I want some opinions on this one. This past weekend I was on a boat with 12 peeps, almost everyone pretty drunk. The boat owner had a few, but not drunk, well, who knows vs. 0.08. Me... sober. Everyone is partying, boats everywhere, music is blasting, people yelling... complete chaos in my book. The driver... totally cool with it all. I am watching the rider... the other boats, the driver, doing the flag, maintaining the rope, etc. When the driver takes his set, I get behind the wheel and first thing I do is turn down the music so I can think... oh, and HEAR the rider. I start telling people to pull in the rope, do the flag etc. Oh, as soon as the music goes off I get "hey turn up the music"... which I do once I get the rider up and going. <BR> <BR>Am I being too paranoid...too safe... etc... <BR> <BR>I don't understand why everyone wants to get drunk and then go in a boat and play in the lake. It is almost like, getting a group of people drunk, and then letting them run around a busy parking lot... something bad is going to happen! <BR> <BR>UJ

Yah i used to ride with people like that it was fun for a lil while but we also were on a lake that never had another boat out except maybe a canoe anyways i was rarely drinking i go out to go wakeboarding and i suck at that even after a few drinks. After one pass I came up into a lil half cab melon glide and took a header hit the bottom on a sandbar cause the driver was driving to close to it. Really woke me up and i stop going out with those people. Drinking on the boat sure but I always make sure the driver is sober.

Well I never drink and neither do my friends. We still most likely seem drunk to other people at times. However, being the person of major responsibility I dont let things get too out of hand. I usually draw my line at what could potentially hurt somebody, or get us a ticked (only when the rangers are out ;), or break something on the boat.

I agree with you Uncle Jess. You can still party and have fun but safety of the rider and peeps in the boat always come first in my boat.

The driver is a good guy and all... but I just don't see him keeping safety first. I swear if I wasn't paying attention, he would run over rope, and not even know what was up with his rider... it was like he thought his crew would keep things safe... but they were all partying too. To me the driver has 100% responsibility of what happens. He is kind of guy that says things like "we were all safe..." or " naw, that won't happen" or "I was watching"... ha! I was watching him and he was never watching!

im with you mark. my boat's have always been "a riders boat" i have no money in a stereo, i bought things that i could afford and are important like board racks, bimini and additional ballast. my thing is, its not a party boat. 3/6 max other than that you dont get any ride time. im down for a good time on the water and watching chicks take there tops off, i would rather get my sets in morning put my boat away then go to a party in disco. if your on my boat its all about one thing being stoked for the rider thats out there. cheering them on, pumpin your fist if they land that 3 just keeping them motivated. it makes you ride better when your boys are stoked. dont get me wrong, im down for music sometimes when i ride, i just cant afford it!!!!!! i also have know problem packing a cooler with some beers, you deserve it after a long set, i guess im just very selective of who goes on my boat so i never have a problem.

Told you to come to Spanky's Mark!! <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0>

Hey Bryan, I hear you all the way. So it seems to me most guys who are core riders keep things pretty cool on the boat, while the "wannabes" party hard? <BR> <BR>It amazes me how they think they are being safe on the water. I understand that people go on boats to do other things besides ride... but in doing so they throw safety overboard???

if you are getting wasted and not paying attention while operating a boat (especially pulling riders.. come on!), i don't care how nice you are, you are dangerous and lacking good judgement.

OnlyInboards, one of my questions is... is it even possible to pay attention with music blasting and 12 peeps all yelling and partying? For me, even sober, the answer is no... I can't hardly think straight with all that going on... 12 is a big number of people in a boat. Add booze, tons of boats, loud music... how is that even fun...? <BR> <BR>I want to hear from someone who does think that sounds like a good time! Trust me, everyone on the boat I was on had a blast but me...

Corby... I did kill it when I rode though <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/biggrin.gif" border=0> They thought my little bag was coolest thing they ever saw...

i've been on boats like this in the past. i think there's a time and place for everything. i never really much liked to be on those types of boats so i dont associate with type of "rider" anymore. i'm with B on this one. i'm all for lettin loose and havin a good time but we keep it pretty chill on the boat. i'd rather land a new maneuver than get faded anyway.

The thing is with me is an even mix of party and riding. Sure, loud stereos are good for the people partying, but I get pumped up when I'm riding to music too. But also, I get pissed when no one knows my complicated hand signals and i try to yell over the nasty loud music. <BR>Another thing is you need to find the right number of people and the right kind of people. Don't let your buddy thats a little too interested in trying to hook up with girls drive. Dont get the girls that are too distracting out there. And make sure everyone can hold their stomachs! <BR>Oh, and of course get an even ratio of guys to girls, if not get more bun! Girls will ride very little and some don't even give it a try but then its more riding time for the guys.

I pretty much do not wakeboard and drink and for the most part my boat is a riders boat and people do not generally drink and ride..............Now having said that, we will have a booze cruise about once a month with 8-12 peeps with coolers and bikinis filled and have never had a bad time. No one has ever been wasted on the boat and I take a caveat emptor kind of philosophy and let people make their own decisions whether they want to ride and there is always one or two people sober to drive. Also since, most of the people are part of a regular riding crew they know how to handle ropes and boards even if they are on their 5th or 6th. Mostly we just surf, but some people will strap on a wakeboard. <BR> <BR>I think I would feel OK being in a boat of riders who are partying but not too sure I would regularly ride with partyers who wakeboard. There is a difference between the two that might not be obvious to everyone.

I was on a boat once and the driver broke out what looked to be Cocaine, I asked him to drop me off at the shore now. I walked a few miles and ended up hitching a ride with a family that was leaving their beach. Those were the days when I would take a ride with anyone with a boat. Thank God thats no longer the case. <BR> <BR>I went out his weekend with one of my normal crew. We went out rode and had a blast. Found a cove, got our drink on a lounged like lizards for 4 hours. As the sun was setting we worked the headache sets. You can have both, you just have to separate the two. Pulling riders with a boat load of drunk idiots is dangerous in itself, compounded by the fact that that crap can get annoying (or very funny) as hell.

i know exactly what your talking about bro. Last year my boy got a new boat and he didnt have anyone to drive him. I would roll out with my girl and next thing i know there is 8 people no room in the boat and everyone getting hammered paying no attention to whats going on. The music would be blarring the whole time even when the riders down and we are going back for them. I hated it. So i stopped going out with him and his friends. This year I got sucked into going again once although i said never again,this guy that was riding took a really bad digger and wasnt moving in the water. The girls were trying to dance and give each other lap dances not even realizing one of thier boyfriends wasnt moving after his fall. The driver was to busy watching the girls and the stereo was blasting still. I was going crazy hay hay hay hes not moving no one seemed to care i was trying to get to the swim platform as we pulled around and it i couldnt get thru the girls. I finally jump in the water over the side of the boat and he was just coming to he got knocked out and was totally disorented. I knew this was serious cause a few weeks before i had got a bad concussion. I drug him to the platform took his board off and got him in the boat and they were still not realziing what was going on. I was super supper pissed. I made them bring me home after that and told my boy never again. <BR> <BR>Wakeboarding is dangerous it takes the whole crew to make a fun day. The rope , flag, motivation and a helping hand if somethings going bad or has gome bad. <BR> <BR>Im def not that good of a rider but when we go out i only invite serious riders that want to ride a few sets and have a cold one here and there. I play my music but when the person is riding or crusing in, and never when im going back to pick someone up. I havent been to any of the party spots once this yr.

"To me the driver has 100% responsibility of what happens." -UncleJessie <BR> <BR>Yes!!!! UncleJessie you are correct and furthermore in CA the driver is legally bound to this. Including every person in the boats safety, other boats, the boats wake, etc... I think to often people don't know this or don't care much. <BR> <BR>Cheers, <BR>DC

Nick... exactly!!! That was my experience this weekend, except for the one person getting hurt part... but that is my point. On boats like that, who is paying attention...? Thank god you were! I was the other night, but it was not fun for me either.

From the situations I have seen I am amazed more people have not died drinking on the water (or driving home), especially at california lakes. I blame the housing market bubble mostly, haha. Seriously lots of kids with nothing to do and more money than sense typically result in these conditions you are referring to Jessie. Parents who came into some money bought these boats, let their kids take them out and this is what happens. <BR> <BR>In all fairness those of us who are responsible will ultimately pay anyways. As accidents occur insurance rates will rise and the laws will become stricter about open containers and blood/alcohol content.

if im partying im partying if im riding im riding. i dont mix the two. ever and wouldnt hang out on a boat that did, to many things can go wrong too quickly on the water.

Like everything in life, it's often amazing how two people can have two completely different opinions. Perhaps its just me being old, but the crowded party boat just doesn't appeal to me. <BR> <BR>When I first got into boating about 8 years ago I was all for the party boat, but once I started getting hooked on wakeboarding that all changed. I still bring beer out on the boat occasionally, but I like to get my sets in first and then go anchor out of the way before having a cold one. <BR> <BR>Usually I ride with no more than 2 people, so with a 3 man rotation we can all get 3-4 sets in pretty quick and then drop an anchor and have a beer. I can't really understand why people want to have a 5 + rotation that takes you all day just to get 2 sets, in which everyone on the boat is drinking during the 2 hours they're waiting in-between sets. The result is a boat full of drunks driving the line pulling drunk riders that are riding like crap <BR> <BR>Once in a blue moon I end up riding with a large rotation and everytime I swear I will never do it again.

This shouldn't be discussed as a question of partying or not. The issue is whether or not you have a good crew. I think the negative party stories have more to do with the characters than the activities themselves. <BR> <BR>A good experienced crew can pack a boat for a day of good sets and a great time, just like a bunch of rookies drinking iced tea can be a disaster. <BR> <BR>I've got 3 or 4 good people that I ride with on my boat, and I pretty much WON'T ride without one of them on board. No subs or random 3rds. The driver is always in charge (or coordinating), but we all know what needs to be done and when and most of it happens naturally. This applies whether it's a core ride day with 3 dudes, or party day with a full boat.

Richard, it's not you being old man. I'm 23 and share a similar attitude. When we go out, it's three to four riders tops. We get to our spot, we strap up and ride. Everyone in the boat helps in between sets, whether it is pulling ropes or racking up boards. When a rider falls, the music comes down so we can offer tips or give the dude props. When he comes in the boat, the music stays down so we can talk it over with the guy coming out of the water and get the guy going in psyched. Some may say we're taking it to seriously, but there's not another crew on the lake that can touch us when it comes to riding.

Of course, safety is just an extension of this. It takes 100% attention of the driver to pull at the level we're striving for. It doesn't matter if its booze or bumpin' tunes or bikinis or all three, it will distract you to some extent. Like Bryan said, if you wanna dance and mack on the ladies, do it at the club.

Mark, I would have loved to seen you on that boat. HA HA HA <BR> <BR>You know me I like to have some beers but I try to hold out until I am done ridng. If I had too many I just end up riding like sh** and it sucks. Definitly ride first party second (with a DD) <BR> <BR>Regardless if everyone was partying or not I can't imagine all day on a boat with 12 people that's crazy. It might work if everyone was boat savy, but then again why would you. <BR> <BR>Well the good news is that wake must have been mackin.

Great point with the turning music down when the boat comes around for the rider. Who knows what the rider wants to say. I know of a few friends that drive for me and when they roll up to me with my music bumping i get pissed because i usually have a piece of my mind to give to the driver. Whether it's speed changes, direction changes or when the driver just plain not paying attention. <BR>Also if a rider falls, bad things always can happen no matter how soft the fall. <BR> <BR>There is a differnce between partying an drinking though. Partying, to me, is having bun out on the boat and people that don't "core" ride. Whenever people like that come out there is bound to be a few brews being tossed around but when straight liquor gets into the equation is usually drinking. <BR> <BR> Drinking is best suited for pontoon boats, shorelines, or sandbars. My definition of drinking is everyone out has one goal, to get drunk and be sloppy. <BR> <BR>All in all it comes down to people knowing the rules of the lake. Knowledge is the key to having a successful trip out. After I tell everyone the deal I give one rule, DONT BE STUPID! <BR> <BR>Oh and yeah i dont own "my" boat and I'm not "of age" to drink but I still think that as long as there are a few responsible people riding the boat, everyone will be kept in check.

Hey Brian... we were only out for 3 hours... but it felt like a whole day. Plus... one guy went after me and it was well past sunset... so add darkness to the party mix! Yea... I was stress'n. My set turned out really good though. I almost felt safer out of the boat ridin then in it! Sus had my back while I was ridn though, so I know she'd keep the driver straight! <BR> <BR>This is all good input from everyone. It sounds to me like I am not the only one concerned when the craziness starts up.

Wow! maybe Im glad I missed you out there UncleJessie. I had just 4 guys but we were sober and all able to enjoy the day boarding. Next time we'll hook up and then you won't have so much DRAMA.