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Right now Southern California has two substantial lakes with questionable futures. Currently we have two separate strands in regards to Castaic closing and Diamond Valley not allowing water contact. Both are turning points for recreational water use and need organized and focused attention. Some of us have already taken initiative and moved forward on these topics, but will it be enough?
Those of you that have grown up on the water or raised your kids on the water can remember a time where the boundaries and regulations were not so constricting. As time has gone on some of our lakes have tighten the noose on contact, square footage, or have just closed. The red tape is to thick for me and my experience to fight any of it except complain.
With having sold Natiques in San Diego for six years new owners would ask me "where do you go" so I would run off the list and always end up at the river. Well the river as far as good water goes is at its max for supporting any more growth. With new casinos and the explosion in wakeboard boats (not to mention easy financing for “small penis or “go fast boats”) it's normal season is packed. Which leads us back to reservoirs with calendar restraints and capacity limits.
The chain of events following the closure of Castaic or the fate of Diamond Valley along with population growth I believe will start a slow down fall of wakeboard and ski dealers in Southern California. I know it sounds over the top and a little dome and gloom but if Castaic closes where do all the North LA and near by demographic riders go? The other lakes are already to full and the growth of population and sport are not going to stop. So as time goes on the only option is to pack up and go for a ten-hour plus drive to Powell or Shasta. Yes those places are really nice but none of us can justify going there on a regular basis. Which in turn I believe will start to turn people in Southern California off from wakeboarding and boating effecting the dealerships and pro shops. It's bigger than just our sport because lack of water also affects the I/O industry as well. This leads me to Diamond Valley. It is giant. Has anyone seen it from the air flying home? It really would be a great addition to our pathetic chain of lakes. When it was conceived the idea was to have water contact and recreation. Well we sure got sold on it. Who do you think paid for it? We did. Now we got stuffed for the bill and someone got a pot of money. The benefits to this lake would relive the other lakes from population overflow, decease the impact on those lakes, allow more generations of families in boats and would increase boat and product sales. With the price of boats being one more problem who wants spend that kind of money for crowded lakes and one and two trip seasons.
I'm sure I have missed good points or lost some of you on the way but I think the overall picture is clear. We have to act. Other people acted against using the lakes and look what has happened. Some of us have a strong legal background, others have years in the industry, some are shop/dealership owners, manufactures, and the rest are just plain motivated wakeboarders. If we truly want this we can change the tide, we must organize and fight. With the State of California going into a historical change there could be no time like the present. The lakes are not going to get any bigger.
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