Idiot wakeboarders

Tail_Gunner

Admiral
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
6,237
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Please relax. I think the point is the same as someone who makes a huge wake with a larger Cruiser. They paid for a big Cruiser and they're going to use it.

:D Ohh no there's a boater type i could have some fun with...Here in portland actually the willamette river they abuse the guys there little runabout's. I have to make a vid of the games they play someday..Imagine if you will a river filled with 18-24" boat's...now here comes a cruiser...30-40'...and he's digging in..a wake of 4' and the small guys just keep coming on plane...:facepalm:...It looks like a wreck on the interstate when they hit the wake...No one has gotten hurt that i know of but those poor guys get there world rocked.

Even the large tug's have more courtsey than those guy's...Many time's ive glassed them and watched them watch the result's.....

Ahhh to be king for a day....:D
 

04fxdwgi

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
754
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Gotta be the devil's advocate here.

In NH, one must maintain a "no wake speed" within 150 feet of another boater / swimmer /shore line / object, such as a dock....

Then on the other side of the coin, you have the fisherman that tosses anchor quite a distance from shore, usually near the entrance to an inlet where there are a bunch of rocks. When the other boats come in on plane (where it's OK to do so) then the fishermen yell and scream about wake left near them. Who here is causing the situation? The fisherman ( by anchoring right next to a heavily used channel) or the boater (doing what he is allowed to do) and now needs to stay from the guy that really shouldn't be that close to the channel to begin with (if he had any smarts)? Perhaps the fisherman should be required to anchor more than 150 feet from any active waterway / channel or within the 150 of shore restriction zone.

Some folks, at times, create thier own problems and complain about others they see as violating thier "space". But in reality, they are creating a bad situation but not giving others the respect to utilize thier own space.. Entitlements work pretty much the same, from what I see.
 

bonz_d

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
5,276
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

no different than the "you slow down when passing me fishing" gripe. It's all about sharing the road and being considerate--both ways.

I don't really have a problem with this as I usually try and stay out of the way. So my gripe comes when I'm off in the back of the lake fishing the shallows and there is 800 acres of open water why do these people feel the need to circle past every 15 minutes getting closer and closer with each pass? Do they think I didn't see them the 1st time? I'd also much rather see a pass at plain speed than at 1/3 throttle. Many of these locals are so bad at it that I've given up fighting them and am usually off the water by 10am. and many times on the weekend the boat doesn't even leave the driveway!
 

25thmustang

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 20, 2008
Messages
1,849
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

:D Ohh no there's a boater type i could have some fun with...Here in portland actually the willamette river they abuse the guys there little runabout's. I have to make a vid of the games they play someday..Imagine if you will a river filled with 18-24" boat's...now here comes a cruiser...30-40'...and he's digging in..a wake of 4' and the small guys just keep coming on plane...:facepalm:...It looks like a wreck on the interstate when they hit the wake...No one has gotten hurt that i know of but those poor guys get there world rocked.

Even the large tug's have more courtsey than those guy's...Many time's ive glassed them and watched them watch the result's.....

Ahhh to be king for a day....:D

This one I find interesting? If the small boats were anchored on a beach I could see the problem, but is the cruiser owner expected to go no wake speed just because there are smaller boats around him? If that was the case I would rarely if ever be up on plane due to the smaller boats on our river.
 

mommicked

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
1,700
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

My gripe about inconsideracy has to do w folks ( usually jetskis ) coming too close to a sitting boat, fishing or whatever, close to shore or otherwise in an area where there is plenty of room to pass further away. I understand how channels and narrow bodies of water make this impossible sometimes but don't know why anyone ( besides ignorance or on purpose ) would do it if they have room to stay further away. I always go out of my way to try not to pass too close to stationary watercraft.
 

Tail_Gunner

Admiral
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

This one I find interesting? If the small boats were anchored on a beach I could see the problem, but is the cruiser owner expected to go no wake speed just because there are smaller boats around him? If that was the case I would rarely if ever be up on plane due to the smaller boats on our river.

Just one of the irony's of boating. None of us own the water and we all have to compromsie to make it all work. Does a cruiser have the right to get up and run yes of course....I once saw a picture of one guy standing in a crowd of thousands with a caption of " i am in control of my own destiny".... it made me smile a bit and brought some humility to my thought process.

I made mention of it only becasue i watch it like a spectator sport and it is..:D A bit like watching the boat ramp on the fourth of July. But what i said about the barges that is true they are keenly aware of what there wake's can do and sometimes yes they run hot and you better slow down for there wake..;)

Just be aware not all boater's are aware of what's coming and will not slow down....Awareness and courtsey that's the jist of this thread the rest is up to us all.

By the way i lov to run at high speed down the willy and there are no speed limits..But to many people get upset..point finger's and report reckless behavior. So i remeber that picture of thousand's of people and cool it. On a calm warm mourning with no traffic i do run the boat full out and get it out of my system however.. Ahh to be King for a Mourning...err a few hour's..;)

yulindex03.jpg
 
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Messages
55
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

As a skiier and wakeboarder all I am looking for is no waves and no wind. A rarety in most places. If there is a spot like that away from everybody else you will never see me. Please keep in mind we are TOWING somebody and that is priority one. cant just slow down or speed up when we see another boat come around a bend. Also, sometimes a ski driver will steer a particular course because he is trying to get his skiier to better water or avoid a wake.

I know I dont own the water but tubers can tube anywhere, cruisers can cruise anywhere, fisherman can fish anywhere but skiiers have to have flat water.
 

bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

I know I dont own the water but tubers can tube anywhere, cruisers can cruise anywhere, fisherman can fish anywhere but skiiers have to have flat water.

So that's the reason why skiers have to pass closer and closer on each pass to where I'm anchored. Maybe I should start moving further and further out into the lake on each pass because thats where the fish are!

So the rest of us have to tolerate your quest for flat water?
 

haulnazz15

Captain
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Mar 9, 2009
Messages
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

So that's the reason why skiers have to pass closer and closer on each pass to where I'm anchored. Maybe I should start moving further and further out into the lake on each pass because thats where the fish are!

So the rest of us have to tolerate your quest for flat water?

Well, you can look at it two ways: if they aren't coming close enough to you to break any laws, then yes, you do have to tolerate it. The second way is a matter of etiquette. If they pass by you 3 or 4 times while wakeboarding or skiing (at a safe distance), it's probably fine, but if they spend an hour making passes by your boat, that is excessive.

Also contrary to popular belief, most people being towed on a tube don't enjoy choppy water either. In a perfect world, all watersports are done on pure glass conditions (non-vessel powered sports notwithstanding).
 

bonz_d

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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

haulnazz, I have no quarrel with you reasoning yet you did not address the question I asked. Which I'll then ask again. Why do they insist on pasing closer and closer with each pass? After the 1st pass they know where I'm at, I'm not moving around. I am stationary so why keep getting closer? Is it a need to see how close you can get? I do my best to stay out of their way. Sure I could say the same thing and as stated I could start moving out into their lane and interupt their pleasure.

For instance, last summer I was fishing and area that is a rocky flat that is an average of 2' to 2.5' deep and was anchored about 150' from shore. This area is about 30 acres of an 800 acre lake and is all shallow. Water on the whole lake had a slight chop and seeing as it was a weekday morning there was hardly any other traffic on the whole lake. These guys made 6 or 7 passes between me and the shore before I finally left. Guess what! As soon as I left they changed their course and quit passing through that bay! I was amazed.

The water in that area is so shallow I was waiting for them to tear the prop out or have the skier fall and break his neck. Couldn't for the life of me figure out why they were trying to ski this area.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Agree with haulnazz. Chop bounces tubers around quite a bit. I look for the same smooth water when pulling tubers as I do any other watersport's towable thing deal type stuff
 
Joined
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Messages
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

So that's the reason why skiers have to pass closer and closer on each pass to where I'm anchored. Maybe I should start moving further and further out into the lake on each pass because thats where the fish are!

So the rest of us have to tolerate your quest for flat water?

Not sure why anybody need to get up close and personal. Not cool. I was just stating that really flat water is extremely hard to find and that is water a skiier has to have. My guess is 6" waves won't effect anybody's fishing or tubing. 6" waves do effect skiing big time. So if your anchored in a flat area and the other side of the lake has the wind the skiiers are going to be in the flat area.

FWIW I tow 100 to get away from boat traffic. The closest lake is 10 miles and many spots closer than 100 miles
 

QC

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Mar 22, 2005
Messages
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Let's keep it friendly guys . . . Yes, flat water, and good anchorages are often in the same place. I am sure considerate boaters of all types take into consideration the needs/wants of all. There conflicts obviously and we just need to be tolerant. Jeez, call it PC boating, tolerance :facepalm:
 

haulnazz15

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Mar 9, 2009
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Re: Idiot wakeboarders

haulnazz, I have no quarrel with you reasoning yet you did not address the question I asked. Which I'll then ask again. Why do they insist on pasing closer and closer with each pass?

No quarrel expected or intended. Just stating that unless they are in violation of law, there's nothing you can do but tolerate it. There will be inconsiderate boat operators everywhere, whether towing skiers/tubers or not. It's no different than when driving on the road. While you might assume they were passing closer and closer to you on purpose, chances are they were simply not maintaining an exact path and weren't even paying any attention to you aside from keeping far enough away to avoid a collision. I see a lot of boaters who get annoyed or upset with others when the "others" likely didn't have any idea they were causing any duress. Like QC mentioned, it's about tolerance. Chances are, they will be gone in less than 30 minutes after they are worn out and will move on to another area.
 

Expidia

Commander
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Aug 26, 2006
Messages
2,368
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Gotta be the devil's advocate here.

In NH, one must maintain a "no wake speed" within 150 feet of another boater / swimmer /shore line / object, such as a dock....

Then on the other side of the coin, you have the fisherman that tosses anchor quite a distance from shore, usually near the entrance to an inlet where there are a bunch of rocks. When the other boats come in on plane (where it's OK to do so) then the fishermen yell and scream about wake left near them. Who here is causing the situation? The fisherman ( by anchoring right next to a heavily used channel) or the boater (doing what he is allowed to do) and now needs to stay from the guy that really shouldn't be that close to the channel to begin with (if he had any smarts)? Perhaps the fisherman should be required to anchor more than 150 feet from any active waterway / channel or within the 150 of shore restriction zone.

Some folks, at times, create thier own problems and complain about others they see as violating thier "space". But in reality, they are creating a bad situation but not giving others the respect to utilize thier own space.. Entitlements work pretty much the same, from what I see.

Very well said!
 

theBrownskull

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
625
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

The wake doesn't bother me nor does the music. It is America.
 

mommicked

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Dec 15, 2009
Messages
1,700
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

Last year I started seeing some larger, obviously heavily ballasted, wakeboard boats pulling guys who are surfing w surfboards, the gigantic wake these slow, deep drafting ( because of the ballast ) boats throw out the back. My boat is almost flat bottomed w a 370lb 4 stroke that amplifies the rocking from the large, rapid waves/troughs, when hit boadside. I keep my eye on them and turn the bow into them w the trolling motor but it can be like riding a mechanical bull standing on the bow. The guys i've seen wake surfing have allmost always passed at a reasonable distance, but the waves are huge and travel a long way. I was runnin full tilt into the sun one day and almost hit a row of these waves from a boat that was more than a 1/2 mile away. It would have been ugly if I had not yanked back on the throttle just in time to cross this wake w/o going airborn. I look for these boats now when i'm on the lake and pay more attention to what's ahead when travelling now. The first time I saw one of these boats i thought it was sinking because it was so far down in the water waves were coming over it's bow when it turned and hit some other wakes. Around here it seems the wakeboarders often come too close because they want to show off ? or maybe some fishermen have pissed them off so they mess w all of them now in defiance?
 

jasoutside

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Dec 20, 2009
Messages
13,269
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

"Idiot Wakeboarders" (and skiers, wake boarders, jet skis, tubes.......)

I just wake up early enough to have my "quiet time" on the lake. By about late morning, I figure it's time that they should have their fun too. That's how I "share" the water and plan accordingly (since I don't own it).:)

Besides, why in the heck would I want to be fighting all the waves/noise/danger when all I'm trying to do is cast a line? Yah, no way. Not worth it and not fun.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
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Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Re: Idiot wakeboarders

I don't know. I'll say I see far fewer of any tow sports as I used to. My only pet peeve are the extral large wakes that true tow sports boats create and I suppose the complete lack of talent of any boarders, skiers that I do see. If I have a beef it's that I'm far less comfortable towing my kids as my folks were when towing me back in the day given some of the things I see on the water.
 
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