The legality issues around Wakesurfing

I got pulled over this weekend by the water pigs and they gave flack about wakesurfing. They proceeded to tell me that I was breaking the law. I asked the guy what was my violation. He told me "wreckless endangerment". I was wondering if wakesurfing was legal.

here's what one site has to say about it
http://www.wakesurfinghotline.com/

Notice Section B.2

Please note this is not a law as of right now. This is an Act that the NASBLA is pushing onto each state to pass as a State Law.

General: This Act shall apply on all waters within the jurisdiction of this state.

Section A. (Definitions.) As used in this Act:

1. "Operate" means to navigate or otherwise use a motorboat with engine(s) running.

2. "Motorboat" means any vessel not more than 65 feet in length propelled by machinery whether or not such machinery is the principal source of propulsion.

3. "Tow Rope" means a rope that connects the water-skier or wakeboarder to a motorboat. Also known as "tow line."

Section B. (Regulations for safe towing practices.)

1. No person shall operate a motorboat with a person sitting, riding, or hanging onto a swim platform or swim ladder attached to the motorboat.

2. No person shall operate a motorboat, using a tow rope of 20 feet or less, when towing a person on waterskis or other devices.

Section C. (Penalties)

Any person who violates any provision of this Act shall States may insert consistent with individual State laws/policies.

The NASBLA is the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. The association represents the boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

OK - here is what you do. Take a rope that is 30 feet long, coil it to your wakesurfing length and zip tie it. If you are pulled over - you are using a rope over 20 feet, but just not using all the rope.

p.s. I'll call you from the slammer...

Thats a good one keith. lol

That is what i was thinking. heck, if you have the rope coiled on the rear deck, and handle laying there next to it, then you are still legal. The rope is over 20', and you are not actually using a rope when the handle is not in your hands. They say nothing about proximity to boat, just can't be holding onto it.

I would have asked exactly how was it wreckless endangerment.

I'm having a hard time seeing the problem as long as you use a coast gaurd approved Life Vest. Does anybody know of an incident of CO Poisoning on a Wakesurfer? I think people (not people here but the people making and/or enforcing the laws) are confusing wakesurfing with teaksurfing.

I was at the pro stop in Reno over the weekend...the Nevada Water Cops had a booth promoting water safety. They were giving away free stuff, so I stopped by, and to pass the time asked them, "So is wakesurfing legal?"

Their eyes glassed over and they robotically replied, "You mean teak surfing?"

I said, "No, wakesurfing." and proceeded to explain the sport.

The one mustached one (who am I kidding, they both had staches) said, "Well, I'm sure that will be banned too."

I then asked if it would be different if the exhaust came out the sides (a la the Centurion Side Swipe system). They wanted no part of that...

Nice to hear that the authorities are open-minded and know what they're talking about.

they are trying to banned everything

toolfan,
what kind of boat were you surfing behind?

Try this link
http://www.uscgboating.org/news/boatingview.aspx?id=22

2004 SANTE. The water pigs even seemed alittle ignorant about the fuctionality of an inboard boat. He told me that it would be easy to fall and get chopped up by the prop. I told him that I had better chance of getting attacked by a killer whale. Another example of his ignorance was the fact that he couldnt tell if my vest USGC approved. I was wearing a Jetpilot A10 Attack vest and he said "atleast you are wearing vest".

Maybe Farvra will find a new job.

"I told him that I had better chance of getting attacked by a killer whale."

I bet he liked that. I did!

Anyway, regarding the 20 ft. rope...that should be a problem if you tie off to the tower, right?. Hell, maybe they'll start making towers with tow points well ahead of the cockpit.

My main question is: WHO THE HELL IS TRYING TO BAN WAKESURFING AND WHY? Where is this pressure coming from? Has anyone ever even been injured wakesurfing? It seems to me that it's a hell of a lot safer than wakeboarding. "Oh, you're injured? Try wakesurfing." "Oh, you're scared of high speeds? Try wakesurfing."

Doesn't there have to be a problem before people start trying to legislate a solution? What is the supposed problem? Does anyone know?

Q: "What is the supposed problem? Does anyone know?"

A: Ignorance - People mistakenly associating all the cases of people dying teaksurfing without vests to wakesurfing with a vest.

Either we need to educate the people making the laws or they need to educate us. One of us must be missing out on something important in the argument. We should track down a list of people and associations who have a say in this and write them letters explaining our side and asking if they can explain thiers.

That doesn't really explain the 20-foot rope rule since there is no rope in teak surfing. It seems that is carefully targeted at wakesurfing.

My fear is that the real motivating force behind this is a bunch or waterskiers and/or fishermen who will use any excuse to get rid of people with whom they would otherwise have to share the lake. If that's the case, no amount of reasoning will change their minds and we can only hope that the voice of wakesurfers can be as loud as theirs in the ears of those who would actually make the decisions.

i'm new at this kind of stuff...but what is the difference from teaksurfing and wakesurfing. i know what wakesurfing is but i haven't got the slightest idea what teaksurfing is.

I beleive the rope length has to do with the CO from the engine that close behind the boat.

Wendi - teaksurfing is hanging onto the swim platform and getting dragged around. People die doing this because they are body surfing and can't really do that with a life vest. They pass out from the CO behind the boat and drown.

There has to be some intake of CO when wakesurfing, why else would Centurion (the biggest promoter of wakesurfing) create side exhausts for some of their new boats? I know they didn't do this to promote teaksurfing... Anyways, I'm not sure how effective the side exhausts would be unless you can flip a switch and send the CO on the opposite side of the surfer. Centurion people might have some answers for this since it's targeting what they're promoting.

Good points. Here we are, a good portion of the wakeboarding/surfing community and has anyone EVER heard of someone getting seriously injured or intoxicated (carbon monoxide ) from wakesurfing?

"2. No person shall operate a motorboat, using a tow rope of 20 feet or less, when towing a person on waterskis or other devices."
So, I can barefoot on any length of rope?
What about barefoot booms?...with pigtails(handles)?
Maybe, we need to inform Barefoot International and Straight Line that these laws may affect them eventually.

David,

Good call on the barefoot boom - I just bought one last week. I'm sure BI and SL would be an ally in this fight.