WakeWorld - Delta Wakeboarding Ban!!!

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- - Delta Wakeboarding Ban!!! (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=449322)

On May 15th county supervisor Piepo recommended Ordinance no. 2007-22 banning waterskiing (and wakeboarding) on the Delta between Orwoods and Old River. It seems Piepo's husband has an Offshore boat and the Piepo's want this waterway to themselves. If this passes it paves the way to move the "NO-Ski" zone as they please into our favorite riding channels. Ironically they are using safety as the basis for this ban. Nearly every injury accident I have seen or heard of in the past five years involved one of these Offshore HotBoats, not a waterskier or wakeboarder. I sent a letter to the editors of the local newspapers outing Piepo and recommend everybody here do the same. <center><table border=1><tr><td><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/icons/mime_pdf.gif" align=left alt="application/pdf">Upload <a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/Ordinance_2007-22_Waterskiing_Prohibited-449323.pdf" target="_blank">Ordinance 2007-22 Waterskiing Prohibited.pdf</a> (145.5 k)</td></tr></table></center>

I think weekends are a good call on not allowing people to ride there since most people don't have enough commen sence to do that. I was actually out on Monday afternoon and was going to give my buddy a pull there when boats started coming in so I moved on to another spot. Dangerous spot, yes Would you have to enforce a law like this if people had commen sence or didn't drink while driving, no

DRA is having a petition to sign to try and overturn the possible vote to make this affective as of July 4th. We have a little over a week to make it happen so come out to the event and sign to save our channel for the right to ride. Also at the Discovery Bay boat show there will be a booth to be able to do the same thing.

Sounds like you guys need to vote him out. Big Ed took us out on that water last year. Any way your SoCal partners can help out?

I'll be there most likely on memorial day,would that be too late?

Check it out, more info... <a href="http://www.deltawaterskiban.org/" target="_blank">http://www.deltawaterskiban.org/</a>

<a href="http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com/multimedia/cct/multimedia/html/boating_map/boating_orig.html" target="_blank">http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com/multimedia/cct/multimedia/html/boating_map/boating_orig.html</a>

I wrote this. Feel free to copy it and edit to your liking. SAVE THE DELTA!!! (I've only ridden it like 3 times but you gotta help the riders.) To Whom It May Concern: As a frequent visitor to Discovery Bay I feel compelled to write and voice my concern over the proposed Ordinance No. 2007-22. I understand the concern for public safety and the goals to keep them safe, but this Ordinance does not address the real dangers afflicting Indian Slough. The restriction of towable Watersports largely misses the goal of restricting the activities that most endanger the public. Waterskiing and wakeboarding accidents account for 13% of the total accidents in the Delta, while PWC account for 25 percent of the accidents on the Delta and Cabin motor boats and houseboats accounted for 35% of all the accidents. Clearly there is a misrepresentation of what is most dangerous to the general public. We all know the real killer on our nation’s waterways. Alcohol. In 2004 it played a role in 38 percent of fatal boating accidents nationwide. While I know Law Enforcement does an earnest job trying to keep those who break the law and drink from operating a boat, it is a very hard problem to enforce. We need to focus on the real issues at hand. It is ludicrous to blame a small niche of the boating world for all the accidents and punish only them. This ordinance has categorically placed all blame on the one group whom, I daresay, knows the most about boating and respects the laws on a higher level than any other member of the boating community. We know that it can be dangerous and we go the extra mile to insure our own and others’ safety. I challenge you to do some real research and actually explore some case studies, you will find that most waterski accidents are indeed caused by other boaters simply not practicing safe boating rules. It’s preposterous to think that a skier motoring in a straight line going 25 MPH is to blame when he or she gets run over by a boat capable of going 110 MPH. If all boats were to operate at ski speeds and people were to have enough time to perform an evasive maneuver (this is what happens when you SLOW DOWN!!!), many lives would be saved. Who really needs to go 60 MPH on a small narrow waterway? To blame skiers for others mistakes is simply unjust. I beg you to review the issues and really take a closer look on what can be done to reduce the risks. The numbers and research indicate that towable Watersports are not the culprit here. Please, let’s address the issues and make boating on the Slough safe for everyone.

Kudos to Big Heavy well written and professional.

"Sounds like you guys need to vote him out. " It's a she, and IMO she's always been a complete jackass

Big Heavy, I wish you were correct in stating, "one group whom, I daresay, knows the most about boating and respects the laws on a higher level than any other member of the boating community" Unfortunately, I am 2 months new to the sport and have several experiences to prove different. I launched at Orwood the other day and followed another wakeboard boat's wake and cloud of MJ smoke through the 5 MPH zone. Another day I came in and there was a wakeboard boat at the dock with a group having a few cold ones. All their empties(at least 24)were sloppily tossed up onto the dock for me to walk over. Another day I watched a blitzed woman try to slip off the dock into the water to cool off and have to be pulled out like a limp rag doll. I'm all for having a good time but that kind of behavior doesn't represent us very well, no matter how much the minority these idiots are.

Dave, I have seen other examples of similar behavior from people in wakeboard boats. This behavior from a few people in a wakeboard boat does not mean they should start banning skiing/boarding on the delta. There is a good chance they were not even boarding, maybe just abusing a wakeboard boat by using it as a patio boat? I have been skiing/boarding on the delta since 1967 (yes, I am that old to remember it too). The 5mph zones near orwood have been growing slowly but surely over the years. In the old days it was skiers vs. the fishermen. Then once the big delta cabin cruisers started coming in fishermen and skiers tended to have more in common than before. Next came the jet skis somewhat at odds with skiers/boarders and fishermen. Now I see the biggest problem being the hotboat poker runs. I was on the Sac. River the day before their poker run and felt like a deer on a freeway. I could not believe these guys flying along at 70+ MPH racing side by side with their buddies among several wakeboarding boats with boarders in tow. It was absolutely nuts, truly an accident waiting to happen. Obviously they recognize the danger so their solution is to have their infuential friends/spouses outlaw skiing so the delta can become their personal race course. Something tells me that there is also a financial gain for somebody close to the County Supes resulting from this ordinance. (Message edited by mikeski on May 17, 2007)

Mike, I hope you didn't get me wrong. I totally disagree with restricting any more of California than already is, no matter what the sport. I just hate to see a few ruin it for all of us. Do what you want at home but when you're out, you represent all of us. Off soapbox.

They aren't banning wake/ski boats for their drinking so that is kind of a moot point. They are against us having people behind the boat. Plus I would still argue that skiers and riders are the safest group of all the yahoos out there. I never said we are saints, but at least if someone is in a wake boat they aren't drunk going 90 mph around blind corners. I remember as a kid saying "it's a free country" to everything, its funny how something as fun and good aswakeboarding, can be outlawed. Who the hell are we hurting? Thats where this thing rubs me wrong. We haven't done anything wrong but get run over by A-holes in offshore boats. Lucky us. (Message edited by stephan on May 18, 2007)

Big Heavy is correct the people that ride all the time are some of the most educated boat owners on the water. I don't think he was referring to people who ride a couple of times a year but the people that ride a couple of times a week. Correct me if I'm wrong Stephan.

Who's boat? Does Big Heavy not have a boat? So what do you prefer boat driver or operator. Perhaps you like this analogy better. Lamb and Tuna fish.

"Who's boat? Does Big Heavy not have a boat? So what do you prefer boat driver or operator. Perhaps you like this analogy better. Lamb and Tuna fish." ??? I was talking about the Piepos guys offshore racer.

Big Heavy- Well written response. The only thing I recommend is to reword the part about driving slower so it does not look like you are attacking the one propsing the ordinance. At the end you talk about you talk about getting together about discuss the issues which is great. I would replace that wording with the idea of Supervisor Piepo's office putting together a discussion group about different ways to make this area safe with all aspects to boating. My .02 Other than that, very good letter.

I've lived on Indian slough for the past 3 years and have pulled Chris down it maybe twice in that whole time. We always go around the corner towards the bridge and start there - but that's just us. I know there is someone who slalom skiis that stretch between Lido and the point every morning so I'd hate to see him lose that. On the weekends no one in their right mind tows anyone through there anyway, during the week it's so quiet it's not unsafe IMHO. So I have mixed feelings about it, I don't think a ban on holidays/weekends would be a terrible thing if it ended up saving someone's life but during the week? Besides there are never any sheriffs around during the week to enforce it anyway. As far as those offshore boats go those people are crazy going that fast in the South Delta. There's nothing like having one of those come around a blind corner at 60mph straight at you while you're trying to pick up your rider. (And if you think those people don't drink there's a bridge in NY I'll sell you.) I have friends that have them and I've been in them at speed, They don't turn or stop on a dime believe me. So maybe a ban on holidays/weekends in the summer but 365 day ban would be dumb.

The way I look at it is that despite few people using this stretch (or so it seems), this type of thing sets a precedent. Cappy I really wrote it in 5 minutes as something that can be built on, the truth of the matter is I've never been to this stretch (that I know of). I just would hate to see this pass and then used as an example for shutting down more waterways, gotta stop the trickle before it becomes a flood. It just sucks to see an alternative perspective being implemented out of ignorance. The go fast boats see us as the problem & we see them as the problem, can't we all just get along?

back to the top Help us out fellas... <a href="http://www.deltawaterskiban.org/" target="_blank">http://www.deltawaterskiban.org/</a> send a comment to the Board of Stupervisors <a href="http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cao/agendacomments_form.htm" target="_blank">http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cao/agendacomments_form.htm</a>