Sad story- Power turning

[wakerider3989]

Can't remember where I read it (wakeworld or wakeboarder.com), but this past month, a group of adults were enjoying their time on the water when their rider being towed fell. The driver of the boat proceeded to power turn to pick the rider up and in the process threw a passenger in the bow out into the water. The young lady was hit by the prop and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

I'm posting this because as an avid wakeboarder it makes me furious to see a beautiful glassy lake turned to crap because a boat power turns to pick up their rider when they fall. However, after growing up and being taught to power turn I often have to remind myself that the reason people power turn is because they don't know any better.

For those who do not know what power turning is: it is the action of accelerating hard and turning the boat in a "spin out" type fashion immediately after the rider falls. This results in a huge wake thrown in a circle and often leads to inexperienced drivers dipping their bow in the wake and soaking the front of their boat.

Please, fellow tige owners, lead by example and when your rider falls pull the throttle to neutral, let the first wake pass and idle over to pick up your rider. You will be very surprised how much nicer this keeps the water as well as how much easier it is on the passengers who could care less how bad *** you feel when pretend your boat is a jet ski.

[Tanner]

That's a very sad story indeed.

However that being said.... you do not own the water just b/c you are a wakeboarder or skier. Other people have every right to do a powerturn if they so choose. I do not know where this sense of entitlement comes from from the wakeboard community. People also have every right to tube in a cove with glass if they so choose. If you do not like it then move to another cove.

As a boarder myself, I never go into a cove that someone else is riding in. If I'm pulling out, I always idle out until I get far enough away that I can throttle up and not mess up their water. I also never power turn to pick up my riders, unless I see a boat heading their way and I think they don't see them. Despite the way I do things, other non-boarders are not concious of these actions, so you can't get pissed at them. But like I said, even if they are, they have just as much right to "mess up the glass" as you. We make just as much of a disturbance for others while driving the figure 8 for a double up.

I find it horrific that boarders use unfortunate stories like these to push their elitist attitudes on others.

[wakerider3989]

Tanner, you missed my point. You were way to anxious to start an online forum battle to see that I was referring specifically to power turning when pulling a skier or wakeboarder. Yes, wakeboarders and skiers do have somewhat of an elitist view, but that's because we spend more time on the water compared to your typical recreational boater and while its not always right, it just seems to come with the territory. The point I was making was not that someone shouldn't have every right to power turn, rather they should learn that there is no reason to. Tanner, assuming you spend a fair amount of time on the lake you should agree that 90% of today's boaters are reckless not because they choose to be, but rather because they simply are not educated in boating safety like they should be. I spend two-three days a week on the water (I understand how fortunate I am to do that) and if the average person were out there that often I promise you there would be a different outlook on boating safety. The truth is most boat owners don't experience any kind of drivers education, thus you see people performing sometimes idiotic maneuvers on a boat that they may think are perfectly acceptable.

Yes, I did sound a bit arrogant and I apologies for venting, but I figured a forum was the best place to do that. Nonetheless if it bothers you that much that I'm presenting a "no-power-turn" request and have expressed some emotion behind it then I'm sure the next time you have the lake to yourself at sunset and John smith comes cruising up in his new boat power turning all over the place, you will just smile and wave as you cruise back to the marina cause the water is no longer ride-able.

You are 28 years old with a quote in your profile that a 13 year old might laugh at... If I had a race horse, I'd name him "My Face", just so I could hear people chant..... "Come on My Face!!!!"

Grow up, learn some class, hook em horns, and teach others not to power turn.

[sparky216]

Sorry man....I'm a 33yr old professional that giggles everytime I read Tanners sig.....

[MoneyPity]

I have been pulling skiers since I was 16or so. Many of the lakes we ski on are often busy lakes on weekends and at times are dangerous to the skier who has had a bad wipe out and may be trying to get their wind back or other issue that keeps them from holding a ski or a board up to let others know they are down in the water.

When we hear skier down we will as quickly as safely possible go back to our down skier. The passengers in my boat or others in our families boats know when they feel us pull back on the throttle and start a turn we are going to accelerate out of the turn to get our boat back to our rider as fast as we can in a safe manner.

As a driver if I see a passenger not holding on I will tell them to hold on and go back for the rider who is very vulnerable on lakes in my area. I will get back to them as fast as I safely can for them and my passengers. I don't care if I cause smooth water to become chopped for a few minutes. It will calm down again. As safely as I can my goal is to get my boat between my rider and any other boat that may be heading at them. We have not heard of a passenger getting thrown out of the boat but we have seen skiers or boarders go down and have had boaters not paying attention and come way too close to our riders for comfort. I am not sorry that my causing the lake to get choppy for a few minutes when it is my responsibility to keep my rider safe.

A few years ago when demoing a new boat on the Chain of Lakes in Northern Illinois after we drove the boat around a lake that was overcrowded on a Saturday we turned the boat over to the marina employee to take the boat back into a channel that we where not familiar with or comfortable with. In his quest to impress us with the performance of the boat he jumped on the throttle and proceeded to turn which had him heading directly at a slalom skier who had just wiped out. We landed up pulling the ignition safety lanyard and grabbed the wheel to avoid the skier. Where the skier was skiing was not smart but my point is even experienced boaters are not necessarily safe boaters.

We have PO'd a few drivers cutting them off when they were on direct line at our rider.

I would rather chop up the water than have my rider endangered after a bad wipe out where they may be barely visible.

We aren't fortunate enough to be on the water every few days. We do good to get in a few weekends a month and a couple of weeks of vacation time going down to hopefully smooth water on Bullshoals or Tablerock lakes 10 hours away from home so we can enjoy skiing or just being a "recreational boater".

Power turns are unsafe when passengers are not ready and we typically won't do one but as I have said I will get back to a rider who has just had a bad wipe out as fast and as safely possible and if I cause it to get a little rough on the water so be it.

I agree that it is very sad that a passenger was tossed into the water in a power turn and that she was critically injured. An unfortunate result of an unsafe manuever at the time.

I often wonder if reckless boaters are the result of not having formal training or might there be other reasons?

My

[wakerider3989]

Moneypit I respectfully agree with your opinion, although I do see it as an exception. You are definitely right though, safety should not be compromised for good water.

Also let me clarify my definition of "recreational boater" as I don't want it to be misconstrued and come off as a jerk. As much as I love to wakeboard, spending time with friends just hanging out on the water is an activity second to none. By "recreational boater" I meant more the weekend warrior i.e. the guy with his black mastercraft, tinted out, stripper pole, and blaring rap music while he's fueling up at the marina dock. His boat sees the water twice a year on July fourth and Labor day, and he's always hammered. You see the boat out on the water and you think to yourself "I can't wait until the holiday is over and the lake is back to normal." Haha that is the best definition I could come up with. Hopefully most of yall get the picture.

P.S. finals suck

[skyski_tige]

wakeboarding elite? What does that mean? Why do wakeboarders think they own the water? Why do they think they have the right to tell others how to drive their boats? They do, I have seen it and heard it before... If you want your own water, then go and buy your own lake! Otherwise, you are going to run into people that don't play buy YOUR rules. With that being said...

I am sorry to hear about the accident. I would love to find out how much alcohol was involved with this. I personally don't drink while we ride. I might have a beer but feel I need to be sharp so I can be in control of my boat and make sure my passengers are safe.

I used to power turn all the time. I think most just don't know any better. I have slowed down and realized first off what it does for the water, and second it burns alot more gas.

I live on a cove that has is bulkheaded, after 3 passes on one boat, the water starts getting chopped up. Power turning will kill the smooth water very quickly.

If your downed rider is not in danger, then why do you need to hurry back? If there is a boat heading toward my rider, I will be back in between the rider and boat quickly but other than that, idle back. It is not going to take as much time as you think and you won't swamp your boat or down rider with the big rollers.

With that being said, I have to agree with Tanner... BOOMER SOONER!!!!

[Tequilasun]

Tough issue all around.

Power turning in itself isn't necessarily dangerous, but it can be rude.
Protecting downed riders should always be priority #1.

Game on.

[Tanner]

Wakerider,

I didn't think your post sounded arrogant at all. You made a plea to lead by example. Which I have no problem with. My post wasn't aimed at you, although you may have read that into it.

It was mainly aimed a wakeboarders as a whole. Mainly.... the younger generation. We have had posts like that before though, from people that get upset with tubers, and power boats, and I've even seen wakeboarders get upset at skiers!!!!! I just took the opportunity to take a jab at those types. If your one of those who feel you own the water, then yeah, it was a jab at you. If your not one of those, then just brush it off and nod your head to the fact that I already do what you were requesting anyways.

As for my sig, your pretty new here to T/O, but you'll come to find out we're all a bunch of big kids playing w/ our toys here! Many of us here spend so much time in our daily lives being serious that we use this forum for a laugh. My sig is what it is for one thing.... to make someone laugh... like sparky. I care more about it putting a smile on someone's face, than rather or not you think it's raunchy.

That being said, you can't discount the fact that you lost to Texas Tech.... no matter how you wanna look at it! BOOMER SOONER!

[wakerider3989]

Well I like you guys, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. Wow there are a lot of Oklahoma boys on here!

[Tanner]

Well I like you guys, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. Wow there are a lot of Oklahoma boys on here!

LOL.... Yep... your surrounded. We've beat you horns into hiding around here!

[MoneyPity]

Oklahoma? Isn't it some where in Texas?

[jwanck11]

Tubing rocks

[MoneyPity]

Tubing rocks

If you say so we have onlt been out once to test speed set!

[wakerider3989]

Go Rockets! Sorry had to let that one out.