New Hampshire Legislation to Study Impact of Wakeboats on lakes

[Kmayotte]

New England and New Hampshire specifically wakeboat owners, wakeboarders, wakesurfers- If you aren't already, please be aware of House Bill 137 that has started a commission to study the affects of wakeboats on our New Hampshire lakes (looking at erosion, safety for fellow water-users, spread of invasive species through ballast etc.)

This is no doubt the first step towards wakeboat, wakesurfing & wakeboarding restrictions or an outright ban through inane laws. Links below to get educated on this bill and the committee. Please get involved ASAP. I plan on attending committee meetings which are open to the public. I've already been in touch with committee members and the President of NH LAKES that ordered this commission, gathering information. Please consider doing the same, reaching out to your local rep, local senator and if anything gets to his desk, the governor.

Please help raise awareness on this bill even if you are not from this region. This type of legislation is detrimental to our sport and the wakeboat industry as a whole. If anything passes this stage other states will use NH as a template. Common sense and etiquette go a long way. When operating your wakeboat be smart, be courteous, surf 200+ ft from shore, minimize repetitive passes, keep music at reasonable levels, keep extra distance from other boats, kayaks, swimmers etc. Let's all do these things before the lawman steps in. WSIA.net has a great wake responsibility campaign going that we all should help distribute. Link: http://www.wsia.net/wake-responsibly/

Bill: https://legiscan.com/NH/text/HB137/id/1833385

NHDES Letter: https://www.des.nh.gov/…/…/2019/documents/hb137-20190115.pdf

Committee Members / Meeting Details: http://gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/details.aspx…

Bill Actions: https://openstates.org/nh/bills/2019/HB137/

*I politely ask NautiqueJeff to leave this post on the main forum page as I truly believe this needs as many eyes as possible.

[functionoverfashion]

I agree that this is something to keep an eye on. At least the makeup of the commission is pretty diverse, including Pete MacCallum (the local Nautique dealer), someone from WSIA, and someone from USA Water Ski, among others. It's definitely something to watch, but at this point there is no proposed legislation beyond that to create a study commission, which will then produce a report next year, which may or may not recommend legislation.

Do you know which lakes the property owners are on?

[functionoverfashion]

Also looks like they need a representative from a lake association, which I don't see in there yet.

[75Tique]

"Inane laws?" Well, maybe, maybe not. If so, you brought it on yourselves. Well, maybe not you, and maybe not 70-80-90% percent of surfers, who knows the numbers. But the truth is, there are enough irresponsible, inconsiderate surfers out there for it to be a problem, obviously, as this issue and associated restrictions have been around for a while now, and there will only be more. I personally dont get surfing, and I do have a problem with the knuckleheads, but I am putting that bias aside for now. Huge lake, down the main channel, go for it. Not my cup of tea, but enjoy. But you guys arent the problem. Its the near shore, quiet cove, loud music, no regard for others or others' property that are the problem.

Timely discussion. Just last week a few of us were skiing, slalom course, back in a quite cove on a zillion acre lake. Week night, not saturday afternoon. We're having a good old time. Stop to switch skiers. Two monster wake boats are coming right at us, next to each other. Two wannabe (i.e. holding on to ropes) surfers following, playing in the double up wake. We kind of wave them aside. One keeps going. One stops. "Hey, we're skiing in here." Driver was polite enough. Oh, you have a course set up, you are skiing, sorry. Meanwhile, the guy being pulled says F--k em, keep going. No, we dont own the lake, but hey, they had a million acres of open water to surf on, why did they need to come down into this cove.

More typical, our early weekend morning barefoot sessions, different lake, but same deal. Back at the end of a quiet cove. Sure enough, almost every time, here come the surfers. See us, see what we're doing, keep coming. I dont get it.

I realize this inconsiderate behavior is not at the heart of regulations and restrictions, I am sure they are geared more toward property damage, but its pretty likely its the same people creating the two different problems.

[scottb7]

Yep, I hate to be a killjoy, but there has to be an end to the "We have as much right to use the water as you do" attitude of so many. It is hard to say if the desire for legislation/regulation is due to a "few bad apples" causing too much angst or the larger heavier boats in general.

[all2matt]

"Inane laws?" Well, maybe, maybe not. If so, you brought it on yourselves. Well, maybe not you, and maybe not 70-80-90% percent of surfers, who knows the numbers. But the truth is, there are enough irresponsible, inconsiderate surfers out there for it to be a problem, obviously, as this issue and associated restrictions have been around for a while now, and there will only be more. I personally dont get surfing, and I do have a problem with the knuckleheads, but I am putting that bias aside for now. Huge lake, down the main channel, go for it. Not my cup of tea, but enjoy. But you guys arent the problem. Its the near shore, quiet cove, loud music, no regard for others or others' property that are the problem.

Timely discussion. Just last week a few of us were skiing, slalom course, back in a quite cove on a zillion acre lake. Week night, not saturday afternoon. We're having a good old time. Stop to switch skiers. Two monster wake boats are coming right at us, next to each other. Two wannabe (i.e. holding on to ropes) surfers following, playing in the double up wake. We kind of wave them aside. One keeps going. One stops. "Hey, we're skiing in here." Driver was polite enough. Oh, you have a course set up, you are skiing, sorry. Meanwhile, the guy being pulled says F--k em, keep going. No, we dont own the lake, but hey, they had a million acres of open water to surf on, why did they need to come down into this cove.

More typical, our early weekend morning barefoot sessions, different lake, but same deal. Back at the end of a quiet cove. Sure enough, almost every time, here come the surfers. See us, see what we're doing, keep coming. I dont get it.

I realize this inconsiderate behavior is not at the heart of regulations and restrictions, I am sure they are geared more toward property damage, but its pretty likely its the same people creating the two different problems.

If they ban 1 sport they’ll ban ‘em all, including your 2 planks, my boards, my kids tubes, all of it. It seems as if some of the skiers are too willing to chop off their arm in spite of their thumb.

[Nautiquehunter]

I said it before its just a matter of time . Ignorant or just plain rude people on 6 ton wake ships will spoil it all for everybody. We do all water sports including surfing on Lake Lanier [700 miles of shoreline] yet the surf ships have to go to the quiet small ski coves to practice their sport . I say practice because if they were any good they would know YOU DON'T NEED GLASS TO SURF. Shorelines , docks and other boats are being damaged by inconsiderate ignorant people who have more money than common sense. What did you expect would happen when you throw a 3-4 foot wall of water at the shoreline without a care? After all its not your dock small boat or land being damaged you are just having fun right?

[srock]

I'm getting in early by purchasing stock in paddle and electric motors manufacturers.

[Nautiquehunter]

The surf boats have been the biggest success for the inboard boat manufactures and the worst thing that ever happened to the core long term owners.