

Man I wish more lake owners association would adopt sensible rules like this - are these written or just an understanding among all owners?

Keith, what lake are you on? What lake in this area has adopted such a rule? I just got to know
Those are great "guidelines"

Our lake has had a noticeable increase of monster surf / wakeboard boats over the past couple of years. Call it lack of education, ignorance, stupidity, or just lack of common sense /courtesy.

I have watched many boats surfing along the shoreline and beating up docks, boats and the natural shoreline all the while with music playing so loud you swear you were at Who concert.

I fear the light is at the end of the tunnel and it is a locomotive that is headed down the tracks and we will all be paying the price for the ignorance of others within 3-5 years if it takes that long.

You have to wonder if some of these are the same people that don't understand the "make ready lane at the public launch's or drive 60 mph in the left lane of the highway. Just sayin'

Seems that when avid skiers are surfing or tubing they do it in a responsible manor, and are not the problem.

While out on Lake Austin a month or so ago on the weekend we noticed a lot of younger people out surfing, boarding and drinking. I guess I am starting to sound like an old guy now but more times than I care to mention we were closely passed by a surf boat with music blastin, kids drinking, checking their Instagram etc.... must say that puts me on edge especially when I have kids in the water! we were swamped 3 times. Maybe because they are moving at 5 knots they feel they don't need to be 100' away from boats, docks etc... maybe they just don't care.

As Steve pointed out... there have been plenty of guys deep in coves fishing to see us pulling a footer/skier by at 6:30am so I guess I can't be too hypocritical.

I tend to find myself trolling in gear when not pulling skiers as much as possible...

Its correct craft's fault:


surfing 1966