Do you turn your boat on and off when picking up a rider

[itznowonder]

I don't turn mine off. I'm the driver and super diligent about safety as far as prop rotation goes. I started being this way because I got paranoid about not being able to start back up. Our lake is big and not really crowded so getting a tow in isn't always a given.

[vanamp]

 

 

39 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

All depends.  Teaching newbs, turn it off.  Seasoned crew, leave it on cuz we are in and out so fast.

Same here. 

 

 When it's my surf crew I leave it running because as soon as they hit the water they are already yelling "hit it".  When it's friends/family/newbie crew I turn it off between riders.  

[Falko]

I always shut it down. Mainly because my crew takes FOREVER to get ready on the platform.

[shawndoggy]

starter: much cheaper to replace than limb.

I always shut down.  

And you guys are nice with your backing up right to the rider.  I do the slow roll by, keying off as I pass.  Better grab the swim platform before we get away! 

[MalibuNation]

Good reading.  I have been meaning to ask this same question.  I keep mine running because of vapor lock.  Also I mainly boat with a seasoned crew ... no lolly gagging in my boat.

Also living on a lake we really do not hang out that much.  The crew and I go out to be pulled.  If we want to swim we do that at my beach.  So much different than having to tow your boat to a lake and making a day of it.

 

[abattle10]

I'm typically the only rider in the boat so I am on the platform getting my board on as we idle into our starting area and as soon as we are to our spot, boat goes to neutral, and I am good to hop in. When I am getting picked up, I already have the board off and the driver goes to neutral before they reach me and they then drift by. Its up to me to grab the rope or platform. If we switch riders we shut down, especially for wakeboarders.

[Falko]

55 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

 And you guys are nice with your backing up right to the rider.  I do the slow roll by, keying off as I pass.  Better grab the swim platform before we get away! 

I do the swing around to pick up my riders. There were a few slight mishaps when I was getting that down to a science. But when I am in the water I'm pretty sure the crew play the "Let's see how far we can make him swim before he flips us off and we have to get closer" game.

[kerpluxal]

17 hours ago, bbattiste247 said:

I have a 10 year old son who surfs from my boat the majority of time, and I always turn the motor off as he climbs up the swim platform and I usually don't start it until he gets in the water. I have warned him about being near the platform when the boat is running because the fumes can be dangerous. But last week, we went on a friends 2017 23lsv and he never shut off the motor. My son refused to climb on the platform with the motor running , and the owner of the boat was a little annoyed. He continued to keep the motor running the entire time we were on the water, so my son didn't want to surf again.

I think it is best to shut off the motor as people are getting in and out of the rear of the boat for safety. I may have to replace a starter one day, but that is better than risking the safety of those behind the boat. 

Several years ago, I read about a young girl who had been sitting on a swim platform and died after just a few minutes from inhaling the fumes. Don't want this to happen to anyone on my boat, so it is usually off anytime I stop for more than 30 seconds or so.

I too turn my off for the same reasons (fumes)... Most of my drivers will leave the boat running and I yell at them to shut it off.. I think it is unfortunate that the owner would not shut it off at the request of a 10 year old (were you in the boat as well?).. I know that the prop is under the hull, but I make damn sure that it is off if there are kids in the water... you never know what those little buggars will do back there and I can't see them... I personally don't like the smell of the fumes and don't want smell them while I am getting ready or getting in...

[tvano]

kids are much more susceptible to carbon monoxide.

there is an old topic on tmc that also points out that some of the effects of CO are cumulative, leading to heart issues; iirc.

[NWBU]

Always off. Friends of ours had to perform CPR on their young child and then make a visit to the ER during a day on the lake a few summers ago after the kid passed out. Tests showed carbon monoxide poisoning, and they hadn't been shutting the engine down between rides that day.

[Gavin17]

I almost always do for adults and always do for kids. Some if us are fast enough where it doesn't matter but usually when changing riders I pull past the rider on the driver side then give it a few seconds of reverse then shut it down.  Blowing by the rider and hoping they grab the platform would just make them that much slower. 

[ORMailbuboater]

Shutdown for every rider change.  Avoid as much exhaust fumes as possible and even though the running gear is underneath most of my passengers feel more comfortable with the engine off.   None of my previous boats ever required a starter motor change out.   Hope by 2016 is the same.  

[JasonK]

If the next person skiing is still holding their coffee cup, I turn it off after it cools for a minute or so. I don't like to shut it down too soon after a hot ski or footin run.

If they're suited up i carry on.

[sounddude03]

I never kill the engine unless anchored or floating for an extended period of time.

 

I suppose it's in part due to the crew that got my wife and me into boating. Killing their engine kills the stereo, which requires re-syncing the Bluetooth. I know this could be fixed, but it's not my boat so...

[DarkSide]

I turn it off,  we are usually quick in and out <2 min to swap riders. Unless we have ....ugh...wakeboarders... then the time increases significantly.   

We do frequent swaps, most mornings we get 9-12 rides in divided by 3/4 riders.  Do even 2 min is 20 min of idle time saved.  Also my boat is LSA so doesn't have CATS, so I don't like having CO2 around if it can be avoided. 

[Porkfight]

If people are back there, the boat is off. Too many things can go wrong and turning that key isn't much of an inconvenience. 

Eliminate hazards that are within your control because there are still plenty that you can't. 

[Bill_AirJunky]

15 hours ago, Falko said:

I always shut it down. Mainly because my crew takes FOREVER to get ready on the platform.

I have a buddy who solved this with one simple rule. Everyone gets 30 minutes, period. If you take up your 30 getting suited up, smoking a cigarette or whatever, then your ride time is gonna be short. After a while, everyone gets things done quicker & things start to flow faster.

[AussieSkier]

5 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

I have a buddy who solved this with one simple rule. Everyone gets 30 minutes, period. If you take up your 30 getting suited up, smoking a cigarette or whatever, then your ride time is gonna be short. After a while, everyone gets things done quicker & things start to flow faster.

No smoking in my boat.....

[theGrant]

For those of you that are always turning the engine off/on, do you leave the blower constantly running?

[oldjeep]

10 minutes ago, AussieSkier said:

No smoking in my boat.....

I thought that both the smoking and cup of coffee comments were funny. People still smoke? When we ski the course it is early, but never occurred to me to bring the coffee cup from the truck to the boat.

 

 

[gorilla]

6 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

I have a buddy who solved this with one simple rule. Everyone gets 30 minutes, period. If you take up your 30 getting suited up, smoking a cigarette or whatever, then your ride time is gonna be short. After a while, everyone gets things done quicker & things start to flow faster.

Hahaha........good 'ole Gary. That guy can take forever, but he has gotten better. LC and I just yell at him, he refocuses and gets in the foil. 

[Bill_AirJunky]

1 hour ago, gorilla said:

Hahaha........good 'ole Gary. That guy can take forever, but he has gotten better. LC and I just yell at him, he refocuses and gets in the foil. 

Yea, and have you banned Gary from the boat because of his funky habits? I don't see the point. It's not my taste or preference, but he has other qualities that make it worthwhile that we all keep him around.

As for coffee, I go out to the boat, especially early morning, with an iced mocha all the time. It's a wake me up thing. Usually it'll be an hour or so before I get my ride in & it gets me thru it.

[Porkfight]

3 hours ago, theGrant said:

For those of you that are always turning the engine off/on, do you leave the blower constantly running?

We generally turn it on when we shut the boat off to change skiers and the boat's usually off long enough to leave it off while skiing. 

[braindamage]

I always turn off the engine. Like oldjeep says it's easier than replacing a limb or performing CPR cuz of CO.

the blower is on all the time.

safer. Less noise. No fumes. better all the way around and I see no downside.

[The Hulk]

On 8/26/2016 at 11:06 PM, TallRedRider said:

I don't quite understand the fear of shutting down the engine.  Despite having all of the newest exhaust system cleansing devices, I really don't have that much faith in them.  Besides, all that it does is take out the carbon monoxide in favor of carbon dioxide, not poisonous, but engine exhaust is still not something anyone should be eager to breathe.  

As a rider in the water, I really can't tell the difference when someone still has the boat in reverse vs. neutral.  So I am never eager to snuggle up to the swim platform when the motor is running.  

I do not understand the reasoning at all for not shutting the engine down.  I shut it down whenever we change riders.  

I agree. with kids it's always, or if someone else is driving my boat I make them before anyone boards. with experienced riders.. when exiting ..I generally do not since they are jumping off to the side but boarding I do. I rememberd a horror story from a class mate in high school who had his main artery cut on the inside of his thigh. he was boarding, the engine was in idle and the driver turned around and the drivers elbow accidentally bumped it into reverse. note some older boats "could" easily bump into reverse or drive without pushin/pulling in the button/lever. still if I'm someone else boat and they dont shut down i always board the platforms from the sides just in case...that kids incident always stuck in my head..