Breaking News-Proposed No Wakesurf Zones Gain Approval on Smith Mountain Lake in 2022

[GMLIII]

https://thefranklinnewspost.com/news...0ypklMX6al1Ta4

[rbalan]

Well might as well call this “Coming to a lake near you soon”. I hope it doesn’t come down to more bouys littering up lakes telling people what should be common sense and courtesy. To those here that have stated that they surf in these smaller and sensitive areas for whatever reason, this is what you are going to get, at least step 1. Next step a lake ban on surfing at your lake?

[GMLIII]

Well might as well call this “Coming to a lake near you soon”. I hope it doesn’t come down to more bouys littering up lakes telling people what should be common sense and courtesy. To those here that have stated that they surf in these smaller and sensitive areas for whatever reason, this is what you are going to get, at least step 1. Next step a lake ban on surfing at your lake?

Yes Indeed

[hal2814]

You can save the lecture. I will surf on the flattest, calmest, most wind-protected water I can legally find. If some areas are going to be labeled off limits for some purely metrics-based reason that’s fine with me. It’s better than marinas taking up the best coves on the lake. I doubt a full ban will ever occur. If anything this designated zone business will just be an easy way for regulators to turn away complainers and say, “sorry, we already have a process of you’re unhappy.” And I’m personally surprised so many people here would seem to be in favor of it. You guys know if wakesurfing suddenly dies, Nautique probably dies along with it, right? Nautique will absolutely survive surfing falling slowly out of favor for the next big thing in watersports. But they wouldn’t be able to handle a sudden surf ban affecting large areas of the country.

[GMLIII]

You can save the lecture. I will surf on the flattest, calmest, most wind-protected water I can legally find. If some areas are going to be labeled off limits for some purely metrics-based reason that’s fine with me. It’s better than marinas taking up the best coves on the lake. I doubt a full ban will ever occur. If anything this designated zone business will just be an easy way for regulators to turn away complainers and say, “sorry, we already have a process of you’re unhappy.” And I’m personally surprised so many people here would seem to be in favor of it. You guys know if wakesurfing suddenly dies, Nautique probably dies along with it, right? Nautique will absolutely survive surfing falling slowly out of favor for the next big thing in watersports. But they wouldn’t be able to handle a sudden surf ban affecting large areas of the country.

Yeah I'm against it not for it. Agreed if surfing dies, Nautique dies along with it. As another member on this forum already said, "Nautique is like gun manufacturers; they only manufacture products and they don't tell you how to use their products or try to influence any regulations". Basically we just build them.

[SilentSeven]

I suspect this will be model legislation for many localities looking to address complaints.

The ordinance does an artful job of removing the local government from the determination process and instead allows them to transfer responsibility (blame?) to impacted property owners. And by setting a 75% threshold it's a steep standard - where else in American politics do you require 75% of the vote to enact anything?

The only question I have is how this might apply to non-cove shoreline areas - ie / you just have a strip of shore where owners are tired of continuous back and forth of surf rigs and can demonstrate damage? Do they buoy off that shoreline or does the ordinance just not apply in those situations. Do you move the rigs further from shore? Unclear what happens there. There's a quote in the article that hints at this but I can't tell what the decision was....

Edit: lol...i think it was me who suggested that the boat mfg's would invoke the gun lobby defense.

[GMLIII]

I suspect this will be model legislation for many localities looking to address complaints.

The ordinance does an artful job of removing the local government from the determination process and instead allows them to transfer responsibility (blame?) to impacted property owners. And by setting a 75% threshold it's a steep standard - where else in American politics do you require 75% of the vote to enact anything?

The only question I have is how this might apply to non-cove shoreline areas - ie / you just have a strip of shore where owners are tired of continuous back and forth of surf rigs and can demonstrate damage? Do they buoy off that shoreline or does the ordinance just not apply in those situations. Do you move the rigs further from shore? Unclear what happens there. There's a quote in the article that hints at this but I can't tell what the decision was....

Edit: lol...i think it was me who suggested that the boat mfg's would invoke the gun lobby defense.

There are many pitfalls is the new 2020 No Wakesurf Zones they have not thought about , one which you
noted above. Yes you are right on the money comparing boat mfgs to gun mfgs; great analogy. In a nutshell, we build them and that is about it.

[hal2814]

I will be amused the first time a wakeborder gets ticketed under this new legislation. You know it’ll happen. They’ll be big mad when they realize we’re all surfers in the eyes of law enforcement.

[GMLIII]

I will be amused the first time a wakeborder gets ticketed under this new legislation. You know it’ll happen. They’ll be big mad when they realize we’re all surfers in the eyes of law enforcement.

Agreed no doubt

[Nautiquehunter]

No doubt this will spread like wildfire. The homeowners have a right to enjoy their property without being harassed by loud obnoxious music and massive waves. You have the right to enjoy your boat as well but not at the cost of others. The real shame is it had to come to this at all if you don't see the problem then you are the problem .

[rbalan]

No doubt this will spread like wildfire. The homeowners have a right to enjoy their property without being harassed by loud obnoxious music and massive waves. You have the right to enjoy your boat as well but not at the cost of others. The real shame is it had to come to this at all if you don't see the problem then you are the problem .

I don’t think it will spread quickly. But I completely agree with your last sentence. A tipping point is going to break when a smaller boat gets submerged by surfboat waves or swamp a dock. It’s going to happen if it hasn’t already. Stupidity, selfishness, and negligence has been on lakes for decades, unfortunately we now have stupid, selfish, and negligent people with purchasing power that hurts the rest of us.

Before anyone chimes in thinking I’m a surf hater, you are wrong, I would actually like to try it. But I’m not doing it at others’ expense.

[rbalan]

And as said before, wakeboarders will likely get roped in as well.

As far as Nautique goes, I think they would adapt to a hypothetical surf band, wether as a whole or just a proportion of bodies of water. You take out wakeboarding at the same level and it’s a whole other story.

[GMLIII]

And as said before, wakeboarders will likely get roped in as well.

As far as Nautique goes, I think they would adapt to a hypothetical surf band, wether as a whole or just a proportion of bodies of water. You take out wakeboarding at the same level and it’s a whole other story.

"Head in Sand" approach by Nautique thus far. As SilentSeven mentioned "we just build them"

[SilentSeven]

I can't see a wholesale surf ban....lots of big, non crowded open water lakes and river sections where surfers will be fine. But for smaller or super busy lakes, I think this is a 'coming soon to your local area' situation.

[rbalan]

If Nautique and other manufacturers were smart, they would do similar to what the Tread Lightly campaign did for off roaders in the 80s. I believe we are soon to see everything from Ecologist organizations, pontooners, kayakers, fishing organizations, etc. pile up and petition against anything behind a ballasted boat.

Years ago when it was just wakeboard wakes that were the complaint there were still all the lakes that had cabin cruisers and the like that produced waves that were still much larger. I can remember many years ago being on Lake Lanier in my 89 2001 coming into a channel with a huge cruiser coming my direction, I had to turn around and head to the cove I had come from. It would of surely swamped my boat if not sunk it no matter what direction or speed I took. That was 20 years ago, and I never go to that lake anymore. Our closest lake now doesn’t have boats that big, but I experienced something similar several weeks ago with a G series surfing down a narrow channel.

If the selfish attitude keeps up, have fun getting money out of your boat trying to unload it when less and less people can use it.