WI “Hazardous Wake” law

[TomH]

You can make the argument that other large boats can throw as big of a wave out as a surf boat, but you have to take into account your location as well.  On most of the lakes in WI and MN, they're small enough that you won't have a the big 25/30-foot plus cruisers.  Once you toss a surf boat on, you all of a sudden have a smaller boat that's capable of tossing out a wave that's never been dealt with before in those locales.  I like to surf as much as the next guy, but the operator has to be responsible for their own wake and to perform their activity in a way that's not damaging.  On some lakes, they're small enough or narrow enough that I'd contend you shouldn't be surfing them.  The other unfortunate part of surfing is that it generally leaves a stern roller running down the lake since it never planes out, which makes sharing a line/water with a surf boat not always possible.

On your pontoon flotilla situation, are they anchored at the end of the lake?  If so, just don't make a turn at that end.  Shut down, let you wake clear, turn around at idle and roll right back down your line.  If you've got other surfers that are running close to shores or buzzing boats, then I'd suggest you kindly educate them, or you may very well see enforcement of the dangerous wake law.  I've had pretty good luck at out local lakes having friendly chats with other watersports folks on running straight lines, not power-turning, and sharing water.

[96Response]

7 minutes ago, TomH said:

You can make the argument that other large boats can throw as big of a wave out as a surf boat, but you have to take into account your location as well.  On most of the lakes in WI and MN, they're small enough that you won't have a the big 25/30-foot plus cruisers.  Once you toss a surf boat on, you all of a sudden have a smaller boat that's capable of tossing out a wave that's never been dealt with before in those locales.  I like to surf as much as the next guy, but the operator has to be responsible for their own wake and to perform their activity in a way that's not damaging.  On some lakes, they're small enough or narrow enough that I'd contend you shouldn't be surfing them.  The other unfortunate part of surfing is that it generally leaves a stern roller running down the lake since it never planes out, which makes sharing a line/water with a surf boat not always possible.

On your pontoon flotilla situation, are they anchored at the end of the lake?  If so, just don't make a turn at that end.  Shut down, let you wake clear, turn around at idle and roll right back down your line.  If you've got other surfers that are running close to shores or buzzing boats, then I'd suggest you kindly educate them, or you may very well see enforcement of the dangerous wake law.  I've had pretty good luck at out local lakes having friendly chats with other watersports folks on running straight lines, not power-turning, and sharing water.

Well said. 

[Michigan boarder]

My previous lake was an 81 acre, long narrow lake.  There were two boats that consistently rocked the crap out of things.  One was a Four Winns 21' I/O bowrider, the other was a Moomba direct drive.  The I/O was used more as a family cruiser, and that guy would load up the family and basically tool around at 9 to 15mph, plowing a wall of water.  He would never idle, nor get on plane.  Just plow along, and would often be closer to the docks than he should.  The Moomba would do the same speed, pulling little kids on skimmers, small tubes, etc.  Usually the wife driving, very polite and waving, but also way too close to the pier.  Dad would be on the back seat coaching/filming etc.  Nobody ever really said anything, because they were nice people, just having a good day on the water as best as they could.  I would see my neighbors pontoons rocked all over, and if my boat was tied off and not on the lift I'd quickly get it on the lift or stand there and protect it from the dock.  Life went on for a few years.  Suddenly one day after we sold our place, the association started a discussion about banning wake enhancing devices because it was a hot topic at the recent Michigan Lakes and Streams meeting.  It almost grew legs on our lake, but fortunately people were too lazy to pursue it.

Not sure it that is a useful post or not, just a perspective I thought of, coming from a small narrow lake.

Edit: now I know what my point was - we didn't have the 25-30 foot cruisers on it, but we had wakes that were a nuisance/damaging simply by people not knowing how to operate normal sized boats.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Michigan boarder

[longlake]

1 hour ago, TomH said:

You can make the argument that other large boats can throw as big of a wave out as a surf boat, but you have to take into account your location as well.  On most of the lakes in WI and MN, they're small enough that you won't have a the big 25/30-foot plus cruisers.  Once you toss a surf boat on, you all of a sudden have a smaller boat that's capable of tossing out a wave that's never been dealt with before in those locales.  I like to surf as much as the next guy, but the operator has to be responsible for their own wake and to perform their activity in a way that's not damaging.  On some lakes, they're small enough or narrow enough that I'd contend you shouldn't be surfing them.  The other unfortunate part of surfing is that it generally leaves a stern roller running down the lake since it never planes out, which makes sharing a line/water with a surf boat not always possible.

On your pontoon flotilla situation, are they anchored at the end of the lake?  If so, just don't make a turn at that end.  Shut down, let you wake clear, turn around at idle and roll right back down your line.  If you've got other surfers that are running close to shores or buzzing boats, then I'd suggest you kindly educate them, or you may very well see enforcement of the dangerous wake law.  I've had pretty good luck at out local lakes having friendly chats with other watersports folks on running straight lines, not power-turning, and sharing water.

Yeah, I have been giving that a lot of thought lately on how to educate the surfers on the lake.  My neighbor and myself are basically the only surfers who live on the lake.  We have a State Park on the lake which draws the rest of crowd, I can attempt to stop and educate the regulars but that may be the best I can do. 

[TomH]

That's probably the best you can do.  Sometimes you run into a know-it-all a-hole, but I'd say that's the exception.  If you point out that their choice of recreation is being threatened, they'll be more likely to modify their operation.  If you can get some face-time with the tooners and see if you can come to a mutually agreeable mode of operation, that would also be to your benefit.

Good luck.

[UWSkier]

Haven't done it with surfers before, but have with other skiers, boarders, etc.  I've found that if you just idle up to them and introduce yourself, 99 times out of 100, they're receptive to a friendly conversation.  Only once did I run into a snotty b-word who would intentionally come anchor her boat right at the entry of our course when we'd put it out.

[Sixball]

JMHO It's just time before $hit hits the fan. But some things people do would help. We have a surf boat that fills his tanks and the pulls tubes not even crossing the wake so I see no reason to be running with ballast if your not using it.  Many of our lake are just to small for the boats today.  In so many cases hi volume music is a contributor also so lake front owners as well as people using the lakes for other purposes. Same for boarding if someone is running big ballast with a person that does not benefit from the wake its a good idea to spill ballast.   

[UWSkier]

35 minutes ago, Sixball said:

JMHO It's just time before $hit hits the fan. But some things people do would help. We have a surf boat that fills his tanks and the pulls tubes not even crossing the wake so I see no reason to be running with ballast if your not using it.  Many of our lake are just to small for the boats today.  In so many cases hi volume music is a contributor also so lake front owners as well as people using the lakes for other purposes. Same for boarding if someone is running big ballast with a person that does not benefit from the wake its a good idea to spill ballast.   

This one is starting to become a major issue on small inland lakes with homes on them.  It's one thing if you're out on Norris or Powell to blast music at high volume from your tower speakers.  Out there, you're not really bothering anyone.  It's another on a 800 acre lake rimmed with homes, campgrounds, etc.  Those tower speakers designed to project to 100' don't really stop projecting beyond 100'.

[minnmarker]

 No big tower speakers on our lake and mostly  considerate surfers (wake) but there are a few that don't have a clue.  Not sure what to do about them. They seem to have new  boats so maybe they'll get it.

Great day today with the wife driving, little traffic, and light winds. New Wisc. law not requiring spotter rocks!

[Michigan boarder]

14 hours ago, longlake said:

Yeah, I have been giving that a lot of thought lately on how to educate the surfers on the lake.  My neighbor and myself are basically the only surfers who live on the lake.  We have a State Park on the lake which draws the rest of crowd, I can attempt to stop and educate the regulars but that may be the best I can do. 

That makes it really tough, those people certainly will not care to be as courteous as you. You would spend every weekend trying to fix that, it's pointless.