Legal Question concerning Wakesurfing

[BurnMac42]

So I finally got my 21v out for the first time to wakesurf and I am freaking HOOKED! That is probably some of the most fun I have ever had behind a boat...The bug got me and I'm looking at ways I can get as much weight on my boat as possible lol..

Anyway..this might be an Ohio specific question but here goes..

We were wakesurfing on Buck Creek in Springfield Ohio....We noticed after a little bit of surfing that we had peaked the interest of the water cops....well, after watching us for like 30 min they finally approached...They started out by asking if we were aware that we were towing right behind the boat and I said absolutely but that we were a wakeboat and our prop hsa the proper clearance (I thought that's what he was going to try and ding me on)...Well, he came back and said what about the exhaust fumes, etc? I said no problem, they make a great product called an FAE (which I don't have installed, I just let him know they manufactured it and let him draw his own conclusion)..I then proceeded to tell him that wakesurfing is the fastest growing water sport and it's what drives wakeboat sales anymore (not sure if that's 100% true, I was just trying to legitimize the sport to him vs us being some rednecks who decided to try it out that day)..

He then tried to claim that he had never heard of a wakeboat before (needless to say my mouth about dropped...I asked him if he had ever heard of Mastercraft, Nautique, Tige, Supra, Moomba, Axis, etc.....kinda blank stared me from there..

I kept it all friendly and thanked him for his concern on our safety and answered everything with confidence (I was told in pilot training that even if you aren't 100% about something, answer with confidence because it might make your IP doubt his general knowledge lol)

He drove off after that...I have the little booklet that the State of Ohio gives boaters when they register and it doesn't say anything about wakesurfing not being allowed, or dictating a minimum distance, or exhaust fume worries, etc...

Anybody ever run into this before?

[chpthril]

I have the little booklet that the State of Ohio gives boaters when they register and it doesn't say anything about wakesurfing not being allowed,

At the same time, it doesnt give the regulations to do it, i bet? This is where the agency will have you by the short hairs. Whats not spelled out, is left to their interpretation, which is often driven by their ignorance of the sport.

Go on offence and get in touch with the officials and help them get educated about wake surfing. Once they understand it can be done safe, they are less likely to stop those doing it properly.

[IDBoating]

I then proceeded to tell him that wakesurfing is the fastest growing water sport and it's what drives wakeboat sales anymore (not sure if that's 100% true, I was just trying to legitimize the sport to him vs us being some rednecks who decided to try it out that day)

That statement is 100% accurate. I've had one estimate straight from someone well placed to know what they're talking about tell me that wakesurfing drives 70-80% of inboard boat sales these days. They also said virtually 100% of buyers ask "How good is the surf wave?" about every boat they are considering even if surfing isn't their primary purpose for shopping.

Excellent comeback naming off obviously well-known wakesport boats. Anyone who has been on the water, behind a badge or not, has heard of at least most of the names you mentioned. Categorize all of them as "wakesport boats", which is absolutely true, and you go a long way towards putting doubt in his mind that HE is the one less informed.

Finally, you can also point out that wakesurfing has been added to major wakeboarding competitions this year. In other words, just like wakeboarding displaced waterskiing as the most popular watersport, wakesurfing is now doing to wakeboarding. They're going to see a lot MORE of wakesurfing, and it would be good of them to become familiar with it.

So: You are "wakesurfing", which is the fastest growing "wakesport" in the industry, and it's done behind "wakeboats" which are made by {insert well known names here}.

[Ewok]

Good answers, your IP's taught you well. To piggy back on Chpthrill and WABoating I bet what they found interesting is the "surfing" aspect of wakesurfing. I just skimmed through the boater handbook and I bet in the expanded Ohio Watercraft Regulations, Tige 21V, volume 3, there is something that says no "teak-surfing". Teak-surfing is holding onto the swim platform while being pulled behind the boat, it is very dangerous because of the exhaust fumes right near the water. In the early days of wakesurfing some cops would use the teak surfing rules as the answer for wakesurfing.

I guess that experience will count as your EP of the day, tomorrow will be how to handle people at the gas station who ask you how fast your boat goes, like 75-90 mph?

[BurnMac42]

I guess it just surprised me how little well known wakesurfing is in my neck of the woods still....

I went out to another local lake (Ceasars Creek) yesterday and the only other inboard boat that I noticed was a Malibu trailer....when we started surfing, I swear we had 4-5 boats just staring at us with "what in the world are they doing" look....

[IDBoating]

I swear we had 4-5 boats just staring at us with "what in the world are they doing" look....

Oh, we still get the occasional boater coming by shouting "YOU'RE IN TROUBLE! YOUR BOAT SHOULDN'T BE LISTING LIKE THAT! HOW CAN WE HELP?" So even on our lake, which sees a lot of surfing, not everyone is familiar with it.

We actually got into an argument with one of these helpful souls once. The driver would absolutely not accept our assurances that we were listed on purpose and knew what we were doing. "NO, DUDE, I'M NOT KIDDING. YOU'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. LET ME TOW YOU BACK TO THE RAMP. I'M CALLING 911 JUST IN CASE." They finally drove away, literally shaking their heads because they knew our boat better than we did.

[BurnMac42]

Speaking of the bug.....Chp, your PM's are full and I want a custom surf sack!