50 feet back law

[moczygemba9395]

Today during a safety check on our local lake (Lake Conroe) in Texas our local Lake Patrol told us to enjoy wakesurfing while we can. He said that there is a proposed law that prevents anyone from riding behind the boat closer than 50 feet.

Is this a proposed National Law that we have not heard about? Or is maybe this is something that is just being proposed on our lake?

Has this happened anywhere else to anyone else? Do you guys even think this is legal and possible? I'm assuming I need to contact our local Government officials to cover this. Do the boat companies have lobbyist that monitor these ridiculous laws as well?


Sent from my iPhone using PLT Nautique

[GMLIII]

In the state of Virginia , you have to be 50 feet or more from docks and/or boats. May be similar law in Texas

[NautiqueJeff]

The WSIA has fought this battle many times on different lakes. Get in touch with Larry Meddock. He can help.

http://www.wsia.net/

[moczygemba9395]

In the state of Virginia , you have to be 50 feet or more from docks and/or boats. May be similar law in Texas

We do have that law in Texas as well, but he was talking about the riders having to be 50 feet behind the boat.

Basically this law targets wakesurfing


Sent from my iPhone using PLT Nautique

[moczygemba9395]

The WSIA has fought this battle many times on different lakes. Get in touch with Larry Meddock. He can help.

http://www.wsia.net/

Thank you Jeff, we will for sure do that. I am going to for sure look into this further.


Sent from my iPhone using PLT Nautique

[seachicken27]

I think this usually stems from folks not understanding inboard boats… and idiots that try to wakesurf behind outboards or even I/O's for that matter. To the average joe sitting on their pontoon boat, seeing me 8 feet behind my boat with my 4 year old on my shoulders probably looks pretty dangerous. When in reality, I have spent countless hours driving boats, completing boating safety courses, and wakesurfing on my own and with kids. I understand the mechanics and physics of what's going on behind the boat, and everyone has a life jacket on. Not to mention, the prop is WAAAY farther away from us than it looks. I also don't let anyone drive my boat unless they own an inboard or are married to me. I hope we can continue to enjoy our watersports for a long time, but we have to educate people on safety. Inevitably some drunk googan will run over their kid in a bayliner and it ruins it for all of us.

[Skidave]

I was looking for observer age rules in my state (Pennsylvania) and I found the following information. Format is messed up from copy and paste, but you can see the line items:

WATER-SKIING AND SIMILAR ACTIVITIES (wake surfing, towing inner tubes, etc.) • It is unlawful to operate a motorboat at any speed with a person or persons sitting, riding or hanging on a swim platform (teak surfing) or swim ladder attached to the motorboat, except when launching, retrieving, docking or anchoring the motorboat. • In addition to the operator, a competent observer must be in the boat in a position to observe the towed person. • Skiing is illegal between sunset and sunrise. • Conventional water-ski tow ropes may not exceed a length of 80 feet. • It is unlawful to operate a motorboat at any speed when towing a person on water skis or other devices using a tow rope of 20 feet or less. • Wake surfing is excluded from the 20-foot tow rope requirement. • Boats engaged in the activity of wake surfing are limited to slow, no-wake speed when within 200 feet of the shoreline, docks, launch ramps, swimmers or downed skiers, persons wading in the water, anchored, moored or drifting boats and other marked areas. • Motorboats propelled by an outboard motor, inboard/outboard motor or water jet are prohibited from towing a person in or on the wake of the boat (wake surfing).

[SkiTower]

Am I wrong or did that actually make sense?

[Hyong1005]

Am I wrong or did that actually make sense?

Makes perfect sense. I don't know about the 200 ft restriction on wake surfing. I know that's meant to protect the shoreline from erosion, but I believe when the wave action is just as bad due to increased boat activity, it has similar effects to the shoreline.

[scottb7]

"To the average joe sitting on their pontoon boat, seeing me 8 feet behind my boat with my 4 year old on my shoulders probably looks pretty dangerous. When in reality, I have spent countless hours driving boats, completing boating safety courses, and wakesurfing on my own and with kids. I understand the mechanics and physics of what's going on behind the boat, and everyone has a life jacket on. Not to mention, the prop is WAAAY farther away from us than it looks".

Wow nice, too bad you didn't get all that mechanics and physics stuff figured out sooner. Maybe you could have taken him out on your shoulders when he was like 2 years old. This "average joe" thinks it is a BAD idea at 4 years old. But thanks for sharing...

Yeah, not at all possible that you ever fall down and some dumbass on a jetski doesn't see your baby in the water...cause the jet ski's never hit the rollers off of surfers, or wakeboard boats.

[Cpan13]

"To the average joe sitting on their pontoon boat, seeing me 8 feet behind my boat with my 4 year old on my shoulders probably looks pretty dangerous. When in reality, I have spent countless hours driving boats, completing boating safety courses, and wakesurfing on my own and with kids. I understand the mechanics and physics of what's going on behind the boat, and everyone has a life jacket on. Not to mention, the prop is WAAAY farther away from us than it looks".

Wow nice, too bad you didn't get all that mechanics and physics stuff figured out sooner. Maybe you could have taken him out on your shoulders when he was like 2 years old. This "average joe" thinks it is a BAD idea at 4 years old. But thanks for sharing...

Yeah, not at all possible that you ever fall down and some dumbass on a jetski doesn't see your baby in the water...cause the jet ski's never hit the rollers off of surfers, or wakeboard boats.

You do realize a lot of 4 year olds ski and wakeboard by them selves right? So what's wrong with falling in the water with dad right next to them?

And if you're letting jet skis follow that close behind you without doing something about it then that's your own fault.

[scottb7]

yep, I realize it...and I think a few things:

1. the guy kind of sound like, I know this, and I know that so it is safe and boating safety yada yada,,,which bugged me and sounded pretty lame
2. I feel like the kid would be safer ski/wakeboarding with dad carefully watching what was going on with boat traffic etc, then a kid on his shoulders,
3. 4 year old doing this things is pretty unnecessary

"what's wrong with falling in the water with dad right next to them"...this is kind of lame too. we are not talking about taking your 4 year old on your shoulders in a swimming pool. there is a lot more going on. you never surfed and got too close to the platform?

but I support the freedom to do it...but it bugged me for a few different reasons. but I am a middle aged guy I guess too old...

[scott-lake-james-in]

Everyone on this site clearly accepts more risk than most. Judgement really isn't helpful here.

[seachicken27]

"To the average joe sitting on their pontoon boat, seeing me 8 feet behind my boat with my 4 year old on my shoulders probably looks pretty dangerous. When in reality, I have spent countless hours driving boats, completing boating safety courses, and wakesurfing on my own and with kids. I understand the mechanics and physics of what's going on behind the boat, and everyone has a life jacket on. Not to mention, the prop is WAAAY farther away from us than it looks".

Wow nice, too bad you didn't get all that mechanics and physics stuff figured out sooner. Maybe you could have taken him out on your shoulders when he was like 2 years old. This "average joe" thinks it is a BAD idea at 4 years old. But thanks for sharing...

Yeah, not at all possible that you ever fall down and some dumbass on a jetski doesn't see your baby in the water...cause the jet ski's never hit the rollers off of surfers, or wakeboard boats.

Luckily I did figure it out sooner and he was actually 1 when he first got on the water with me. Pretty sure anyone could get hit by a jet ski. Notice no other boats in any of the pics? That's because we don't do it with other boats around. My post basically said I like to spend to time on the water with my family, introduce kids to waterspouts at a young age, and do it safely. Not sure what part you don't like. But it is the 4th of July and this is America. To each their own!
2014 2015 2016 2017

[xxrb2010]

@seachicken27 Nobody on the water for the 4th of July, 4 years in a row........

Men, where do you live in America , I want to move now