How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

[bjennings79]

Was wanting to take the boat out this weekend, but my wife nixed that idea due to the amount of drunks that will be out. I really couldn't argue much, due in part to our lack of experience on the water. I really don't think it would be a good idea for us. I think we are just going to drive to our normal ramp and check things out, without the boat. Hopefully we can get a good idea of what it will be like next year.

So what I am trying to ask is are there really that many more knuckleheads out there than on any other given weekend?

 

[rwidman]

Re: How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

Was wanting to take the boat out this weekend, but my wife nixed that idea due to the amount of drunks that will be out. I really couldn't argue much, due in part to our lack of experience on the water. I really don't think it would be a good idea for us. I think we are just going to drive to our normal ramp and check things out, without the boat. Hopefully we can get a good idea of what it will be like next year.

So what I am trying to ask is are there really that many more knuckleheads out there than on any other given weekend?

I don't boat on a lake, I boat on a river that leads to the ICW and the ocean. Makes no difference, anybody who owns or can borrow a boat will be on the water this weekend. And yes, very few boats won't have a case or two of beer on board.

When I had a trailer boat, I boated during the week (we are retired) rather than on weekends or holidays. Now that I have a bigger boat in a marina slip the ramp is not an issue and there's enough water for everybody if you know where to go (or not to go).

 

[phxvalkry]

Re: How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

We usually try to get on the lake early.. and then head home sometime around noon. Most of the crazies come out late morning and after lunch. Works well for us.

 

[badbird]

Re: How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

we will be on the lake all weekend. my lake gets busy on the weekends but it is usually the same people.. and we will be partying at the sandbar but I have a DB to take us back to dock

Ron

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

I guess I would depend on where you are at and how big your local boatng community is.

But in short, yes. There tends to be more people out and more idiots and drunks.

Around here the water is soooooo packed on the holidays. Mainly memorial day and labor day and the 4th of July.

I'm not by a lake and it's still really crowded.

But my experience gas been that the cops are more of a pain to deal with then the drunks. On a holiday there is a marine patrol, coast guard, or FWC (Florida Wildlife officers) at EVERY ramp doing safety checks on EVERYONE before they go into the water. Then they talk to and/or do sobriety tests on everyone coming back.

And then on the water there is some type of law enforcement and most of the bridges which are no wake zones and tons more out riding around stopping people.

So even if your not doing anything wrong yu still have to deal with the hassle. I got a safety check 2 years ago on labor day twice.

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: How bad does your lake get on holiday weekends?

I too am also new this year to boating. I'm planning on hitting 2 different lakes this weekend. One of the lakes is a small lake about a 15 min. drive from the house. There have been 2 accidents this year, the 1st one a young girl lost her life, very unfortunate, just not paying attention I think is what the driver said. The other was a collision between a ski boat & a sail boat that was waaaaay too big for this lake, I saw this sail boat the week before the accident & it caught my eye & I said to my son "that's a little big for this lake", Again, no paying attention was to blame. The Fish & Game commission has stepped up inspections & doubled man power at this location, thank God. I'm still going this weekend, I'll be keeping a very close eye out for butt-heads & if I see anything dangerous going on I speak up for sure. The other lake is quite a bit larger & is known as a party lake with a lot of out of town'ers, N.Y. & N.J. people. Everyone minds their "P's & Q's" with the drinking but there will be a lot of people that don't know boating edi. so I'll need to watch for that up there. But all in all, I'm not going to let other people keep me from enjoying my boat this weekend. Like I said, If I see people doing unsafe boating & endangering others I'll find the Fish & Game officers & give the # of the boat. That just me, if you don't feel comfortable being on the water, skip it. What I think you should do is bring the boat, go to the lake & if it looks OK, splash it. If things get too nutz, pull it out. Good luck & be safe.