Water etiquette or code

[bobofthenorth]

We've just moved from an area where there were a few boaters who understood how to preserve good water to one where apparently everybody is clueless. A lot of what we see here is just simple lack of knowledge - power turns to pick up riders, not driving a straight line when pulling a rider, etc. It occurred to me yesterday that a simple one page "flyer" that could be stuck under the windshield wiper in the parking lot might be a low risk way to improve public knowledge. I was born in the dark but it wasn't last night so I don't expect to cure the world overnight but a little bit of education might just help. The flyer would carry a lot more weight if it had the MalibuCrew logo on it and it might drive some readers to the site as well. Maybe something like that exists already & I just don't know about it.

[MalibuNation]

sorry about what you've seen

This is the closest I can come up with ... deals a little more with law than common sense and courtesy ... which I think you're after.

MI Boating Handbook

Not sure about TMC logo.

[aaudii5150]

DON'T BE A JERK!!!

I think that might work....

Edited July 13, 2009 by aaudii5150

[Faceplant409]

I think a lot of folks just don't realize that there are ways to preserve the flat water. Last weekend my neighbors were out with us and after he and I rode, we went elsewhere to tube for the kiddos and he was miffed that we did not tube where we rode. (quiet spot) I told him that I appreciate good water to ride on, and the tube does not require flat water.... He understood.

Patrick

[WakeGirl]

Taking it further, I think that there are people that don't understand the inherent value of flat water.

[Bobby Light]

Taking it further, I think that there are people that don't understand the inherent value of flat water.

Like the guy pulling a tube 100 yards from the boat launch, ya he has no clue.

[WakeGirl]

He really doesn't, hence the need for no-wake zones (that they ignore anyway).

[121]

This is the reason I always carry my pistol to the lake. J/k. Maybe you should offer boating lessons at the boat ramps.

[DONTW8]

Taking it further, I think that there are people that don't understand the inherent value of flat water.

You have defined the problem exactly.

Without exaggeration every day I have spent on a lake/river without other boaters (not known to me) there has been some "civilian" who comes along and ruins the flat water. There is at least one anecdotal story each and every day of someone total oblivious to the effect they have on others.

Typical scenario: any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday somebody will cruise right through the Sundance ski course towing a rookie boarder who repeatedly falls and ties up the course. It is plainly marked with buoys and signage but no matter. We get the occasional tuber in there also.

Lake Billy Chinook is a good lake and there is reasonably flat water available just north of the course as well as other areas on the Metolius and Deschutes River Arms.

This is a similar problem as the driver in the left lane of Interstate 5 going 55 mph when Oregon state law clearly states that it is illegal to block the left lane.

Some people will never understand that their actions have a detrimental effect on others.

Life goes on.... Tolerance is a virtue.....

[Faceplant409]

I like when I gas it to get on plane to get by someone who has a rider down (at a safe distance) and get looks like WTF... Would you rather I putt by you and send BIG rollers to your fallen rider??? (I'm talking about the Delta or narrow waterways...)

[brettpendl]

Wow, Its been so long since I've seen flat water, I'm just about relegated to surfing only. No need to not powerturn when the waves are whitecaping around you. Good reminder here though.

[MalibuNation]

Bob, why don't you make something up yourself with some abbrevations and acronyms ... no one is going to check on them. Maybe makes some seals and graphic to make it look real offical.

[skyskier]

Bob, why don't you make something up yourself with some abbrevations and acronyms ... no one is going to check on them. Maybe makes some seals and graphic to make it look real offical.

Yeah, and get a leggy blonde in a Reno Police uniform to hand them out at the ramp! This could actually work!

[Malibuzer]

Have you guys heard of some basic rules for smaller bodies of water? Everyone used to go counter clockwise around the lake. It seems like a simple thing to do to keep track of boats coming in and out o a congested beach area.

[bretski75]

Make sure you tread lightly. I'm on your side, but for a lot of people calm water isn't important. The inexperienced skiers / boarders might appreciate the helpful advice. The Wally's probably won't.

People get offended when they asked to do something they don't want to do. Or get told they are doing it incorrectly.

[DONTW8]

Make sure you tread lightly. I'm on your side, but for a lot of people calm water isn't important. The inexperienced skiers / boarders might appreciate the helpful advice. The Wally's probably won't.

People get offended when they asked to do something they don't want to do. Or get told they are doing it incorrectly.

I find that most are very thin skinned on the water. I have learned to be quiet or be a total gentleman on the water.

Last time to Lake Billy there were some folks in a nice v-drive Malibu who had thrown a line around one of our warning buoys for the course. The marker buoys are the common type with orange lettering. These say "ski area" but are similar to the ones with swim area, 5 mph, no wake, etc. They were just hanging out which is great.

Except I happen to know that the anchor for those warning buoys is comprised of a 5 gallon pail filled with cement and has a rebar hook for attachment. The lake bottom in that area is basically a vee that has some shelves and the depth varies from 25 feet to about 150 in the width of the canyon there. If the bucket anchor falls off the shelf it is on it may keep going until the bottom of the canyon. Not good. Our club members supplied the pails, rebar, cement, cable, paid for the lettering, and installed them at the north end of the course entrance to lake traffic. The sheriff supplied the buoy itself. I think we're about $100 each for the materials times 3 buoys.

We were skiing the course and also waiting our turn even for the non skiers in the vicinity. Resting is good between sets....

After a while I idled over there and said in my least aggressive voice : "You know that if the Sheriff catches you tethered to one of those warning buoys it is a fineable offense". I said nothing else beyond that and the fellow lounging on the sunpad did not acknowledge me. I idled away back to the course dock. He stayed tethered there for another hour. The sheriff never did come by which is strange for a Sunday.

[Sandbagger]

Here in Central California I would say the norm is zero courtesy. Mainly all I see are power turns (I think 9 out of 10 wakeboard boats exclusively power turn). Also, the tubers are always in the best flat water areas, zig zagging all the way totally oblivious to the people trying to wakeboard.

This last weekend we got to the lake at around 8:30 am and the water was good and traffic was low, had a nice cove all to ourselves, for about 45 minutes, then we have boats just cruising through the flat water. Had one boat pull in the cove and start blowing up his tube, needless to say we were out of there in a hurry.

I have concluded that the only way to get semi flat water is to go during the week or very early in the morning on weekends. There is absolutely nothing that can be done about the F***** idiots on the lake, except try to avoid them.

[JeffS]

I have concluded that the only way to get semi flat water is to go during the week or very early in the morning on weekends. There is absolutely nothing that can be done about the F***** idiots on the lake, except try to avoid them.

And there's nothing that can be done about those that don't know any better on the launch ramp either. I know a lot of you all live on your lake...and there are lots of threads about launch ramp etiquette...and I'm not hijacking... But launch ramp follies - simply the funniest dam things I see.

Just wanted to throw it out there - folks just simply don't know. They just don't know. And an etiquette handbook from a reliable source (like produced by the DNR for instance) would be outstanding! Etiquette isn't law - it's just a series of polite suggestions, don't you think? And if it was available at launch ramps, holy buckets would that be helpful.

[WakeGirl]

I find that most are very thin skinned on the water. I have learned to be quiet or be a total gentleman on the water.

If it's possible, I think that it's even worse on the ramp. Guys totally have their egos wrapped up in their ability (or lack thereof) to maneuver a trailer. But I digress, that's another topic entirely.

So this topic has come up in the past, but we've never acted on it. What about a flier that could be distributed at your local ramps that talks about boat etiquette? Do you think that it's doable? I think that there's a possibility, especially if we put this together as a community. It has to be worded just right though and even then there are those that will take offense. Thoughts?

[martinarcher]

I find that most are very thin skinned on the water. I have learned to be quiet or be a total gentleman on the water.

If it's possible, I think that it's even worse on the ramp. Guys totally have their egos wrapped up in their ability (or lack thereof) to maneuver a trailer. But I digress, that's another topic entirely.

So this topic has come up in the past, but we've never acted on it. What about a flier that could be distributed at your local ramps that talks about boat etiquette? Do you think that it's doable? I think that there's a possibility, especially if we put this together as a community. It has to be worded just right though and even then there are those that will take offense. Thoughts?

I think it would be an awesome idea. Like others said, lots of folks on the water just don't know any better. If we were to provide a little one page bullet list it might get a few people to change their ways.

[MalibuTime]

I find that most are very thin skinned on the water. I have learned to be quiet or be a total gentleman on the water.

If it's possible, I think that it's even worse on the ramp. Guys totally have their egos wrapped up in their ability (or lack thereof) to maneuver a trailer. But I digress, that's another topic entirely.

So this topic has come up in the past, but we've never acted on it. What about a flier that could be distributed at your local ramps that talks about boat etiquette? Do you think that it's doable? I think that there's a possibility, especially if we put this together as a community. It has to be worded just right though and even then there are those that will take offense. Thoughts?

I think it is a good idea. We probably want to start by defning a theme (Boating ediquette) or something. Outlining what are the key topics to hit. If we are creative, it can be worded and illustrated so that if you didn't follow the advice, everyone else on the water would thinnk you are a complete idiot, thus compelling the ego of some of the target audience to take over. There is definitely and art to that last part, so probably start with the theme and topics first.

Theme-on water ediquette?

Topics

1) power turns

2) wake jumping/following

3) ropes/leeway around downed riders

4) erratic driving behavior in established lanes (kind of tough to keep that one clear)

5) probably throw in something about boating laws, PDFs and the fact that you can get a DUI on the water.

6) ???

[WakeGirl]

To be fair, this is Bob's idea, not mine. I'm just throwing it out there to see what we can come up with. It has power if it comes from a community of people rather than just one or two.

Another thought.....this is something that maybe we can come up with, then post it all over the net for the benefit of all. People on Wakeworld, Wakeboarder & other sites would appreciate it, & it may help in the ultimate goal of spreading the word. This is something that maybe if we work together, we really can affect a change.

[geogilbert]

Someone on Wakeworld put this together a while back.

http://www.geocities.com/sk8_theguitar/Gal...owerturning.jpg

here is a video

(turn down the volume if there are kids around)

There was a ski club in Colorado, Denver i think, that had a nice flier made up but I cant find it. Any one know what i am talking about?

Edited July 14, 2009 by geogilbert

[Sandbagger]

Don't forget to post at wallyworld, lol.

Seriously, don't you think if a guy/gal was serious enough about boating to read about boating on the internet that he or she would also be interested in becoming a good boater? It definitely will not hurt to spread the word on the internet (although the information is already readily available) but there has to be another way to reach the average boater bonehead.

Maybe have fliers available at the launch area, like maybe where they pay for launch fees. I still do not think it will help and is probably a big waste of time. A lot of the power turners have been long term boaters and do not know any other way. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, especially when they could give a Sh** anyway.

[skyskier]

If those fliers were handed out by hotties in bikinis it might make a difference. Seriously!