Wake Surfing Illegal?

[Vicseek]

Boating up at UTE Lake here in New Mexico Memorial weekend we were pulled over while I was surfing. The cops had been watching us and pulled us over for illegally towing a person so close to the boat. I was in the water cuz the driver had to stop so I didn't hear the exact convo but I guess the cop said we needed to tow at least 60 feet or something!
Really? I'm trying to look up what law they're speaking about but next time I'll have him give me a ticket so I can see what interpetation he's comming up with. I understand teak surfing is a no no in most states but wake surfing is completly different!
anybody else run into this problem with the cops?

[2thdoc01]

I've been pulled over twice for it....both times they were curious as to what I was doing...... No tickets, just curious I guess....

[JreisRZR]

Yes I got pulled over here in NH and informed it was illegal, this was hour number 8 on the new boat... I was BS and went nuts on the cop. Made a phone call to mr. Meddock at the WSIA and a few calls to new Hampshire state police marine patrol and I got the law changed in a hurry, as it was unwritten and something a supervisor told all the officers to enforce by saying that when a surfer tosses the rope he becomes a swimmer, and since operating within 150 feet of a swimmer is illegal therefore so was wakesurfing, so you could surf with the rope but not with slack or without it...utter bull. Anyways, a phone call to verify the "law" to the cops and a phone call to the WSIA and that was nipped in the bud and was informed by an officer that I see regularly that notice came down from the top that inboard boats are not to be bothered wakesurfing unless overloaded etc. I'll try to dig the report, good luck

[tnvolgrad]

If the cops can't produce a law that states wakesurfing is illegal, by definition this is the officers interpretation to the law. Politely tell the cop his opionion is valid, but if there is no law stating it is illegal so piss off. If you get a ticket then fight it - there is a whole industry in wakesurfing and this is not something that someone just made up last weekend.

[Vicseek]

I agree! This is something the boat was designed to do and is less dangerous than some other water sports in my opinion.
I've never ran into problems before however, next time I'll just ask for the ticket thus shedding light on the inaccuracies of this law in court.

[shawndoggy]

Yes I got pulled over here in NH and informed it was illegal, this was hour number 8 on the new boat... I was BS and went nuts on the cop. Made a phone call to mr. Meddock at the WSIA and a few calls to new Hampshire state police marine patrol and I got the law changed in a hurry, as it was unwritten and something a supervisor told all the officers to enforce by saying that when a surfer tosses the rope he becomes a swimmer, and since operating within 150 feet of a swimmer is illegal therefore so was wakesurfing, so you could surf with the rope but not with slack or without it...utter bull. Anyways, a phone call to verify the "law" to the cops and a phone call to the WSIA and that was nipped in the bud and was informed by an officer that I see regularly that notice came down from the top that inboard boats are not to be bothered wakesurfing unless overloaded etc. I'll try to dig the report, good luck

not saying I don't disagree with your umbrage, but "going nuts on a cop" is usually not the best strategy.....

[JreisRZR]

The cop I vented to was not the one that pulled me over, but rather one who frequents my lake and that we have gained a mutual respect with, I should have been more clear he agreed with the absurdity of the "law".

[Nobody]

Law is subjective.