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Controlling your Wakes


bboozer

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I know that this may sound a little crazy, but has anyone else had problems with this??? More specifically, Lake Murray SC, where we ride, is very developed and we usually ski/wakeboard in the same coves all the time.... and Home owners seem to get increasingly less tolerant of the continual wakes that beat their boats and docks.... And now with ballasts and what not, the wakes are getting even bigger and they are petitioning to have more and more no wake zones put up in the nice quality coves..... So, I was just wondering how others are around the country are handling the situation....

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Interesting topic, Booz...

I just got my wake surfboard and am ready to throw as big a wake at the lake this weekend as possibe, but at the same time own a lake house with seawall (lakewall, whatever), boat lift, jetski and I trailer my VLX, but when in the water I leave it in the slip in the water where big wakes create havoc.

When I wakeboard or ski, I usually go to another part of the lake. Not because the water in front of the house is not smooth, but because I don't want to slam my neighbor's yards and toys with my wakes. Problem is that the other part of the lake where we go are becoming more and more developed so I am just slamming the property of peole I don't know.

To date, I have not seen anyone wakesurf on our lake (Oconee), but that is about to change.... Whistling.gif

I don't think they could ban the use of ballast or making big wakes, but no wake zones would probably tick off the fisherman with the 65mph bass boats more than the wakeboarders and skiiers on our lake. So, I think people will just have to find ways to protect their property that is on the water (lifts, etc.), and plan to rebuild their seawalls every 6-8 years rather than every 10-12 years.

I will be interested to see thoughts on this topic since I understand the position of both sides of the equasion.

Mook

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We own lakefront property, with a floating dock. Our cove, which used to only have 3 docks now has over a dozen, and it is to narrow to ski thru safely. So we drive a long way to find some smooth undeveloped water, its a real bummer.

I do try to let the idiot neigbor know when he starts doing do-nuts with his waverider in front of our docks that I dont apriciate it, and that he is responsible for any damage that his wake creates. Although it hasnt stopped his kids from rocking the crap out of our docks and boats.

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We (my dock owner's association) paid to have a no-wake zone added outside our dock for this exact reason. It's an easy fix on a big body of water but not much of an option on small, narrow lakes.

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Yeah, this is why I brought this topic up too.... I just sold my '96 Mastercraft, and I am taking delivery of my '07 VLX on Thursday.... I am planning on getting a wakesurfer too and taking it up... do you really need smooth water for Wakesurfing, or could you still do it out further in the open water? I try to be as responsible and courteous as possible, but you really can't just ban wakeboarding in the smooth coves... I was wondering what other people's thoughts were.... Also my old place actually had a slip where I could tie the boat up in a criss cross and no matter how rough it got, it would not bang the dock.... but now I just have a spot at a dock and I do not think that the homeowners association is going to allow me to put whips on the dock.... So, I am kind of an Oxymoron since I do not want others to come and throw big rollers and beat up my new Bu and yet I am going to ride to another spot and do just exactly that if others do not have a good system to keep their boats from being beat up......

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This is going to be a growing topic. I also live on a lake and have experienced considerable damage. I will concur that wakes are not only from our sports. Many boaters travel at low to moderate speed what I call max wake speed I bet without thinking of the wake being created. My lake is very well developed so going to an undeveloped portion of lake is not realistic. I will say I don't spend a lot of time in one area. and I also try to spend most of my big wake time in the largest parts of the lake. My bigest fear is the way laws to address this type of problem are created. No wake, Size of boat limits, H.P.limits. Time of usage. More boats that create large wakes are common Deck boats. Larger pleasure boats.

This is not by far the only issues we will be facing in our future. A big issue is noise. Both exhaust excessive stereo volume. We must remember how well sound travels over water. Speed, not as much a ski boat issues. But people will not differentiae between the different boats.

Remember A few will make the laws we all will live under. I bet the few will not be ski and water sports enthusiast. We will all be at the lake having fun!!

THE SMALLER THE LAKE THE BIGGER EFFECT ONE HAS ON IT. :unsure:Dontknow.gifWhistling.gif

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Sixball puts it well. The issue is certainly growing as the wakeboard boats and wakeboarders certainly create a significant wake when operating the boat. Adding the music on the lake only adds to the annoyance factor created to the local population. Our lake just recently started having wakeboarders and the shore damage has significantly increased to property, it is easily measured and documented. This effect will make legislation occur quickly as it is getting in to peoples pocket books as it costs money to build sea walls and protect lifts and docks.

Wakeboarders are the new group on the lake and changing the dynamics of lake activity. Change will bring legislation. A relatively small boat (21-25') with basically an artificial system to create a wake (wedge / weight) allows the boat to create a wake that matches or exceeds the wake of a large cruiser that can't be used on many of the lakes in question. Those boats created many no wake zones so it would not be unexpected to see the same apply to the areas that wakeboard boats operate now that are uncontrolled. The fact that this activity causes property damage and is controllable is the main issue.

The best tact at this time is for the wakeboard set to be as considerate as possible to minimize the impact of their sport. Sixball is correct as any legislation will be sweeping and affect pretty much all the ski and wakeboard boats since on paper they are all pretty much in the same category, roughly 20-25' in length. Also correct in the fact that the laws will be prompted from a non-friendly source relative to the watersports industry.

The hardcore ski set has been forced to build ski specific lakes to enjoy the sport, a very expensive proposition. A wakeboard specific lake would be more costly since shore damage would be more significant.

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First our lake instituted length limits. Then banned all boats with any form of wake enhancement. Then banned wakesurfing. All the while more and more lakefront owners were building more and more seawalls (vs. natural shoreline) and now if you're not literally the only boat on the water...you will not get decent water. Too many wake echoes.

Shame on any lakefront owners who go surf in front of someone else's property and beat up their neighbor's shoreline and watertoys. That's just not right. Fingerwag.gif Wakesurfing will get banned on a lot of waters if people don't start taking responsibility for their wakes and the damage they cause.

Spoken like a true slalom skier. Innocent.gif

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Well, there are a few things that can be done. First, don't build sea walls. They suck. They're actually illegal to build here in Wisconsin unless you can prove you're sustaining lots of erosion. Even then, rip rap is a much more effective solution. Just have a dump truck come in and drop a few loads of rocks on your shoreline. Problem solved.

And for you wake folks, buy a DD, slap on the skinny stick, and have a great time without perturbing the other residents. :) If you must wakeboard or surf, stay out in the middle of the lake where your wake has a lot of time to dissipate before reaching shore. I suggest you stay out there if you're blaring your stereo too. The older residents especially hate that.

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I'm not a lake front land owner, but here is my opinion.

First off, if the lake had been developed before the use of wake enhancing devices became prevalent, then I think the owners bought that land with the understanding that there would be small wakes and they agreed to that when the bought. I believe that they should have the right to limit what type of activity happens in their neighborhood. If it is a new development, then the wake enhancing devices were already in use, and they have no right to complain.

It would compare to moving into a house next door to an airport and then complaining about the aircraft noise, you have no right to complain, you chose it, shut up. However, if you were already living in a house, and then they decided to build an airport next door, you have every right to complain and fight to the death to keep it from being built.

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i board on a inlet from a bay and there are about 25 houses with piers on the area that i ride on. but lucky for me all of the people are old and do not give a crap. Biggrin.gif

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i board on a inlet from a bay and there are about 25 houses with piers on the area that i ride on. but lucky for me all of the people are old and do not give a crap. Biggrin.gif

Don't underestimate the ability of those "old" people to organize and effect changes in the form of regulations, legislation, etc. Just because they are not directly confronting you doesn't necessarily mean they don't "give a crap".

It might serve us all well to remember that in most areas we are each a part of group that is way too large for the limited water resources available. (Or maybe that's just because I live in SoCal! Dontknow.gif )

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i board on a inlet from a bay and there are about 25 houses with piers on the area that i ride on. but lucky for me all of the people are old and do not give a crap. Biggrin.gif

You got that right...I recall the days I when I was also 16, everyone over 25 seemed old.

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I used to have a great place to board. A great protected cove with a few houses and some docks. Always some really good water back there. None of the land owners cared, in fact most would come down on their docks to watch the show as some of the better riders in Atlanta would ride there. Then enter a large neighborhood with a very large community dock. The dock is not yet competed and the entire cove is now a "no ski zone". That kinda ticked me off but what is done is done.

It is rally just a question of common courtesy. When we surf, we do it in wide open parts of the lake where we are sure not to pound the shore. As far as boarding, this cove closure happened at the end of the summer so I am in the process of finding a new one.

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i board on a inlet from a bay and there are about 25 houses with piers on the area that i ride on. but lucky for me all of the people are old and do not give a crap. Biggrin.gif

You got that right...I recall the days I when I was also 16, everyone over 25 seemed old.

haha. the only people that complain about the wake from the boat are my own parents. :)

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First our lake instituted length limits. Then banned all boats with any form of wake enhancement. Then banned wakesurfing. All the while more and more lakefront owners were building more and more seawalls (vs. natural shoreline) and now if you're not literally the only boat on the water...you will not get decent water. Too many wake echoes.

Shame on any lakefront owners who go surf in front of someone else's property and beat up their neighbor's shoreline and watertoys. That's just not right. Fingerwag.gif Wakesurfing will get banned on a lot of waters if people don't start taking responsibility for their wakes and the damage they cause.

Spoken like a true slalom skier. Innocent.gif

And who knocked off some chairs from a dock at your lake MIKE? Whistling.gif But then again your not a lakefront owner> Tease.gif

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As I read throught these posts, I noticed that most of the "there will be legislation" and "don't play you music loud" posts came from the LX. LXi crowd....

And the "hey, wake happens" and "I'm going to go out further to throw the big wakes" came from the LSV, VLX crowd.

I guess it really shouldn't be that surprising, but after I read a few I found myself trying to guess the boat model of the poster by reading the post first.

Yes, a little boring around here this evening. Lazy.gif

Also, gave me a reason to hit the 100 post mark.....Thumbup.gif

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I guess it really shouldn't be that surprising, but after I read a few I found myself trying to guess the boat model of the poster by reading the post first.

Yes, a little boring around here this evening. Lazy.gif

Yikes!

ROFL.gifROFL.gifROFL.gif

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As I read thought these posts, I noticed that most of the "there will be legislation" and "don't play you music loud" posts came from the LX. LXi crowd....

And the "hey, wake happens" and "I'm going to go out further to throw the big wakes" came from the LSV, VLX crowd.

I guess it really shouldn't be that surprising, but after I read a few I found myself trying to guess the boat model of the poster by reading the post first.

Yes, a little boring around here this evening. Lazy.gif

Also, gave me a reason to hit the 100 post mark.....Thumbup.gif

As others have already mentioned, the non-watersports types won't make any differentiation between the two. I've been skiing the same cove for 20 years, but only in the last few have the local residents taken issue with me. Making the biggest wake you possibly can then throwing it at someones dock?...WTF?

I do enjoy the boarding sports myself. That said, we have to remember that the fishermen alone out number ALL of us by at least 10-1. No matter what your sport is, we are all much better off taking a diplomatic approach with these people because in the end, they will have more influence on the laws that govern our waterways than we do.

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Way too often, one boat making huge wakes can ruin a body of water for many others.

Add a stereo blaring a mile behind it, and that boat makes no friends on the water.

My $.02 worth:

Be aware your rollers really never dissapate until they hit something.

Point those speakers into the boat, and

If you see a skier waiting for some good water, please turn around!

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and plan to rebuild their seawalls every 6-8 years rather than every 10-12 years.
Wait, I have to rebuild my seawall because someone wants to create an artificially large wake in front of my house?
I try to be as responsible and courteous as possible, but you really can't just ban wakeboarding in the smooth coves...
Yes, they can. Depending on the body of water--home owners association, lake association, local or state legislators--they have the power to do exactly that.
This effect will make legislation occur quickly as it is getting in to peoples pocket books as it costs money to build sea walls and protect lifts and docks.

A relatively small boat (21-25') with basically an artificial system to create a wake (wedge / weight) allows the boat to create a wake that matches or exceeds the wake of a large cruiser that can't be used on many of the lakes in question. Those boats created many no wake zones so it would not be unexpected to see the same apply to the areas that wakeboard boats operate now that are uncontrolled.

Interesting perspective.

Ok, it's pretty easy to guess which boat I own by reading my post. Whistling.gif Consideration and responsibility are key to continued operation to all of our boats, whether they end with LXi or VLX. There is a woman on my small lake who is unhappy with the damage to her concrete seawall and blames it on the wakes created by "all the big inboards" on the lake (we have no wakeboard boats). She does not differentiate between a slow-moving I/O 100' out and a Response doing 34 MPH 200' out. She voiced her concern, at length, at a lake association meeting. Fortunately, one of the officers on the board of directors likes to ski occasionally. Innocent.gif

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...Then banned wakesurfing...
And who knocked off some chairs from a dock at your lake MIKE? Whistling.gif
Dontknow.gif - - - - - > Innocent.gif - - - - - > :blush:

We went back and put them back up on the dock. :lol:

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I've only had my boat for a little over a year now here in Austin, but I have noticed that a little courtesy can go a long way.

For example if we are surfing (and it is fairly smooth water) and I see a skier coming from the opposite direction, we definitely wait after someone falls before trying to be in a hurry to get back up. Sometimes, if I can see that the skier in question is really shredding it up, I'll give the "cut" signal to the rider and cut the surf ride short until after the skier passes. You never know -- that same skier may be the one who gives you a tow back to the dock when your impeller goes out... Not that that ever happened to me..... Whistling.gif but you never know... Biggrin.gif

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