What to do about power turners?

Hey, I used to do it, so it's easy for me not to get all high and mighty about it, but it seems like we have only three options:

1) drive over to and confront the PT'er,

2) be patient and wait for him to discover it on his own (wakeworld, etc.), or

3) call him out on wakeworld (seems like someone always knows someone else).


I tried a fourth option Friday at Perris by just setting a good example (riders fell a few times near his Tige).

Also, why is it so much worse to see a wake boat PT-ing that to see the huge Mariah doing it?

Maybe we should add the concept to the 'New Boaters Training Course' that the DMV will be giving out with their new Boater's License. (jk)

I always go up to the person and ask them if they could stop power turning. It almost always works.

Most of the time when I mention it to people they will slow down to get there rider for the first few falls and then they start right back up again power turning. It's frustrating.

Approach them in a very diplomatic way if you can. Don't be afraid to judge a book by it's cover though... some people are just lame and will tell you to kiss off.

We've tried the setting example routine before, it just doesn't work. They probably wonder why the hell we are taking so long to pick up our rider!

I hardly EVER see a wakeboard-type boat doing one. It is almost always a "runabout". Why is this? I have politely mentioned it to a couple before, but I feel funny just driving over and telling them.

for my family it is a hard habit to break. we use small crowded lakes and dont want to leave a rider in the crowed lanes of trafic so a speedy recovery is nessacary. I am currently trying to change this, but years of practice make it second nature to my driver/boat owner. He says that coming to a compl;ete stop and then turning leaves our rider un-attended and not very visable to other boaters for way to long. I dont want what happened to that younger girl on the delta acouple weeks ago or anything similar to happen to any one, espicaly if it was from my not power turning. id feel worse about "killing" a friend than "wasting" water.

I am sure we can all see the reasoning in heavy traffic. It would be nice to see that change a bit when it is not very crowded out. I know habits are hard to break, but I think it is helpful to be able to judge the conditions and make the appropriate turn. I always avoid power turns, but watch for approaching boats while I am towing, and right when my rider goes down. If a boat is approaching, I make a quick turn then, as opposed to always making the power turn, weather necesssary or not. Like I said, I do understand if it has been a habit.

my wife and i used to be power turners before we were lucky enough to have evan out riding with us one evening. he taught my wife and i quite a few things that have been really helpful. some of the power turners might be new to boating (like we are). do any of you still power turn when the water is really crowded? victoria's (delta) can get pretty crowded on the weekends and sometimes we get a litle nervous with a down rider in the water and the boats around.

Funny thing my wife used to power turn all the time. She was my number one driver. Now that I ride with my friends she dosn't drive for me much anymore. We were out with my nephew last week and I fell and she didn't power turn. I said why didn't you come speeding back. She said well you raised your hand you were ok and I didn't want to mess the water up. Guess it sank in. So I think its just water time they will all figure it out sooner or later.

we have a mega phone aboard, but havent used it on a power turner yet. the lakes here get somewhat crowded, but probably not as much as a delta. But even on a busy day, there is time to come off plane turn around quickly enough and accelerate back to the skier if there is an fast approaching boat. usually ends up swamping the skier with a nice roller, but hey, better than getting hit by a boat.

I believe some situations would require it(hurt skier, alot of boat traffic, etc,), but i think the understanding of when to do it is not clear to the general boating community.

We were just talking about this today. I was thinking we could make orange flags with no power turners written on it. Evnetually some people would read them and figure it out. In response to prior posts, it really isn't that much faster and definately not safer especially in the delta. I watched power turners in heavy traffic take the whole channel to turn around, dragging their rope behind them, sending rollers in every direction. If you stop in line with your rider, turn around, and drive back up your original path, the only way someone could run over your rider is to drive right at your boat. Power turning is not safer for anyone, especially in heavy traffic. Most falls happen on one side of the wake or the other, so the driver should turn around towards the side of the fallen rider. This way you leave room for other boats to pass. The most important point, pay attention to what everyone else is doing. Now I'll get off my soap box.

Well, at least the soap box added to your height. (just kidding, Hi Mark)

Today was official power turn day. It was horrible. Another thing that is really starting to bug me is the wakesurfers that come into the good channels like Victoria's and Grant Line. I would like to nominate the yellow and black Wakesetter for The DCK of The Day, since he jacked up Victoria as he surfed up and down both sides.

i like blavemooches theory. "Diplomacy is the art of letting other people have it your way." margaret thatcher. be diplomatic and you will succeed.

Mark, feel free to stay on your soap box. ;-) Well said.

It was good seeing you this weekend. Hope you heal soon & get back to riding.

J-Rod. You too! Hope your ankle's feelin' better.

i ride a small river ,and sometimes i powerturn
because i need to get to my rider quick,some idiots just dont understand what a orange flag means.

No affiance, but if you are ridding at Perris Lake, Power turns are not you biggest problem.
I went there once, and after getting my rider almost hit by some @ss in a bayliner and then having some other @ss on jetski think he could turn two feet in front of my boat as I was going 25mph we packed it up, and have never been back

Look I hate it as much as others do when people do thing that cause interference with what I am trying to do. But some times you need to get back fast and I mean fast, to your rider.

If the lake is empty, then let the person none what they could be doing differently.
If the lake has a lot of boats on it, then he might be just trying to keep his rider safe!

Just my 2 cents

I agree with David and Hypo. If I am out and there is a bunch of jet ski’s and boats riding my @ss in boats then I'm going to power turn and protect my rider if he falls. If their isn’t anybody out but me and another boat that’s riding reasonably, respecting the rules, and my skier's safety, I am going to turn nice and slow cause their isn't any reason to screw up my water or anybody else’s.

I will tell you though, if your going to make a suggestion to someone about power turning out on the lake that you don't know, don't yell, scream, or get mouthy. Be cool about it. If not, your either going to get your @ss kicked by some drunken hoosier or inflame him to drive even more like an idiot. That'll ruin your runs and day even more. Boat rage isn't very smart when you got your buddy in the water.

I'm down with what Mark says, essentially how it is not necessary.

One time in Victoria, I was sharing one side with this other boat, and they were powerturning every time the rider fell. It was awful, messing up all of the water, and they didn't have to "protect the rider" from any traffic. I got so pissed off that I did go over to them, and politely asked them to stop powerturning, but they gave me hella attitude and acted like I was being unreasonable! I couldn't believe it. Despite my bad experience, I think being proactive on the water and politely telling people their mistake is a good thing.

Delta folks- we should put up big signs on the levees saying "No Power Turning" haha

You could just plow along at wakesurfing speeds and then let them know that is what it feels like everytime they PT. We are a very small portion of boaters and most dont care since they dont board so why would they even care? Only the skiers, boarders, and sky skiers will appreciate not power turning.

"Delta folks- we should put up big signs on the levees saying "No Power Turning" haha"

That's a great idea and woudl probably work better than you think.

We were out on Monday with friends and we were towing kids on a Molecule (only in crappy water...) but when we started pulling folks on wakeboards/wakeskates I dragged the Molecule up onto the rip rap along the leveee.

EVERY boat that came by slowed down to check it out.

A "no power turning" sign with some helium balloons would garner a bunch of attention.

Who's going to tear it down?

haha hooray! yeah, i like that idea... hehe

Power turning is just the start. I love how some people wakeboard in the middle of the lake, or even circle the lake instead of making passes. ect

Yesterday we were floating downriver between sets (it was happy hour). Not another boat around while this idiot in a jetboat pulling a boarder came by. Rider falls, jet boat powerturns right around us. A.H. made me spill my drink, so we yell at him to mellow out. Guy just didnt get it-gave us dirty looks.

I usually never power turn on the delta, but I will admit that last weekend I did a few times. Fact is, it has gotten so busy out there sometimes that I don't feel my rider is safe. Especially when you watch some of those folks out there.

One word of advice I would give to everyone, power turner or not. If everyone out on the water would hold up a hand or something when you are approaching someone elses downed rider to let them know that you see the rider and don't intend to run him/her down it might help. That's the biggest problem I see out there. It used to be and I think still is common to see most skiers doing this so nobody freaks out, but I think the wakeboarding community doesn't understand the courtesy behind doing that.
If someone holds a hand up to let me know they see my rider I feel much better.

DELTA IS EVEN GETTING BAD DURING THE WEEK. TUES AND WED. WERE TERRIBLE. INSTEAD OF GETTING ALL UPTIGHT ABOUT THE MALIBU SKIER POWER TURNING FIGURE 8'S IN FRONT OF ME(4 TIMES) I STOPPED AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE PROPER WAY TO DRIVE SO THIER RIDERS AS WELL AS OURS COULD RIP SOME "BUTTER".OF COURSE, THEY KNEW IT ALL AND DIDN'T NEED ANY ADVISE FROM ME. OH WELL!!!!