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

[lucky7t]

Quinner,
Surfing requires very little balance or skill?

I guess I'm not an athlete then because I wake boarded and wake skated for at least 5 years and surfing required a lot more balance to me. It took me almost a month to catch a wave a ride comfortably. We had an NFL player last weekend that couldn't ride for over a few minutes out of control. Not being litigious but I disagree.

Almost a year later I learned how to Ollie the board off the wake as well. Maybe I'm a slow learner.

[High altitude]

If you don't sit on the sunpad...how can you hand your buddy a beer? -Marc

[High altitude]

As for Quinner...I hate ski snobs. I love skiing the course...and I love surfing. I also like pulling a tube. even if it means I have to fix a couple of balls when I'm done. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to try make people feel they are not worthy because of the water activity they choose to pursue. IT"S ABOUT HAVING FUN!!!

[Pjoachim]

Personally I think you follow the rules of your state. Sometimes, un-educated boaters think that they can do whatever they want and no rules apply to them. Not saying anyone here is un-educated, but I have seen my fair share of near misses due to people doing stupid things while a boat is under motion. My rule always when boating, is when were under power everyone is in a seat and not on any other part of the boat. Maybe I am too cautious, but I would hate for someone to get injured while I was captain of the boat....all it takes is one mistake that you could regret the rest of your life.

[scottb7]

I agree with above. It is all about having fun. I doubt any of us are using our Nautique's to catch enough fish for dinner. I guess some people just can't have fun unless they are sitting on the sunpad telling someone else what to do. My wife calls those people "know it nothings".

[High altitude]

In all seriousness...I agree with following the rules. I happen to live on a private lake so there are not many of them. Common sense becomes the ruling guideline because of that. From a pure risk standpoint, I don't have a problem with somebody on the rear sunpad. It adds weight where you need it, and if somebody needs a pointer, it's a great place to be. I have found it makes young kids more comfortable when an adult is only a few feet away. We had 15 folks up at the lake the other day and we had all three ten year olds up surfing. As for the people who need to always be talking, what a PITA! We had one dad who, after his turn, decided to instruct his son. He had his kid thinking about so many things that he was practically crying before he started. I finally had to ask him to be quiet and let his son actually "just get a feel for it". He ended up doing fine.

[tommy1005]

does some state seriously have a rule that you have to be in a seat while underway? I've been on boats for 32 of my 33 years and have never heard that one. I've been standing up to drive the boat since I was 10 and to this day if I'm not driving, I'm standing in the walkway with a hand on the windshield frame. What would they say to the "go-fast" crowd? A majority of those boats are designed to be driven standing up, and most of the passengers are standing behind the bolsters holding on to the grab handles, would that be illegal?

Back to the topic at hand, when I learned to ski is was behind a 1981 Viking deckboat. My mom was driving the boat and my dad was sitting on the sundeck holding the other end of the rope so that if I fell he could toss the rope so I wouldn't get drug unneccesarily......from what I'm hearing this would now be illegal, which I think is ludicrous. What about the surfers who start from the swim platform? I guess that's illegal as well. Not saying that's something that I'd try, but I see people doing it all the time.

[AirTool]

does some state seriously have a rule that you have to be in a seat while underway? I've been on boats for 32 of my 33 years and have never heard that one. I've been standing up to drive the boat since I was 10 and to this day if I'm not driving, I'm standing in the walkway with a hand on the windshield frame. What would they say to the "go-fast" crowd? A majority of those boats are designed to be driven standing up, and most of the passengers are standing behind the bolsters holding on to the grab handles, would that be illegal?

Ditto and maybe slightly behind you at 45 years old today starting at 18 months. Many of the fishing boats in my home town don't even have seats.