Should we be concern

[srock]

As a dirt bike rider, I agree with Faith7. Now combine a boat designed solely to throw a big wake and add a bunch of tower speakers. Who wants to hear some more Whitesnake....Awesome!!! How could anyone not think that is the best thing to happen to their waterfront property?

It's one thing to have a large boat it's another to say I want to make the biggest wake possible. Remember that the law states that you, the boat operator, is responsible for damage created from your wake. The tree-huggers first year of practice attorney can fight that all day long until you say screw the sport.

Unfortunately there are those who will argue their right to enjoy the lake as they see fit or say I just don't give a **** and won't stop till the man shuts them down. So you know where this is headed. Maybe the bright side would be a limit on the number of boats on the water at one time giving us all gorgeous conditions!

[swc5150]

In the still of night I hear the wolf howl hunny!

[srock]

Or the racoons in the trash

[swc5150]

Whitesnake brings back memories!

[srock]

Its a great song I just don't see myself blaring it or anything else over tower speakers. I have a friend who always has his music up loud while riding or just sitting. He cannot figure out why when rafted up everybody is always sitting on my boat. Maybe he needs some Whitesnake! I call him Captain Crank.

[swc5150]

I totally agree! Our local boom boat cranks the Tu Pac at 120db...ugh!!

[swankster]

At the risk of sounding old here's my 2 cents...It comes down to respect for others and their property, which we seem to be losing over the last few years. I agree we are responsible for our wakes and if we want to keep this sport going, we need to find the right place to surf, board, and ski so we do not damage others' property. Heading down the narrow cove with docks on both sides is not the place for it. This goes for the dbs too. I remember the day when if one neighbor had a loud outdoor party, he ended it at 10pm or made sure all the other neighbors around him were at the party. When we are on the water boarding we want respect from the tubers (not to mess with the glass) and we in turn should give it to the dock/land owners.

I now live in a subdivision with an HOA and understand why we need some rules. However, some have gotten out of control and many times it is because someone pushed the limit. (I realize other are just control freeks.) I miss my early days on the farm when the nearest neighbor was miles away and we could do what we wanted. There are few lakes like this were we can cut loose so lets be responsible and not lose what we have. You might say this is coming from my midwest farm roots, but there something to be said for respect.

[firefighter]

There are many lakes that have 20' limits on boat. That is why the 200 is just 20' Andy told me that personally. Look at other companies wake board boats they are smaller versions of the bigger ones due to the lake restrictions. It would suck to spend 100K plus and not be able to use it where you normally ski.

[lucky7t]

Here's my 2 cents..

1. be respectful of others. If you like tupac thats great but if its screaming the f bomb turn it down when around others that may not enjoy that type of music. I personally like some rap, hard rock, and even country. I would never crank tunes up unless we are far out.

2. When wake surfing around a crowd of people or a small area such as a cove you dont have to add 3000 lbs of ballast. It works if you simply fill one side and add a 250 lb sac. The wake isnt 5 foot tall and 50 foot long but its still fun. Once your out in an open area i dont see a problem with massive wakes personally as long as it doesnt effect skiers, footers etc..

3. I sense a bit of resentment or anger towards surfers. I feel that its not the sport thats the issue its the driver. A lake normally is a public area and you have to share unfortunately. I wait for tubers, skiers, boarders etc.. to wakeskate. I'm not happy to wait but I do because its not my personal lake. In a quiet cove you might see 4 boarders at once but most of them are courteous and wait for your pass. Some of the boarders are very good and add a tremendous amount of ballast, the rollers are huge they leave behind.

4. I feel it boils down to simply be cautious and courteous.

[Quinner]

In general the masses flock to whatever requires the least amount of skill & effort, tubing as one example. Unfortunately these lesser skilled events also create the most disturbance, erratic driving, random wakes, large wakes, etc. and are already starting to tarnish towed water sports as a whole.

In the end for me, just hoping that when the inevitable regulations start to be imposed, they don't also penalize the lower impact less intrusive towed sports that have been around and enjoyed for so many years.

[Erik]

I am sure I'll get demonized for this but I kind of feel like wakesurfing is going to make things really hard for all of us. I don't do it, I don't fully get the appeal, and even I have personally been pissed at/swamped by a careless jackwad wakesurfer. There are bigger boats on my lake than a G25, but nothing makes a mess like a wakesurfing session.

So to me, the ban potential has more to do with the activity than the boat. Wakesurfing is already really controversial on my mostly-tolerant lake. Nobody is going around calling the Environmental Police (the jurisdiction in my area) but they hate the guy.

[Mikeski]

Lot's of good discussion. I know the issue I have the debates live with my wife. Wakesurfing is her activity of choice behind the boat these days. Last trip to the lake I asked her if she needed her slalom ski and she said no, I think she used it once last year. That said, I don't blame her that much as the wake behind our 211 at 26mph is not very slalom friendly. I also have concert grade tower speakers with 1200 watts of power behind them (how did I get here).

I discourage wakesurfing at the California delta where there are long narrow channels. The waves build and carry down the entire channel destroying it for those that would like to enjoy skiing or wakeboarding. Not even much fun to cruise down one of these channels after a wakesurfer has been there. I have tried to explain it to her and she still insists we do it. She doesn't feel she is being selfish and does not understand how wakes build differently when the boat is not on plane. She also feels that she is just as entitled to surf as I am to ski. Her view probably represents 90% of the wakesurfing population.

I do enjoy wakesurfing when we go out to the lake or on the delta when we are not destroying the opportunity for others to enjoy something else. I too have been selfish and gone out wakesurfing when I know that my activity would be detrimental to other sports those around have been trying to enjoy. Why not, tubers would not give it a thought so maybe it's my turn to be on the selfish side for a change?

My music is often loud. I try to watch the F bombs when families are within earshot of my system. In general I try to avoid playing music inappropriate for families through my system at all times. I have a dedicated attenuation control for the tower speakers and tend to turn them off when there is nobody behind the boat, just being respectful. I never play my music loud in a marina, around homes, or at the launch ramp, that is just rude. I have been guilty of turning them up when I wanted to drown out music from others that I did not like. I have even been tempted to blast nursery music over some of the crap some people play but have not done it yet. I have a PA that I use to talk to my rider and have used it to provide "guidance" to other boaters from time to time, things like "no powerturns".

Good debate - I agree with most points made from others.

Things tend to change. I have been boating on the delta for over 40 years. Over this time period I have seen the shores go from rich natural loamy delta soil to rip-rap rock covered shores. The reclaimation districts had to resort to this to save the shorelines from erosion. This change came around the same time as the popularity of running 30-40' offshore style boats running poker runs in these waterways. When the offshore boats started gaining popularity I had similar thoughts but like 5150 resisted the urge to encourage local restrictions knowing that I could ultimately end up having ski boats getting caught in the restrictions.