Wisconsin Surfing Ban -W DNR Annual Survey

[CDAWake]

45 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

Honestly, take away the sound systems and entitlement and the whole problem goes away

Bingo

[justgary]

Hearing other people's music is just like smelling other people's gas.

I can assure you that mine smells like flowers and perfume, but I don't want to know what yours smells like.

[Jhucke]

16 hours ago, Bluefishcay said:

While that is true if even a decent % of the population is causing problems, the result is going to be a blanket ban.   It’s already an issue for a lot of lakes and the recent study showing that wake boats need to be kept further from shore to minimize wake all point to bans coming.  Bans will cause a drop in sales and value if people can’t use the boat they just bought for $200k.  that alone should push mfg to try and educate consumers.  
 

i personally don’t have a stake in the fight for surfing as I ski or wakeboard, but I can see that it could even cause a ban on those two activities.  
 

I understand this point, but honestly people have been doing every activity other than surfing for a very long time and it certainly has never generated such a buzz on bans, I don't think skiing or wakeboarding is at risk. Surfers annoy pretty much everyone and cause issues even if you are being relatively respectful. Writing is on the wall IMO.

[mxmark4]

20 hours ago, Rack said:

What? Like the Firearm industry, These manufactures just make the Boat, its up to the User to drive reasonably.  

Yeah but if the boats you produce get banned, your sales go away and so does your company. Gun industry spends a lot of money on safety and marketing and lobbyists to push their point of view I would hope Bu or Mastercraft or another wake boat manufacturer would send someone up there and argue how their boats cause minimal damage when used at x ft from shore or something like that. Doesnt take a scientist to see that if the manufacturers dont get involved and advocate for equitable use of water ways they arent gonna be selling as many boats. End user has the majority of responsibility, but education from the dealers or manufacturers might help with some of the not so bright folks who purchase and dont know that 15ft off of a dock is not the place to be. 

[COOP]

17 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

 

Honestly, take away the sound systems and entitlement and the whole problem goes away, I just don't see that happening though.

This. Most new boaters who spend 100k or more on a wake boat dont give a rats a** who they bother, with wave or music. Even in this forum Rev 10s arent enough. Factory ballast and bags arent enough, gotta add more. At some point you need to get your a** to a beach and really surf. Lol!

[mxmark4]

Foiling doesnt need ballast and is way more fuel efficent. More folks need to learn to ride one. Its the eco friendly way to surf. Then its only loud music you have to contend with which around here there are cruiser boats with sound and light systems that rival most clubs. 

[CaptainMorgan]

50 minutes ago, mxmark4 said:

Foiling doesnt need ballast and is way more fuel efficent. More folks need to learn to ride one. Its the eco friendly way to surf. Then its only loud music you have to contend with which around here there are cruiser boats with sound and light systems that rival most clubs. 

The original survey link doesnt work so I cant see the language, but will foiling (which I enjoy) be collateral damage in such restrictions? 

Not easy to write rhe rules as there are ways to surf behind a variety of boat types, displacement & waves can be achieved in multiple ways, and many definitions can be skirted (eg if I don't let go if the rope then I'm not "surfing " I'm just being towed / wakeboarding slowly?).

So I'd be concerned about pendulum swinging to wide bans on watersports that affect nirw than just surfers 

[Bluefishcay]

1 hour ago, CaptainMorgan said:

The original survey link doesnt work so I cant see the language, but will foiling (which I enjoy) be collateral damage in such restrictions? 

Not easy to write rhe rules as there are ways to surf behind a variety of boat types, displacement & waves can be achieved in multiple ways, and many definitions can be skirted (eg if I don't let go if the rope then I'm not "surfing " I'm just being towed / wakeboarding slowly?).

So I'd be concerned about pendulum swinging to wide bans on watersports that affect nirw than just surfers 

I gave some thought to this.  I expect the final definition of surfing will be something along the lines of an activity where the person following the boat either by wave or by rope with the boat at displacement speed/mode.   Yes a heavily ballasted wake board boat throws big waves as well, but it is planing.   I would guess it’s hard to get a fully ballasted wake surf boat on plane.

[cmargosi]

I am surprised to hear so many people on this forum appear to be in favor of this sort of ban.  For the most part, surfers on our lake are pretty respectful.  There are some a**holes, but that's true of everything.  I mean how many guys on wave runners are coming way to close to your wake because they want to jump it or go way too fast in areas with kids in the water.  Should we ban wave runners too?

Our lake is pretty heavily patrolled by police and water safety boats, but I don't see THAT much bad etiquette going on.  

[footndale]

1 hour ago, cmargosi said:

Should we ban wave runners too?

Since you asked, yes!

 

[efjeld]

Nagawicka tends to be my regular lake and if I'm not out before noon, my chance to wakeboard is pretty much gone.  I will say this....surfers tend to stay in the middle of the lake.  The culprits of turning the lake into a washing machine are tubers going every direction possible.  Add to that the jet skis and it's just comedic at that point.  

[oldjeep]

13 hours ago, cmargosi said:

I am surprised to hear so many people on this forum appear to be in favor of this sort of ban.  For the most part, surfers on our lake are pretty respectful.  There are some a**holes, but that's true of everything.  I mean how many guys on wave runners are coming way to close to your wake because they want to jump it or go way too fast in areas with kids in the water.  Should we ban wave runners too?

Our lake is pretty heavily patrolled by police and water safety boats, but I don't see THAT much bad etiquette going on.  

Quite honestly, you don't see that many jet skis around here any more.  

[Mb911]

I do think surfing will be banned or limited to size of lake before too long. The local lake that our boat is on is small and when a surf boat is out surfing it becomes downright dangerous on the weekends when the lake is full. My response could easily  be swallowed up by some of the surf at times. Bigger lakes there is less effect no doubt. There are 400 homes on the lake we are on with a very powerful association and well connected that banned any wake before 10 am. 
 

 

[sidekicknicholas]

8 hours ago, Mb911 said:

I do think surfing will be banned or limited to size of lake before too long. The local lake that our boat is on is small and when a surf boat is out surfing it becomes downright dangerous on the weekends when the lake is full. My response could easily  be swallowed up by some of the surf at times. Bigger lakes there is less effect no doubt. There are 400 homes on the lake we are on with a very powerful association and well connected that banned any wake before 10 am. 
 

 

My gut says the lake you live on already has the rules in place to limit the dangerous activity though, right?  100' from shore and/or 200' from other boaters, USCG weight capacity limits, WI hazardous wake/wave ban, and existing slow-no wake times, if all enforced as they exist solves the problem.... more rules just means more unenforced laws and opens the door to come after other activities.

[Mb911]

On 4/15/2023 at 4:38 PM, sidekicknicholas said:

My gut says the lake you live on already has the rules in place to limit the dangerous activity though, right?  100' from shore and/or 200' from other boaters, USCG weight capacity limits, WI hazardous wake/wave ban, and existing slow-no wake times, if all enforced as they exist solves the problem.... more rules just means more unenforced laws and opens the door to come after other activities.

The lake we have our boat on does not currently have rules for surfing. It is still very much the Wild West there although I got busted for going at idle during no wake hours and my boat was making a wake. The cop made me go in neutral every 5 or so seconds to ensure there was no wake.. ugh

[Michigan boarder]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:26 PM, cmargosi said:

I am surprised to hear so many people on this forum appear to be in favor of this sort of ban.  For the most part, surfers on our lake are pretty respectful.  There are some a**holes, but that's true of everything.  I mean how many guys on wave runners are coming way to close to your wake because they want to jump it or go way too fast in areas with kids in the water.  Should we ban wave runners too?

Our lake is pretty heavily patrolled by police and water safety boats, but I don't see THAT much bad etiquette going on.  

I don't think so many people on this forum are in favor of it, but I think many understand where the desire to create the ban is coming from.  Personally I don't think anything should be banned, as others have mentioned that just puts my sport at risk whenever it becomes less popular.  I love footing at 0700 on a Saturday morning, I foot during the week but really wait for that day and time, it's something special.  If that were banned (no wake till 10:00) I would hate that.

We don't own frontage anymore but when we did I took it upon myself to maintain it despite boat plowing water 40' off my dock.  Similarly, I take my Echelon into any water, including lake Michigan and accept the large wave responsibility.  Big waves are out there, jetskis, and go fast boats, it's all just stuff to work around.  

[Bcott]

Whenever the Government bans something it always woks out great! It is interesting in all aspects of life peoples reliance on the government to make a rule  because they don't like something someone else is doing.