South Carolina approves No Wake Surfing within 200 feet of shoreline on all waterways

[GMLIII]

South Carolina approves No Wakesurfing within 200 feet of any dock, boat, etc. on all waterways. Even though I don't like any restrictions on Wake Surfing, I like this approach vs the proposed No Wake Surf zones on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.


New law prohibits ‘wake surfing' in South Carolina waterways (msn.com)

[NautiqueJeff]

I agree. Wakesurfing within 200' of a dock or other boat isn't smart anyway.

[Nautiquehunter]

Good. 200' won't help much . Common sense about where and when would do more to help this problem.

[hal2814]

I think it’s super short-sighted to single out surfing but I like the law in general.

[GMLIII]

hal2814 Yeah the No Wake Zones are more absolute and defined which I dislike

[MN Ryan]

It's a shame that the minority of irresponsible wake boat operators reflect poorly on those of us that do our best to operate in a responsible manner.

The thing I dislike about the X' from boats/docks/shore is that most people are terrible judges of distance. I can just imagine cranky lakeshore owners sitting on their docks with rangefinders.

MN is discussing a 700' regulation (IMO, it'll never happen). Who can look at a boat on the lake and judge 700'? The other problem is enforcement. In MN, at least, there are very few DNR and water sheriffs and lots and lots of waterways. Last summer, I was on our lake nearly every weekend, and I think I only saw a sheriff once--and he didn't even stop and check us. Kind of like how locks only keep honest people honest, these regulations will likely only be followed by those of use that are already boating courtesously.

[Tchur1]

200' seems more than reasonable, no one should be towing anything that close to shorelines, surfing or not.

[MN Ryan]

Agreed. Was there a previous regulation? In MN, the law says 150' for PWC but doesn't have a regulation for boat. 200' is currently the recommendation.

[SilentSeven]

Less than clear what this does.

I don't see much of a diminished wake in 200 ft.

Maybe if the water is shallow and there's a lot of weeds...but mostly those big wakes roll for a long distance.

[ScooterMcgavin]

Agreed 200’ is more than reasonable

[Nautiquehunter]

Less than clear what this does.

I don't see much of a diminished wake in 200 ft.

Maybe if the water is shallow and there's a lot of weeds...but mostly those big wakes roll for a long distance.

Agreed 200' does nothing to help with the wakes these surfships make . I run a comp boat most of the time so I run at the first sight of a surfship. Most of the new boat drivers are so ignorant half the time they wake themselves and their own rider.

[North Woody]

I’m resurrecting this thread as I am hearing similar rumblings about proposed wake surfing restrictions in Vilas County up in Northern Wisconsin…. Our place is on a 450-acre seepage lake just outside of Eagle River, and our Lake Association president (my sister in law) recently got a call from somebody trying to drum up support for a county or even a state law to try and limit or restrict wake surfing. Fortunately, my brother and sister in law are also surfers (they bought the same GS22 that we have for skiing & surfing), so she wasn’t in their camp and pushed back on the case for county or state laws. That said, there definitely appears to be some subset of folks who want to make this happen. I have no problem with an official rule of a 200’ or 250’ required distance from docks and shoreline, but anything more restrictive than that can’t be allowed to be out into place.

Have any of you all taken this on in your areas, and are there any resources for pushing back on claims of damage from wake surfing boats versus wind and waves? I seem to remember a paper published on this that showed little discernible difference that may be useful as we start to prepare for restrictions being proposed by a small but vocal minority of folks. Anyone have any practical experience to share on this?

[North Woody]

Assuming that a number of those on this forum would be interested in the different laws and restrictions on wakesurfing and wakeboarding that have been put into place across different states, below is an overview that I pulled together for our lake association on the different state and local efforts that have been put forward or are actively being pursued to regulate or even ban wakesurfing across different states and localities. I also tried to pull together any resources for the advocacy of this awesome sport from different industry bodies.

Having looked through all of this, the bad news is that there has been a discernible uptick in efforts to regulate wakesurfing over the past 2 years, which I have to assume that is based on the significantly increased presence of wakesurf boats and the increasing popularity of the sport, particularly driven by Covid lockdowns. But the good news is that the vast majority of these regulatory efforts actually proposed fairly reasonable restrictions on wakesurfing which we broadly already adhere to voluntarily anyway (like maintaining 200 feet away from docks/shorelines, requiring mandatory life vests for wakesurfers, only surfing between dawn and dusk, etc.). There are few, if any, efforts to ban wakesurfing outright, although there are a few efforts try to ban it on smaller lakes and shallow rivers.

Below, I have compiled an overview of all of the different state and local laws that I could find that have either attempted to regulate or have been passed into law to regulate wakesurf boats and the sport of wakesurfing. Below that, I have listed what I could find on advocacy for Wakesurfing from industry bodies like NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) and the WSIA (Water Sports Industry Association) as well as community groups like the Midwest Wakesurf Association. They are all actively involved in advocating for wakesurfing and they provide a range of very useful tools and resources to help avoid egregious regulation while promoting the right education and advocacy efforts to ensure that we can safely enjoy this sport while respecting others on the lake.

As we see more of this moving forward, the discussion among our lake association is that we may want to consider some proactive steps that we could could take to adopt set of “Best Practices” for wakesurfing which would show a good faith effort to balance the needs and concerns of both wakesurf enthusiasts and the non-surfers on our lake. I like the approach that industry bodies like the NMMA and WSIA are advocating for, as I think things like requiring that wakesurf boats maintain 200 feet away from docks/shorelines, requiring mandatory life vests for wakesurfers, only surfing between dawn and dusk, etc. would be easy to adopt so this would really only codify what we’re already doing. While we are not planning to do anything immediately, we wanted to get a baseline understanding on what we are seeing happen across different states to determine how best we should be prepared to advocate for and protect the sport we love while being mindful of the non-surfer community on the lake.

For anyone who is looking to do the same, I figured that sharing this overview would be useful to this group. This is by no means an exhaustive list nor do I represent that this is fully updated for all regions, but this does represent at least an overview of what what’s been done in select states and how industry bodies are positioning themselves to message on the advocacy for wakesurfing (and wakesports more broadly). I hope this is helpful for anyone who is in a similar position as our lake association, and I’m interested to hear your thoughts on all of this!


Overview of State Laws Regulating Wakesurfing

Wisconsin:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sport...s/69735263007/

• There are no current or pending laws at the state or county level to restrict wakesurfing, but there was a Citizen Resolution #641122 put forward by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress specifically for Presque Isle Lakes. While the Presque Isle Town Board refused to take up Hazardous Wake Ordinance 2020-04 as proposed by the Presque Isle Ordinance Committee, this attached resolution proposed the following:
  • “Prohibit intentional magnification of wakes for wake surfing on lakes less than 1500 acres” (Recommends that” “Presque Isle white paper on “Hazardous Wakes” (attached). Using the criterion used in the industry association study, these conditions apply to nearly all shorelines in the town of Presque Isle allowing one to suggest that the WISA’s experts would recommend Presque Isle lakes be designated as no-wake zones and that wake sport boats should not be operated in a manner that induces or generates large or hazardous wakes.”
  • https://lastwildernessalliance.org/u...azardous-wakes

Michigan:
https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/09/m...ing-boats.html

• No law in place at this point in Michigan, but in a September, 2022 report, Michigan DNR fisheries officials recommend such boats operate at least 500 feet from docks or shorelines and in at least 15-feet of water to prevent lake bottom scouring, shoreline erosion and dock damage from their heavy wakes.

South Carolina:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ne...ZQ_bZo1hR994y0

• HB 3308, which was supported by the boating industry, was enacted and requires the following:

• • Vessels engaging in wake surfing must stay at least 200-foot away from anchored boats, structures and persons in the water.
  • The new law also increased the no-wake zone in 14 state lakes and a portion of the Savannah River from 50 to 100 feet.

Indiana:
https://watershedfoundation.org/blog/wakesurfing-bill/

• Though SB 187 maintained broad support from key stakeholders across the state and actually passed the Senate, it ultimately stalled in the House and did NOT get passed into law.
• SB 187 gained broad support from the recreational boating industry as a commonsense bill that would keep boaters safe on the water by establishing a curfew for wake surfing and wakeboarding between sunset and sunrise, in addition to putting in place safety requirements for the operating vessel. Here are the specific components of that failed bill:

• • No wakeboarding or wake surfing between sunset and sunrise.
  • No wakeboarding or wake surfing on small lakes (defined per statute as a lake between 70 and 300 acres) unless a special ruling has been granted from the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). These are generally referred to by lakers as “10 mph speed limit lakes.” In addition, if a small lake has special restrictions already in place (for example fast time or skiing only between the hours of 1-4pm) than a wake boater can only operate during the same hours as the speed boat.
  • No wake surfing behind a boat with an outboard motor.

Minnesota:
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/...mental-impact/

• As of now, the large boats are patrolled like any other — they can’t operate within 150 feet of the shoreline, other boats, swimmers or docks (generally the Minnesota DNR says a good rule of thumb is 200 feet). But a recent study (see attached) from the University of Minnesota highlights surf boats require distances more than 500 feet from shore to decrease their wake to levels similar to those of non-wake surf boats at 200 feet from shore, the recommended distance for recreational boats.

Tennessee:
https://www.tennesseeinjurylawcenter...-wake-surfers/
Tennessee became the first state to enact the boating industry’s model legislation for towed water sports. HB 2223/SB 2107 which went into effect July, 2022 sets the following requirements

• Wakeboarding and wakesurfing is prohibited before sunrise or after sunset. This provision was already in place for jet-skiers, skiers, etc. The new law simply includes wakeboarders and wake surfers in the prohibition.
• Wakeboarding and wakesurfing is not permitted on any body of water less than 50 acres in size.
• Wakeboarding and wakesurfing are no longer permitted in coves or any “portion of a body of water” with a width of less than 400 feet.
• Wakeboarding and wakesurfing are not permitted with 200 feet of a “shoreline or a dock, pier, boathouse, or other structure located completely or partly on the water”.
• Wakeboarders and wakesurfers must wear a personal flotation device approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Pursuant to T.C.A. 69-9-219, violation of the new law is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $50 fine and court costs.
• The new law is effective July 1, 2022.

Alabama:
https://beachgrit.com/2022/03/alabam...ave-community/

• SB 281, a bill that originally made its way through the legislative process with the recreational boating industry’s model language, passed the House on the last day of the session but was NOT accepted by the Senate before the legislature concluded business. It is anticipated the bill’s Senate sponsors will reintroduce their bill next year, which would implement the following provisions:

• • Mandatory life jacket wear for wake surfers and wakeboarders.
  • Prohibits wake surfing behind a propulsion system that extends beyond swim platform.
  • Prohibits wake surfing and wakeboarding
  • Between sunset and sunrise
  • On a body of water smaller than 50 acres
  • In an area less than 400 feet wide Within 200 feet of a shoreline or structures.

Vermont:
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...s/65364336007/

• These proposed regulations include the extension of the "no-wake Shoreline safety zone" to 1,000 feet, the allowance of wake sports only in 20 feet and greater depth, and a required "a minimum 60-contiguous acre area for a Wake Sport Zone," according to the petition.

Oregon:
Despite the robust efforts of boaters, dealers, manufacturers and trade association, Oregon passed SB 1589 making the Newberg Pool Congested Zone, a 25-mile-long section of the Willamette River, the most regulated body of water for towed water sports in the United States.

• SB 1589 prohibits all wake surfing and the use of devices to enhance wakes in the zone and prohibits boats with a maximum loading weight of more than 5,500 pounds from obtaining a towed watersports motorboat certificate, which is required in the zone. All operators engaged in towed watersports in the zone also must pass a towed watersports course. These new restrictions became effective on April 15, 2022.

Georgia:

• Georgia lawmakers did NOT pass HB 1460, which would have created a highly controversial definition of a “wake boat,” established a 300 foot setback for wake surfing, and banned wake boats on four lakes in northern Georgia.

Wakesurf Advocacy Work
NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) Position on Wakesurfing:
https://www.nmma.org/press/article/24016

• As state legislative sessions near their final days, boating access rights have been at risk across the United States. Lawmakers, agencies, and special interest groups across several states have attempted to regulate towed water sports, specifically wake surfing, due to claims that the activity has a negative impact on waterway shorelines.
• The NMMA, alongside the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), has been engaged across a number of states, working to protect boating access and ensure that our waters may be safely shared and enjoyed for generations to come.
• Following the 2022 legislative season, the team and its industry partners will continue its work educating boat owners and renters on best practices when engaging in towed water sports, including wake surfing 200 feet from shore and in water that has a depth of at least 10 feet, as recently confirmed in a peer-reviewed study published in March.
• NMMA Advocacy Resources:

• • NMMA Advocacy white paper

• • Responsible Wakesurfing Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daa0U56zvwc
  • Discover Boating: Wakesurfing: Tips on How to Get Started
  • Journal of Water Resource and Protection: Numerical Study of the Impact of Wake Surfing on Inland Bodies of Water

• For questions or more information, contact David Dickerson, NMMA Vice President, State Government Relations at ddickerson@nmma.org, or Brad Fralick, WSIA Chief Government Affairs Officers, at bfralick@wsia.net

Midwest Wakesurf Association
https://www.change.org/p/safe-respec...g-in-minnesota

• Successfully petitioned Against the Regulation and Banning of Wakesurfing on Minnesota Lakes

WSIA (Water Sports Industry Association)
https://www.wakeresponsibly.com/

• Minimize repetitive passes
• Keep music at a reasonable level
• Stay at least 200’ away
• Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) Wake Responsibly Campaign Toolkit

[Zartan]

Good. 200' won't help much . Common sense about where and when would do more to help this problem.

Gotta legislate common sense into some people I guess.

[GMLIII]

IMHO the water sports industry should take a more proactive approach to this problem . Nautique and other manufacturers can’t just keep turning a blind eye; their future is in jeopardy. More needs to be done by the water sports industry other than marketing wake awareness signs plastered around the country at local marinas.