Nopowerturning.com

Thought you guys might like this

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/745320.html?1257303615   

We have a problem with boats powerturning and sending rollers down the lake. On a small lake it can really create problems on the water and on the shorelines.....Plus it's a waste of gas!

SN206 wrote: If a "powerturn" is what I have in mind, are the rollers any worse than a ballasted wake boat pulling a boarder?

Not going 35-40 and spinning the boat, but slowly banking the boat and churning up the water. On our fishbowl of a lake it gets pretty nasty.

I guess more specifically the reasoning is to keep wakes down on the lake. Some members were trying to alienate wake boats because they made "5 foot tall waves." (2 of 5 mentioned "wake boats" were slalom boats w/towers and an x7 lol)

Our process was to educate everyone on the fact that a bayliner can create more wake than wake boats if they plow water, which many members do.

SN206 wrote: I guess the above mentioned sticker / website would be a little less confrontational though.

But thats the fun part! It's my second favorite past time...close behind chasing down jet ski's!

Thanks.

8122pbrainard wrote: As stated above, maybe the "powerturn" is different than the ones I'm thinking of. A high speed powerturn does not produce large wave/wakes like a ballasted boat does!!

   Amongst wakeboarders,The "powerturn" is not the same as what you would consider a powerturn in a ski boat. Powerturns in ski boats is more like doing a spin on a PWC vs. powerturn in a wakeboat being like a turn you would make while towing a tube. Unless your rider is in immmediate danger there is no reason to do it.Slow down,idle boat around and return to rider.Most of the time the roller will turn the boat for you if done properly. I have seen wally skiers do this as well and if done in a ski boat the same way it would be done in a wakeboat, the end result is almost just as bad.

   Mike

Pete, the terminology has evolved. The wakeboarders are right on the power turns. Skiers do them too, when they power around to pick someone up. What you call a power turn is now a "bat turn".

Riley wrote: What you call a power turn is now a "bat turn".

We called them "bat turns" way before the "power turn" was used. I've mentioned it before that it didn't take long after the Batman TV series came out that someone said something like that turn looks like how Batman turns the Batmobile around in the Batcave!!! We still call them bat turns!!

form&function wrote: The problem is not the powerturn,its the people who come into a secluded occupied area and proceed to powerturn while your pulling a rider.Its rude,uncalled for and generally done by people that just don't understand how much there affecting the skier.Last real bad one I had actually waved and smiled at me because he just didn't know any better.I know that sounds crazy to some of you guys(wakeboarders complaining about wakes)but it is possible to be decent to others and own a wakeboat.

Now I get it. The last sentence really makes me chuckle, I understand there can be a large difference in the experience generated by careful, courteous, wake boarders and the uneducated drivers out there who do not have a clue. The same can be said of any boat driver.

However, the problem really is with perception. Its unfortunate that the name of the sport is "wake boarding" and not Ski boarding or such, and "wake surfing" is not called "boat surfing". To the pontoon crowd and fisherman on the lake, the act of severely overloading a boat to make the largest possible wake, then plowing down the lake at a speed that creates the largest peak, so someone can surf, is just crazy. I fully understand that grandpa in his 25' sea ray pulling the grand kids at 15 mph in the tube makes very large wakes as well, but the public does not see it as "purposely creating the biggest wake possible".

Educated boaters are the key, this fight is just starting on our lake, and it will get worse before better. The risk with any widespread education project at our lake is: We would call more attention to the problem in the short term, risking bans. The education must take place one on one, boater to boater, creating a environment of courteous drivers, boarders, skiers, and surfers.

Our watersports club is very active at the lake, hosting events that raise funds, we are always donating those funds to the causes at the lake, chapel, playground improvements, lions club, civic club, etc, etc...

I "powerturn" in the slalom course if a skier falls and im more than half way thru the course so it sends the roller from the turn down course instead of back up it the way we came so when I pull back up and drop at the other end the roller is out of the gates and ready to ski. Not really a powerturn just cutt throttle and whip it around between the boat guides.

The thing that annoys me the most on a lake is not following the outter edge counter clockwise rule which greates irratic waves all over the lake. Our lake is 440 acres. Wake boats usually thinkg its cool to go all different directions especially in our smooth cove along with tubers which basically makes it inpossible to do anything other than kneeboard during the day.

I think he's kind of got the right idea, but it might be a little too specific, especially since some boaters may not even know what a power turn is (or what kind of power turn he is referring to). How about something a little more generic, like Dontbeadouchebagboater.com. OK, thats a little harsh, how about courteousboater.com. Instead of coming off as a jerk lecturing wallies, just give them a sticker (or business card) with the address. Let em look it up and see what you are talking about. Could include safety, courtesy, ramp etiquete, general tips for being a good boater. I bite my lip many times, especially at the ramp, so that could be a good alternative to "helping" new or rude boaters.

I just got a good lesson in mind your own business at the ramp the other day. Some people were trying to get their pontooner on the trailer, obviously to wrap up the season as it was evident they dont do this every weekend. They were having a heck of a time, so, tying to be helpful, I stepped up on one of the bunks to help guide it on. SNAP!! Oh crap, thats what I get for trying to be a nice guy. I could tell by the way its snapped it was as rotten as could be, and they were very gracious, but I still felt like a dope. Next time, I'll just mind my own business.

I'm fortunate to live on a large lake. Regardless, it never fails though we'll be tucked in a smooth cove with the boom out and a footer in the water and the biggest damn Mastercrap will come rolling in pulling the weekest damned boarder who simply rides back behind the boat. They'll even make a point to come between us and shore which is pretty close. We use to have somewhat of a echelon were footers had the right of way, then competitive level skiers. Now we're becoming over ran with wake rats and copetition tubers. I enjoy watching boarders do flips and exibition, but is it really necessary to have perfect "butter" or glass to do so?

SN206 wrote: but is it really necessary to have perfect "butter" or glass to do so?

no but..what better sensation than to hear the board edging and cuting that butter style water... kinda like snowboarding in virgin off track snow after a big snowfall, or like getting that 10 foot wave in the pipeline!!!

we get those kinda problems down here also..in our delta not to many rivers are allowed to ski..so the popular ones are really messy on the weekends..only able to find a good set during week days (except fridays) and early until 10 am or past 7.30 pm during the week days...these are 30 minutes away from were most of the marinas are..If you want a good quiet place to ski the week end then you need to cruise for at least 1 hour or so...and plan on taking extra fuel for the return as the only gas station in the middle of the way sell crappy fuel at even worts price 20% up than the gas station on the marinas..that are 10-15% up from the land gas stations!!
I guess all around the worlds Its the same issues with careless no clue weekend boaters....

Yikes...it must be getting close to winter up north...

HW..pass me another Beam please...

john