Wakeboards in racks at full speed

[chawk610]

I counted (3) times last weekend on the way to the lake of wakeboards in racks going down the highway at 70 MPH. Does anyone else notice this ever? How freakin' dangerous is that? I would think that would be illegal.

[KG's Supra24]

I've seen it, don't do it.

[bergermaister]

Guilty... :confused:

Always strapped down tight. Never surfboards.
Trips longer than 5-10 miles they all go inside on the floor though.

[Boonejeepin]

I'm guilty too. I do it on my 55mph 2 mile drive on the highway. Never had one move.

Any long distance and I would not load them in the racks.

Wakeboard cruise at 40mph with them in the racks on the water all the time.

[chawk610]

Guys, I am talking 70mph on the tollway. Seems they could go through a windshield at those speeds!

[sandm]

used to do it at 70 to the lake. never had an issue. don't anymore(at the recommendation and a poll on this forum), just lay in the back of the truck. I doubt that a wakeboard will fly out if you have taken the time to strap the bungee and you have checked their condition. boots bolted to the board will keep them from flying out. surfboards are another story tho. I could see one of those sliding out.

[jpetty3023]

I leave the boards in my rack but I only travel 3 miles. I leave them in racks when I put boat up to. Pretty much the only time they are out of the racks is when they are being used or when the boats going in for service

[Cigars n scotch]

Boards are always stowed in the boat under a cover or in the bed of the truck that has a tonneau for me.

The liability of it and "chance" it could happen should be enough for everyone to realize that its way too risky. Remember that the saying "it could never happen to me or I couldn't see it happen" is the underpinning for shows and documentaries like "most shocking videos caught on film" and the like. Just when you least expect it. Shit happens, bungees, bolts, fail or loosen.

[bergermaister]

What, like this?

PROFESSIONAL STUNT DRIVER - DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k414/grberglund/MoombaMobiusV/DSC_1341.jpg

[chawk610]

LMAO... yes, that's it... beware all motorcyclists!

[sandm]

LMAO... yes, that's it... beware all motorcyclists!

naw, only harley riders as the odds they have gear/helmet on are slim :)



jk....
I see it all the time around here. I can't remember ever reading a story or article about projectilling boards hitting anything, but as cigars mentioned, that's what makes saturday late night tv so interesting to watch.....

[bergermaister]

I actually had a close call a few years back - 4ft camp table was strapped down to the top of a SUV. Straps broke and the table flew up and back and hit my tower, knocked my wakeboard half out of the rack and bent the forks over pretty good. I was in the fast lane and the table went skidding across three lanes of traffic and an exit ramp. Wakeboard dangled from the rack until I got stopped in shoulder and could run back and grab it. Have a nice battle scar on it from that. This took place on Friday night holiday weekend (freeway was packed) in the fast lane doing, uh lets just say 70ish.

Amazingly no one was hurt or went off the road swerving, nothing besides the wakeboard & rack got banged up. So glad it didn't take out my windshield. Very very lucky. That one had the 10 o'clock news or world's wildest police videos written all over it...

Lesson learned = short trips, boards ok in racks. Long freeway trips - no way jose.

[jmvotto]

I had a wheel barrow fly out of a Dump truck in Albany NY on the Interstate at morning rush hour 20 + yrs ago skidded across 4 lanes of highwaydo 65 to 70 , no one was hurt, but lots of swerving and braking going on and not sure if the driver noticed until he got to the work site. If we all had smart phones that would have been one hell of a pile up.

[sandm]

I tell you the one thing that absolutely floors me flying out of vehicles are cig. butts..

have some respect for your country..

[zabooda]

People are responsible for anything that comes off their rigs so the thought of a lawsuit and someone taking my boat and a few other things makes me have think differently. You never know about the unexpected especially hitting dust devils out west that could knock a board off. I saw a 12x12 canopy in a park lifted above the tree line and dropped and destroyed so they can be nasty.

[mmandley]

I can say since i moved a lot closer to the lake im real temped sometimes to leave them up but i dont.

When we are camping and at LBC i will leave them in the rack down to the water as its always under 35mph.
I did learn my lesson in 2010 at LBC, pulled onto the propterty we stay at and a tree limb i didnt notice caught my binding strap and riped the whole back of my boot off. I was done wakeboarding that week LOL.

For me its just not worth the risk or stress on gear.

[jmb]

I guess I always leave mine up. 6 miles to the lake. When I go to Lake Sin Clair, I will have them down on the floor for the haul

[New Guy]

Yup on short trips they always stay in the racks. I have never had one even budge. I don't keep them in on longer trips because I don't want the added weight on the tower.