Random rants-broke down, jetskis, no wake zones

[sandm]

Kind of long, but need to rant...

Went to the lake yesterday as it looks to be the last 90deg day. went to a different ramp that's closer. lake is dropping and ramp is tight, with only one real launch/retrieve point. guy in an outboard broke down. sits there for almost 30 minutes before moving the boat so others can launch.. frustrating, but we hit the water...
head up to a narrow arm of the lake and they have put out the no-wake buoys since it's dropping and gettin shallow. this is typically the "party cove" hangout and we're going to just chill and soak up the sun. got the boat anchored with around 20 others. next thing we know, some a$$tard in a bayliner with a slalom skier comes roaring through the no wake zone, 30mph plus. we yelled, as did every other boat. they creeped out and were low in the boat :mad:
hit 4pm so ready to do some surfing. channel is somewhat narrow, so we usually hug the shoreline with the surfer toward shore to keep our wake out of others way that want to board. lake is real choppy and windblown, so surfwake is not great, but take what you can get. had 2 jetskiers come up behind us. I see them so I start cutting toward shore to force them to our outside. I'm maybe 40-50ft off shore and they cut between us.. pissed. watch the video at around 3minutes. you'll see the one, and at around 3:20, you can see the wake from the other that got even closer....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62V5HPxFgw
greg got out and my gf got in. she ended up falling as we were going up the other way. we were around 75ft off shore. I'm waiting for the rollers to pass to turn around and pick here up and another i/o comes up barreling down on her. I slam it into gear and powerturn to her placing us between her and the other boat. they were trying to cut between her and the shore, maybe 75ft of room. their rider falls just about the time they get to us. I'm now in front of gf as they powerturn to get their rider. they were no more than 20ft off our bow...

overall great day for drinking, hanging out in the party cove and soaking up some sun, but watersports sucked :(

[skiyaker]

the video says it all; looks like you made the most of tough conditions. In Indiana they've started ticketing the jet skis like mad for coming up behind boats whether they're pulling a rider or not. They've started putting conservation officers on jets skis to help with the problem. I know one guy who got ticketed for jumping the wake of his own boat.

[Nebster]

I tell you what. We've found that jet skiers are the worst.... They're the most inconsiderate people on the river / lake. And yes i'm stereotyping but its true.

[viking]

we took a gamble and went out yesterday to enjoy the 90degree day as well and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It was busy but not a zoo and found calm enough water to even slalom. Great day and probably one of the best days out this year. Of course there wasn't many to choose from :)

[zabooda]

Very nice boarding there Sandm. I've been going early in the morning which was 8am a month ago and about 10am now and we have no boat traffic. I went on Friday morning thinking there will be no one out but the launch area was really full then I realize the salmon season has started and they were all jet boat trailers. We went the opposite way and only another buddy of mine was on the water and I moved to the other side of the island. The weather doesn't look good for the rest of the week so who knows when the next time will be. Keep up the good boarding. You make it look easy when you can surf and flip jet skiers off at the same time...lol.

[wolfeman131]

the law in GA states you are to stay 100 ft from docks, boats, riders, etc. I had to keep the air horn in my lap today (forced to use it twice) and told my wife I was going to buy a paintball gun and get it zeroed in on 100 ft so I could fire off a few rounds at the morons on jetskis and pontoons that want to get up close and personal with my riders. :)

[you da man]

My rant is that I was given a warning by the park ranger for parking in the grass under some trees when the boat ramp parking lot was full and the few spots to park had people parking their trucks and trailers crooked so the empty slots were useless. However, I didn't see a single citation on any of the cars or trucks without trailers parking in the area marked with a sign that says, "Vehicles with trailers only". The lakes in Texas suck about having the boat ramp parking slots too short and not wide enough. Seriously, if you get an extended cab truck with a trailer for a 23-24ft wakeboat and park one on the left side and one on the right side of the parkinglot, the trailers would be so close that no one could drive between them down the center of the parking lot.

[jmvotto]

the law in GA states you are to stay 100 ft from docks, boats, riders, etc. I had to keep the air horn in my lap today (forced to use it twice) and told my wife I was going to buy a paintball gun and get it zeroed in on 100 ft so I could fire off a few rounds at the morons on jetskis and pontoons that want to get up close and personal with my riders. :)

sandm, great video bu i would have been all over my mic on the ws420 yelling at the idiots.

sorry to hi jack just my rant

wolf, my wife an i took thurs and friday off, before my twin girls turning 13 had 7 of there freinds to the lake house for a sleep over. 90 degrees thurs evening an we went out to dinner just the two of us. our lake is a mile wide and 22 miles long. we were trolling with some beverages looking at the beutifical homes along the lake. he comes a 25 ft older cabin cruiser who can barely see over the bow barreling down on us at 30 mph ( mind you we are the only boat within a mile) i throttle the boat up move from 100ft from shore to about 50ft turn the boat towards him stand up to wave him off, and he just waves as he flys by about 20 yds..... wtf.

I need one of those paint ball guns as well, maybe we can get a group buy in with brad from crosman.

sometimes it makes boating just not fun, the idiots out there...

[cpatten]

Jet skier are horrible in Colorado too, following boats to jump wake drives me crazy. I had one come a couple of feet from my boat yesterday. I was convinced we were going to hit. I hope they start cracking down them here too.

[wolfeman131]

So the idiots were back out again on their jetskis yesterday. . .

We are having a blast surfing with my 7 yr old daughter when I spy 3 jetskis in the mirror flying up behind us in a V formation. They are going all out when the lead ski decides it would be a good idea to pop over the dying wave about 100 yards back while going 50+ mph. The jackleg doesn't hit it square so as he and his two riders go airborn, the back end whips 180 degrees and the jetski does a barrel roll, missing their heads by about 12 inches. Jetski ends up upside down, seat was thrown 20 ft.

By far the worst looking crash I have witnessed firsthand. I checked on them with my binoculars b/c I didn't want to ride up to a dead body with my kids in the boat. Saw they were alive, so we quickly ran up to see if any medical attention was needed. They were dazed but OK. Didn't see that crew jumping my wake the rest of the weekend.