Oops...sorry old MC

[Nick Heimer]

I am a fan of skiing, wakeboarding, and surfing. After buying my SAN, I don't slalom as much, but I still enjoy a few runs each summer when conditions are good. I also agree that wakeboarding on butter is much more enjoyable.

What I don't understand is why surfers feel the need to find the best, smoothest part of the lake to surf. I see it every weekend. Yes, surfing is slightly easier or drying for passengers without charging through whitecaps, but I've never felt any issues with surfing through moderate chop. At least have the decency to move to a main channel. On the lakes we ride, there is often only one area that would permit skiing or surfing. More often than not, there are are surfers running those lines.

I guess, to be fair, I've never surfed glass. But, I just don't see any advantage to seeking smooth water to surf.

[Quinner]

The reason tubing and surfing are so wildly popular is neither require much (or any) skill or effort. So be it I guess, the real problem however is the footprint or impact it leaves behind, more so with surfing. Basically creating the most obnoxious wake you can that will literally swamp boats, destroy piers, wreak havoc on shorelines while turning 100-200 acre lakes into a bathtub. There is no getting around it, pretty much everybody except the guy doing it will hate it.

Of course on a larger body of water well away from shore and any other boats this would not be a problem, however on smaller lakes it is becoming a huge problem.

[G_WaTT]

The fact the you swamped a boat and drove on tells me a lot.

Accidents happen. More so on small lakes. Even more so on small lakes on the weekend. No one is perfect. It happens, and this is pretty minor compared to other types of boating incidents. Sometimes in these moments we aren't sure what to immediately do. OP felt "horribly," and came to the PN community for some sage advice. He wants to apologize and I think that's awesome. I think most people here can sympathize with both sides. I think Wayward was right. It is an age thing, but I think it would be maybe better to say it's a maturity thing. Let's be mature. Especially here! This should be a safe space...

[vanhanbr]

We have a family cottage on a 168 acre lake, it doesn't take much to chop the lake up. I learned to ski on a 75hp Glastron tri-hull up there and in all honestly, no one should really be out there with anything bigger. I kind of felt silly bringing my 210 up there this summer and never felt it was appropriate to fill the ballast. We only get 4 hrs of "wake" time as it is and I wouldn't want to give the fisherman any more reason to shut us down. At the same time, I wouldn't sit in the middle of the lake and not expect to get hit a by a few waves.

[TGoss]

Well put G WaTT. Yes, accidents do happen and I certainly am not proud of this minor mishap. I handled it incorrectly.

Our lake was the one that made national news about a month ago with the runaway Nautique. (see youtube) That one puts things in perspective. I feel for all parties involved in this accident. Likely they will never be the same.

[scottb7]

Complicated issue because everyone has the "right" to use the water for what they want. But does each person also have the "right" to NOT get water over into their boat from someone else. If so, how low of a hull can they have and still have that right? Cause if we are saying that a stand up paddle board has the right to not get water over the paddle board then i guess the discussion is over. If we are saying that a stand up paddle boarder has to expect to get water over their "hull", then why would a old low slung ski boat or fishing boat also, not expect to get water over their hull in this day and age? What size hull should expect to take on water? I used to take water over my bow in my 2008 210 when an xstar went by. So I should complain about that.

Some people on my crew - myself excluded - get upset when they see someone NOT DOING ANY WATER SPORT except just driving their boat at high speed for the fun of it....They feel like that takes no skill. True, but they also have the "right" to do that...

P.S. I personally don't understand the safe space comment. People are just saying what they want, how they want it. Let's let Jeff moderate the conversation as he see fits. You don't like what someone said. I don't like that you felt you had to say keep it mature. All the water sports take skill depending on how you do them. You ever pull two tubers and one tuber tries to knock someone off the other tube? I haven't either, but it probably takes more skill then the tubes that are like towing a couch with 3 people on them...whatever.

[jtryon]

This pretty much captures it all. Rude, arrogant, disrespectful surfers that think because they can buy (didnt say afford) a monster surf boat with an 8 foot wave and 12,000 watt stereo, that they own the lake. This is why more and more lakes are looking into surfing bans. You guys should give some thought to taking up a water sport that actually takes a little bit of skill. Surfing is pretty much just glorified tubing.

that's a little bit of an exaggerated stereotype. i know plenty of skiers who are way douchier than most surfers i know.

[_X_]

Why would you take such big boats on such small water?

OP I would hunt that boat down and apologize. I've had exactly one boat where we had issues while skiing that apologized for his behavior. He was wrong that time. Great guy. I've approached fisherman and asked for one more pass and they can have the water. Great guys.

But I remember every jerk who cut us off while we were at a spot first and pulling someone. I remember every jerk who flew past while my kids were behind the boat or on paddle boards.


The first people I will gladly help or pull a broken boat for. The group of jerks will never get help from me.

Might pass off down the road to make amends and apologize.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[75Tique]

that's a little bit of an exaggerated stereotype. i know plenty of skiers who are way douchier than most surfers i know.

Yeah, OK, fair. exaggerated stereotype. "All generalizations are invalid...including this one"

However, keep in mind, my post was in response to this comment:

"it was comical to see a guy fishing and saw the tsunami coming off my G as we surfed by. He got up, grabbed his chair, and moved up higher on the shoreline"

which I found to be pretty douchy.

[TGoss]

Agree with that one 75Tique....that struck me as pretty harsh as well.

[G_WaTT]

Yeah, OK, fair. exaggerated stereotype. "All generalizations are invalid...including this one"

However, keep in mind, my post was in response to this comment:

"it was comical to see a guy fishing and saw the tsunami coming off my G as we surfed by. He got up, grabbed his chair, and moved up higher on the shoreline"

which I found to be pretty douchy.

That was my comment and you're taking it out of context. I did say it was comical, BUT I said I felt bad about it and also said it was frustrating cause I don't want to be the a-hole ruining anyone's fishing. On my lake the place where most people fish from the shoreline is also the ONLY place to surf on the lake. If this makes me a "douche," so be it. I enjoy this sport and have a lot invested in it. I ride after work and wipe my boat down in the dark. I wake up and get through the gate at 6am on weekends. For some people such as myself, we use our small local lake because it is four or five times closer than the second closest riding spot. Until surfing is banned I will continue to ride at my local lake because I love to ride. I will be as courteous as I can, but I won't stop riding because people don't like it. The water is for everyone to enjoy.

[swc5150]

The water is for everyone to enjoy.

Up until the point where the land owners ban your sport. Just because someone has a lot invested in a sport and enjoys it doesn't give them the right to go to a lake and wreak havoc. My investment in our lake home should account for something as well, and I'm tired of watching our shoreline get trashed. I should add that we're on a smaller, inland chain, not a large, wide-open lake. I've also heard the "this lake is for all to enjoy" excuse before, meanwhile they impose on every other activity people are trying to do. That's when the property tax payers take action and ban things.

[bandit628]

I'm not condoning surfing. Do I do it...yes. generally it is after we are too tired from wake boarding or more often it is too rough for boarding. I am in agreeance with finding a real sport that takes skill. But like others have said it is easier on the body. There are some cool surf tricks I can't do.

I know surfing throws giant rollers but I have got water in my boat from 22ft I/Os that were just plowing. My argument with surfing or ballast bans is that these boats throw just as big of wave in some instances.

To me it's not really fair to ban ballast, surfing, etc. But not deal with other large wakes just caused by big slow boats.

[scottb7]

"I'm tired of watching our shoreline get trashed." I live on the lake and I can tell you that some of the houses are too low and some are just fine. And I am tired of your excuse. My point is get over yourself. Your house is too low. Build a better wall or sell your house. Just get on with it and try to ban the sport and quit talking about it. No one likes to be threatened.

P.S. The "I invested" a lot comment was very lame...just like I don't care about your house, I don't care about this guys overpriced boat...

[swc5150]

Lol, and there you have it!