Surfboat responsibility

[NICKYPOO]

Sounds like we’re all the same page then. Clearly it’s become an issue. The education is clearly lacking, and for those of us that have been boating forever and have experience on our side, the recent boom in tow boat technology in the hands of any jerk who can finance 100k has become concerning.

For the record I don’t hate surfboats. That was just frustration. I know plenty of responsible surfboat owners. The popularity of surfing has certainly caused a serious boom in jackasses in the towboat segment though. A black eye at the very least to the industry.

Just food for thought, wouldn’t it be nice if manufacturers trained their new owners? If you’re going to release a craft with that much mass and energy with no brakes onto a lake with other humans and their families, Do they not have any guilt or regret or even concern about the current state of their customers operating environment? It’s like arming high schoolers with trucks and releasing them into a huge grassy field. There’s people riding bikes and families having picnics. Some people out in classic cars cruising around. The occasional camper just looking for a parking spot. And here comes Jerry in his new, jacked up Duramax. 8 speakers on his roll bar basting..whatever you hate. Four chicks in the bed with a couple coolers. Just tearing up every piece a grass he can find. Sorry, ranting again. I need to remember I’m trying to light a candle rather than curse this darkness.

I’d very much like to hear from someone from Tige on this. Officially or unofficially.

[zich6]

No question it's a problem on some waters, albeit not mine. I think it's important to understand that the example you provided of teens tearing up a field is already illegal in every jurisdiction by either disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, or both. In Idaho it's clear this would be disturbing the peace, punishable by up to $1000 fine and 6 months in jail. There is no exclusion for lakes, or rivers, so a boater can be prosecuted under this statute. As to manufacturers taking action for any responsibility like training, if car manufacturers don't take similar actions and they don't, it's highly unlikely that boat manufacturers will and in my opinion, shouldn't. I'll reiterate, how persistent is initial driver training? How well does it work to mitigate the same boneheaded behavior with some vehicle drivers of all ages? When you own something it's your responsibility and your responsibility alone to use it wisely. If you don't and it infringes on the rights of others, there are repercussions. Law enforcement is an important action to take, but frankly when the outcome to this miscreant behavior is unaccompanied in most cases by personal injury or property damage the response may be less than desired. I wouldn't advise paint balls. That's assault and you don't want to go down that road.

[SONIC]

On my lake it's not the tow boats that are an issue it's the bass boats and the cruisers with morons at the helm.
I guess if I were in a more affluent area those morons would be behind 100K wave machines lol.

We'll be surfing and a bass boat will come past us within 50 feet at 60+mph.

Douchebags are everywhere, but tow boats really call to the douchebag crowd (apologies if you're here )
"Hey look at me and all the money I have, look how loud my shitty music is"
Translates to: "Financing is too easy to get and I spent my kids education money on wetsounds"

[NICKYPOO]

I know they (manufacturers) won’t ever do some sort of training. I was daydreaming.

Id love to hear from a representative of Tige. KoolAid? What say you to this “epidemic”?

[NICKYPOO]

On my lake it's not the tow boats that are an issue it's the bass boats and the cruisers with morons at the helm.
I guess if I were in a more affluent area those morons would be behind 100K wave machines lol.

We'll be surfing and a bass boat will come past us within 50 feet at 60+mph.

Douchebags are everywhere, but tow boats really call to the douchebag crowd (apologies if you're here )
"Hey look at me and all the money I have, look how loud my shitty music is"
Translates to: "Financing is too easy to get and I spent my kids education money on wetsounds"

My lake isn’t as bad what I saw at Shasta. It’s worse than it was a few years ago though for sure. I see Zackdog out there with his G25 buddies all the time and never had them put me in a bad position. There are definitely others out there I’d really like to steal drain plugs from.

[UNSTUCK]

Nick, you are dreaming big time. Manufacturers and their salespeople don’t care what happens after their item leaves the lot. What would you want them to do? Make us promise not to do power turns or they won’t sell us a boat? That would be like the Ferrari dealer saying not to rev an engine in a residential area. Uhaul will rent a truck to anyone, but they shouldn’t. Don’t get me started on side by side owners. It’s all about the sales. Get the items out the door. Who cares after that? Not the manufacture.

[Rogcapital]

I just got back from a week at Shasta and it renewed my disgust for surf boats. We watched boat after boat being towed behind houseboats getting pounded by surfwakes. We had to battle surfwakes all week. One guy in a new Supreme took over one of the best spots to ride in our area for three days straight. Ruined it for everyone. I was towing a stranded boat back to the marina and some jerkoff surfed right past us. Another surfed a circle right around us while we were swimming just outside the marina. All week, surfwake after surfwake after surfwake. I’m ******* over it. It’s too much. The modern surfboat has replaced the jetski as the most hated craft on the lake. I know in Nevada you are liable for the damage your wake causes but how are you supposed to track down someone who just sank your boat and you’re just a little busy rescuing your family? For every 1 responsible surfboat owner, there’s 10 other jerks that don’t get it. The rest of the boating world has to suffer for someone else’s fun. It’s not fair. After being a proponent for wakesurfing for so long, I now find myself on the other side. Humans being humans just have to push the limits of everything. I get that. That’s how we evolve. Surfboats, IMO, have crossed the line. The industry isn’t going to do anything about it. They’re too busy raking in the profits from 100k+ towboats. Covid is pushing masses to the lakes in numbers never before seen. My local Nautique dealer said he wishes he would have ordered 50 more boats this year. They would all be sold. That means huge numbers of new boat owners with dangerous machines out there just throwing superwakes out wherever they want with no realization of what they’re doing and zero consequences. I’ve been boating all my life and it’s become unfun from having to survive the day. I would love to just go out and boat like I’ve done for the last 45+yrs and not be threatened by giant wakes being thrown by not that big of boats all god damn day. Those days seem to be gone. That’s my problem, I know. I’m not the only one though and a lot of those people aren’t exactly as rational as I might be. How long before someone starts shooting at random surfboats out of frustration? I know most surfboats don’t get that but, every waterskier, barefooter, parent of young kids trying to learn and love water sports, fisherman, and hot boater know that eventually that will become someone’s reality. I certainly don’t want that. I would assume no one here wants that either. If the surfboat community won’t police itself, somebody will though.

So what’s the solution? So far it’s mostly been ignore it. Get all pissy and say it’s bullsh!t. IDboating, you’re a smart guy on the other side. I’m hoping you’ll chime in.

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[Booms]

Great topic. I have seen a lot as we have been boaters for 20-30 years.

It is all boaters not just wakesports. With the Rona and most of the sports cancelled this summer families are looking for something else to do. I know most dealers in the Cincy area are out of new and used boats. That just means more uneducated people on the lakes. My wife can back a trailer in and out better than 90% of guys. We can be in and out of the landing in less then 2 mins if I don't mess up landing the boat on the trailer. haha. It has been a sh!t show at the local landings lately.

I was on Norris Lake in TN this past week with some buddies. One of the guys got in early so we went out for a quick surf session. I was driving and spotting (TN does not require a spotter as long as you have a large mirror). It was a busy Saturday afternoon, busier then I have seen since a holiday on that lake. We were surfing in the middle of the lake. My head was on a swivel; mirror, front of boat, behind boat, starboard, port, settings, etc. All of a sudden I look to port side and a yellow $100,000+ pontoon boat is maybe, maybe 30 feet away from the port bow of the boat and not slowing down. He was cutting us off.
I am on his right and have someone in "tow" = I have the right of way.
I quickly pulled the throttle back, the surfer saw this as well and dropped back to not hit the boat and I stood there staring at the driver (tanned up muscle dude with shorts that match is yellow pontoon) with my arms out and the WTF look on my face, and saying, "Hello, right of way". He couldn't even make eye contact with me, just a quick glance, not even a wave and a "sorry". Just kept on going. Pontoon boat drivers can also be clueless.

To the prior posts we are in their world and have to follow their way. Way too many people have the spoiled, privileged attitude. They expect us experienced boaters to move to accommodate for their lack of education.

[NICKYPOO]

Nick, you are dreaming big time. Manufacturers and their salespeople don’t care what happens after their item leaves the lot. What would you want them to do? Make us promise not to do power turns or they won’t sell us a boat? That would be like the Ferrari dealer saying not to rev an engine in a residential area. Uhaul will rent a truck to anyone, but they shouldn’t. Don’t get me started on side by side owners. It’s all about the sales. Get the items out the door. Who cares after that? Not the manufacture.

You can’t have a dream come true if you don’t have a dream. I realize that we’re mostly screwed on this but come on, that type of attitude has never solved anything. Who cares after that? I do! You should too. All of us should care. I get that most won’t but I’m not gonna back down from my principals just because it’s a hassle. I’m certainly not going to teach my children that that’s the way they should deal with issues important to them. “Ya son, just throw up your hands and accept that you’re screwed.” Jesus, that’s half the problem right there.

[SONIC]

Just this past weekend I had my wife behind me surfing and a pontoon/deck boat came up behind us and just cruised 40-50 feet behind her. I was livid.
I handed the wheel to someone else in the boat and stood on the back of the boat and pointed at him and signaled him to get the hell out of my wake.

He eventually noticed and swerved out of the wake within 25 feet of my surfing wife and flipped me off.
We couldn't even throttle back, he was close enough he may well have run over my wife if she had fallen or if we pulled the throttle.

People are so stupid it just makes me cringe.

[UNSTUCK]

Nick, I didn't mean for my post to sound like there was no hope and we should give up. I was mostly venting of my frustration of sales people in general, that they don't care. To keep it local, how many salesmen in your local dealership even own a boat? Maybe a couple, if any? They likely have no idea how bad it is out there. It would be awesome though if they took out their perspective buyers on a test run and at least explained some of the spoken/unspoken rules of the water. Start teaching the new generation and hope that over time it becomes the new norm.

[Bamer]

Our local ramp has been crawling with rookies this year too.... the shutdown and government passing down payments to these people. I’m lucking enough to be off ever other Friday and even on Fridays the ramp is packed. Nothing like years past......

I’m actually afraid to hit the lake on July 4th weekend, so we will be staying home this year.

Last year on the 4th, a bow high master craft surfing almost hit us while we were sitting still. This first person in their boat to see us was the surfer as she passed us about 4ft away!!!!!!!

I saw them take off from >500ft away and I would have just drove away but we had a 12yr beginner in the water and I couldn’t leave her so I hopped up on the back jumping, screaming and waving my arms to no avail.... idiots...


never seen that boat ever since......


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[freeheel4life]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtd2CCp..._web_copy_link

^^proof that some have more dollars than sense. I say either insurance fraud or just the dumbest thing ever.

[Bamer]

A truck, a Jeep and a Pavatti? All 3 sunk? What? Maybe they had used their helicopter to pull them out?


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[freeheel4life]

Sounds like the Pavati sank first, and owner tried to use his truck and jeep at his lake house to attempt to recover. Kind of seems like someone trying to use insurance to get out of a 300k boat payment....or just someone with a lot more dollars than sense