Proposed No Wake Surfing Zones SML

[GMLIII]

Here we go again . Proposed No Wake Surfing Zones on Smith Mt. Lake in Virginia

https://smithmountainlake.com/news/l...QXNsouquVC30TY

[Nautiquehunter]

This is just the start . With 25 and 26 foot surf ships out there with 4 ' wakes I am surprised it hasn't happened sooner . I am on lake Lanier 700 miles of shore line boats up to 60'. There is plenty of room for wakesurfing in the main channels but most of the surf boats head to the smaller ski coves . Why do they think you need butter to surf? I would be pissed if I lived there and watched 3-4 foot waves hitting my dock and shore line.

[GMLIII]

This is just the start . With 25 and 26 foot surf ships out there with 4 ' wakes I am surprised it hasn't happened sooner . I am on lake Lanier 700 miles of shore line boats up to 60'. There is plenty of room for wakesurfing in the main channels but most of the surf boats head to the smaller ski coves . Why do they think you need butter to surf? I would be pissed if I lived there and watched 3-4 foot waves hitting my dock and shore line.

Yes we need laws so we all have to surf in the main channels to get killed .

[gonefishin5555]

Its the Kayakers and Sups that are going to result in complete areas of lakes being off limits. Not everyone has a lot of sympathy for rich people with lake front homes but its people using the lake in non motorized ways that are going to be successful with bans

[hal2814]

This is just the start . With 25 and 26 foot surf ships out there with 4 ' wakes I am surprised it hasn't happened sooner . I am on lake Lanier 700 miles of shore line boats up to 60'. There is plenty of room for wakesurfing in the main channels but most of the surf boats head to the smaller ski coves . Why do they think you need butter to surf? I would be pissed if I lived there and watched 3-4 foot waves hitting my dock and shore line.

I grew up on Lake Lanier. I can’t imagine trying to do any watersports in the main channels. I haven’t been on that lake in over 10 years. It’s probably even worse now. And they aren’t ski coves. They’re not surf coves. They’re not fishing coves. They’re just coves. I don’t need butter to surf but I do need wind protection if it’s anything over about 10mph. And no chop is better than some chop. I won’t tear in and ruin someone else’s ski session or even wakeboard session with surfing but if a cove is open I’ll take it.

[Nautiquehunter]

I grew up on Lake Lanier. I can’t imagine trying to do any watersports in the main channels. I haven’t been on that lake in over 10 years. It’s probably even worse now. And they aren’t ski coves. They’re not surf coves. They’re not fishing coves. They’re just coves. I don’t need butter to surf but I do need wind protection if it’s anything over about 10mph. And no chop is better than some chop. I won’t tear in and ruin someone else’s ski session or even wakeboard session with surfing but if a cove is open I’ll take it.

That's why they are talking about banning . People just take it with no regard for others ,docks and shoreline. My fear is that they overreact and make the whole cove No Wake or No ski. If you don't control it the government will?

[mgs917]

"Hayes said he is not against some regulations for wakesurfers. He is in favor of keeping wakesurfing 75 to 100 feet from the shoreline or docks. Currently, wakesurfing follows the same rules as other watersports such as skiing and must be 50 feet from the shoreline or docks."

50 feet???

When I went through boaters education in Ohio the distance from shore, docks, or other boats; was 100 yards (300 feet). 50 feet is really close.

[mgs917]

I pulled this off wakeworld, an actual well thought out opinion without personal attack. Pretty rare on that site.

"IMHO there used to be a process (barrier to entry?) in throwing a large wake. I (personally) had to cross a mental threshold. If someone's driving was not sharp, flooding/sinking a boat was a reality. Not to mention the wild speculation on insurance payouts and Coast Guard Capacity Rules, etc. Running a large wake (lots of weight) was a learning process for me that was slowly built up to. IMHO the size of someone's wake would (typically) correlate with that person/crew's driving and wakeboarding abilities and experience. Filling extra sacks, putting lead into the boat, etc. were all tasks that required commitment. This (most importantly) generated a level of water knowledge and mutual respect/etiquette that came with that wake growth process. With these new boats (massive freeboard) that's all gone. I have watched more than one fully weighted new boat towing tubes through the only good water of our local lake vs. the main channel. I have seen many others fully weighted power turning, and just simply destroying the water via ignorance.

I am all for sharing the water/experience, etc. But, the new class of boats forces me to drive my 2000 vlx (when it's un-weighted) like it has 4500lbs of weight; just to avoid taking on water... it transcends irony.'

I tend to agree with this as I see on social media a lot of people asking "My first boat or first inboard, what should I do? A: add ballast/lead" I don't think that should be the first piece of advice to new boaters.

TLR - anyone with decent credit can buy a wakeboat and load it down to surf. more freeboard more weight, many boaters without knowledge/etiquette.

[MN Ryan]

50 feet is really close.

Yeah, that is close. MN is 150', though I think most people would have a hard time visually distinguishing between 100' and 300'.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Nautiquehunter]

200' in Indiana, Illinois 100' here in Georgia

[scottb7]

It took me a while - meaning years - to realize that when I wakeboard I am affecting everyone on the lake. Paddle boarders and kayakers and fishing boats when they enjoy the lake are not bouncing everyone else around. And then it took me years to stop feeling that everyone has the right to do whatever they want on the water, and to stop self justifing like that. And I am guessing most surfers or wakeboarders, don't ever think about these issues at all.

And then if you think about it, you might realize that those NOT wakeboarding or surfing may, just possibly, be in general reasonable. Homeowners, and non surfers may not be the mean spirited bad guys surfers would like to think they are. They may have been pushed by the growing quantity of boats and size of waves that just maybe became unreasonable.

So what to do now? If you can possibly accept that maybe the surf boats waves and quantity of surfers have become too much, then if you observe the rising push back in legislation that is building momentum then there is only one reasonable outcome surfers must adopt. Surfers must stop saying education and coordination will solve the problem. That approach likely is not going to be sufficient to get legislation to NOT happen. It is too late for that. I strongly suggest, surfers (and maybe wakeboarders), propose legislation that is significant, that they can live with. It is now a change or die situation in my opinion.

Surfers must do something disruptive TO THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE...What would I suggest? I don't know exactly but probably like 300 or 400 feet from shorelines and docks, or surfing in only clearly marked areas. Partnership with lake regulation bodies to determine and mark surf areas where not currently marked.

I can tell you as a wakeboarder that has asked SO MANY surfers and other wakeboarders to politly take turns, only to be told that they don't have time, that I myself do not support any legislation that is about education, or are any form of petition against regulaton and banning. If you can't convince me, a wakeboarder, that you as a surfer are going to change, how are you going to convince homeowners, kayakers and paddleboarders?

[shag]

IMO. (I'll preface this by saying that I don't like government regulating much) it is a few who spoil it for most. I have personally observed 'some' High $$$ boats acting basically irresponsible and not paying attention to what and where they are. 50' is only 15 yards - so yes, way too close. I see many of these boats make a wide sweeping turn which I don't have to explain what that does. And yes, sharing the lake in some way is a necessary thing. Not feeling sorry for a lake front homeowner isn't necessarily a great attitude as I know some who worked very hard to have a simple modest home and pay quite a bit in property tax to live there.
I won't even get into some of the loud explicit music that sometimes accompanies the surfers, since that wasn't brought up.
I am a wakeboarder and surfer, but try to be respectful and pay attention. Just my .02

[mgs917]

To my earlier point and the wake world post, I was on the moomba forum last night and a new boat owner asked why he can’t surf ropeless in a mondo (20 ft boat 3700 lbs ballast). The first two replies were add weight. The op even stated he was new to surfing. Neither response asked about his technique or skill level. I had a 2000 SAN 210 I sold last year. We surfed ropeless with 1000 lbs. 400 each locker and 200 bow walkthrough. I just can’t believe the first thing people are doing is adding weight to all of these new boats.
I wakeboard, but there is absolutely no reason I would need to ride a fully ballasted g23. I believe it is the same for wakesurfing most people are just carving or standing still. You can do the same thing on smaller waves. Look what some of the riders were doing back 10-20 years on ski boats. I think 95% would have just as much fun on smaller waves/wakes. Just my 2 cents.

[FireBreathingRubberDucky]

I agree on all counts that as surfers and wakeboarder’s we need to be good stewards of the lake or river. However, I will say this, there is so much more at play here than how the waves from our boats affect shore erosion and people’s docks. I generally surf in an area where this isn’t an issue (however, we have special interest groups from several hours away, who have an agenda to bring down the dams in our area....which is entirely different can of worms I don’t feel like opening right now), though my point in parentheses does lead me to the following observation. If you think for one second that special interest environmental groups, that couldn’t care less about your expensive dock or “private short line” aren’t using the guise of big waves to push their agenda then you are mistaken. They look at these gas guzzling surf machines and see carbon emissions and will jump at almost any opportunity to get them off the lake. I don’t see anyone complaining about the 30 foot fishing boats or 40 foot yacht in my area plowing upstream, creating waves that often make my G23 look like a ripple in the water. I realize I just opened up a can of worms, perhaps with even some of the folks on this board but I’m okay with that because the good lord knows these same individuals I’m addressing never mince words or hold back on people who share my views. These same special interest groups are the reason you have to pay for excessive environmental impact studies and permits that in the end can make the cost of putting in a dock exceed $100k.

Again, it’s important to be a steward of the lake. However, if you think this legislation gives a **** about you, your hobby, your home or your dock, then you are just drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid like everyone else seems to do these days.

P.S. This just in. Wakesurfing within 100 feet of the shoreline has been linked to increased Covid-19 infection fatality rates.

[Iamwildbill]

P.S. This just in. Wakesurfing within 100 feet of the shoreline has been linked to increased Covid-19 infection fatality rates.

This was my favorite quote from the entire thread so far.

Do any of you guys have your boaters or captains license? I think it’s something to consider that I had to get one when I was younger in order to operate a boat. No, it’s not super well regulated but drivers license in cars are? Boats can be just as if not more dangerous than a car depending on conditions. Sure there are always ways around it, but having a boating license present to purchase a boat may force people to learn ethics and tips from seasoned captains.

I’m a boat owner, wakeskater, wakeboarder, surfer, and have a family. I see all sides of the coin but I think the the greater issues is people not knowing they’re doing things ethically wrong. IMO ethics matter more than laws.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk