Driver Education

So, I read the post about how wakeboarding is one of the fastest growing sports. And this means a lot of new riders, drivers, and crews out on the lakes. And this also means there will probably be a lot of uninformed drivers out on the lake, tearing up the water without realizing they are the reason it is so choppy. (I know this was the case on our lake last summer) I think most of the bad driving comes from a lack of information. So, to help our new riders, and ourselves get better water, I want to create a small, one page hand out briefly describing some theories of boat driving, like how to turn while the rider is up, not to power turn to a down rider, and how to share a line, on the wind protected side of the lake. I would like to keep a few on the boat to hand out to new boats we meet, and hopefully get a stack of them to be handed out at the local marina and proshops. So please post up ideas to put in this hand out or any general ideas about it, and I’ll hopefully get some time to make it before we get back to our lake! I am mostly going to be putting in the driving tips contained in “the book”. Would anyone by chance already have made something similar to this that I could work off of?

There are a few great articles that are available to you. They are both written by the same guy, Marty McFly. The articles are called "Don't be that Guy" and "Don't be that boat" They have some good info on the proper rules of being on someone else's boat and the proper rules and ways on how to drive a boat. Do a search here on WW and you should be able to locate them.

On my boat we have what's called the boat bible. It has both these articles in it as well as many other ones for boaters and guests.

(Message edited by Kraig on April 26, 2007)

Yeah, but I was looking to make more of an instructional guide to hand out to new drivers.

Here's a link to the Don't be that Boat article:
http://www.wakeworld.com/articles/2003/thatboat.asp

You should read it if you haven't, lots of good tips

I might just have to print that up & see if the marina will set it on their counter. It would definitely be worth it around here. I bet out of the 50 boats in the parking lot, less than 40% of them had actually taken a boat out before. I offered to help 8 people back their boats in just so I could get mine out. But guess what, they all said, "What do I need help for? Are you better than me or something?" people....