Where to sit when coaching surfers (on the sundeck will get you a citation in MN)

[bhectus]

surroundsound64, it's idiots like you that promote the government to make more laws. I'm sure we'll all be seeing you soon in the 2014 Darwin awards.

[sja]

Even though I am a card-carrying liberal (and future hate speech victim) I have to agree with libertarian ranter. I don't think we should break every law that doesn't make sense to us, but adults should be able to decide how much risk to place themselves at. For those of us born without gills, watersports involve some
degree of risk. I strongly suspect those outside the boat (surfers, skiers, boarders , tubers etc) are statistically at higher risk than those who ride on the sun pad at 10 mph. If the job of the law is to fully protect ourselves from our adrenaline seeking instincts, then we should just allow ice fishing as it is really safe here about 6 months of the year.

[surroundsound64]

surroundsound64, it's idiots like you that promote the government to make more laws. I'm sure we'll all be seeing you soon in the 2014 Darwin awards.

I graciously ask you to please explain which parts of my ideology are idiotic?

Even though I am a card-carrying liberal (and future hate speech victim) I have to agree with libertarian ranter. I don't think we should break every law that doesn't make sense to us, but adults should be able to decide how much risk to place themselves at. For those of us born without gills, watersports involve some
degree of risk. I strongly suspect those outside the boat (surfers, skiers, boarders , tubers etc) are statistically at higher risk than those who ride on the sun pad at 10 mph. If the job of the law is to fully protect ourselves from our adrenaline seeking instincts, then we should just allow ice fishing as it is really safe here about 6 months of the year.

Right. I didn't say break every law. I simply said blind obedience for the absolute sake of obedience is foolish.

[sja]

For some the term "idiot" is defined as someone who holds any belief they do not share. See also: proceedings of congress.

[surroundsound64]

For some the term "idiot" is defined as someone who holds any belief they do not share. See also: proceedings of congress.

Gotta pass it to see what's in it! It's the law!

[northwestwater]

we are the luckiest people on the face of the earth. we get to go boating. we get to have fun on the water. if we break laws, then we risk tickets. fine. everyone here who has not broken any law, please stand up. nobody? ok. now let's talk. we will have a beer summit... oh, never mind.

hey, if anyone ever comes out to my lake you are welcome to sit on my sun pad. but, if you fall in...or get a ticket. well i will say...oops...

[bhectus]

I graciously ask you to please explain which parts of my ideology are idiotic?

It started with you actually getting caught. It ended with you feeling the need to come on here and bitch and moan about it. If you think that was "harrassment", you haven't actually experienced a real a-hole cop. Captain watercop was just doing his job, maybe he sensed you had the attitude and didn't think a mere warning was going to do the job?

[surroundsound64]

It started with you actually getting caught. It ended with you feeling the need to come on here and bitch and moan about it. If you think that was "harrassment", you haven't actually experienced a real a-hole cop. Captain watercop was just doing his job, maybe he sensed you had the attitude and didn't think a mere warning was going to do the job?

What did I get caught doing? And what did I .... And moan about? It seems as though the pot has called the kettle black regarding an "idiot" comment.

[ers906]

For the record, I never stated that I believed in blindly following every law, however this particular law makes sense to me. In our sport of the search for the largest wave, there are other boats on the water that get hit by our wakes/waves. If we want to continue to be able to surf/wakeboard etc, people getting knocked off sun pads and swim platforms is probably not a good thing. It doesn't matter that you may think you are the most competent and experienced boater since mankind started traversing the waterways (not saying that is what anyone actually believes, but there sure does seem to b a ton of attitude on this site regarding individual experience boating), it is the boat that your wave hits that is what the worry should be. And if you are shown, or the police ignore, the significant potential present for dangerous accidents, injuries, and/or fatalities, it won't be long until the laws scone even harsher (see the banning of surfing in multiple locales). Just my opinion and food for thought

[lucky7t]

Lots of love here

Well while we're all sharing our 2 cents here is mine...

I see people on sun decks all over the lake. I know it's illegal and don't knowing I risk a ticket. I only wish the water ninjas would pay more attention to the 50 foot scarab with the keg on it funneling beer at 80 mph. Just my 2 cents.

[V8 Killer]

Sorry but sunpad laws are retarded. Maybe for children under 13 or 18 or whatever. But for an adult to not have the ability to decide to sit or lay on the sunpad is ridiculous. In my ~15 years of boating I've never seen one person thrown off of, or in any way even endangered, while on the sunpad. I've never heard of it personally either. Not once. I've spent countless hours on my sunpad and been pulled over while on the sunpad (for standard safety checks). Not one game warden has ever told me to get off of it or that it was illegal. They've told me to turn off my green speaker LED's because those are in super danger of being confused as the 1 tiny green light on the starboard side at night.

So (in Texas) its legal for my 15 year old Godson to wakeboard without any life jacket of any kind, even shirtless. But its far too dangerous for a 200 pound man to hang out on the sundeck. Gotcha...

[nyryan2001]

guys, seriously doubt his remarks have anything to do with being on the sunpad while surfing..... likely much more to do with the hate being directected at folks who wakesurf from the slollam purists...already ran into it in a few other threads.

And yes, when coaching a beginner, usually I am standing on the swimdeck, butt leaning on the sunpad, one on hand above the head holding onto the surfrope for stability, the other hand on the sunpad.

[cwindingland]

Great feedback and I do appreciate everyone's opinion on this. I was a bit upset over this but at no time was I ever disrespectful to the officer. I try to lead by example and even more so when my kids are in the boat with us. I realize he was upholding the law, even if I did not agree with it. Everyday is full of some level of risk and the government can't legislate safety without infringing on our rights. Where does it end? I read one article where a state was proposing seat belt laws for boats because some passenger in a bass boat was travelling 70mph and was ejected. Not my problem until some self-serving politician sponsors the law that we now have to live with because they can't differentiate one type of boat from another. The sport of wakesurfing is being threatened because they claim it's eroding the lakeshore. If anyone in MN ever makes this claim I would question if they have ever seen the damage ice dams do in the Spring? It's not just "Oh, my rip-rap is all messed up", it's more like "Where the hells my cabin".

[Quinner]

To answer the OP's question, if the student cannot hear you use hand signals or body language to instruct. If/when circling the student after a fall is the best time to explain or be more detailed on your coaching.

Totally agree with the guys saying follow the rules, safety first and know your local laws. If you break the law there may be consequences. Expecting the officer to cut you a break or give you a warning, lol, good luck with that.

My home state requires the skier to wear a vest, even if they didn't I would and they also require passengers to be seated. Personally don't think it's a good idea for people to be on sundecks or hanging off the boat in anyway while underway, the MFR provided handles adjacent to a majority of the seats for a reason.

With regards to the cries of prejudice against surfers, whatever, once again if someone doesn’t agree with you they are "cranky old man skiers", get over it. Perhaps you could look at it from a safety standpoint, surfing requires very little balance or skill, if you have riders that are struggling and need instruction clearly they are not very balanced or athletic, is it really a good idea for them to be sitting illegally on top of the boat without a handle instead of in it and holding on??

[scottb7]

You know there is a certain reality in that a good coach needs to tell the student a thing or two (cause that is all a student can keep in mind at one time) and then sit down and shut up. In other words there really is no reason to be sitting on the sunpad communicating to the student at all. Just talk to them after they fall, before next pull.

I took karate for 10 years and the worst coaches are the ones that sit there and talk about what you should do for most of the hour instead of letting you practice one or two nuggets of wisdom they had.