Night Surfing

I have been reading about this and discussing it with a coworker who has done it extensively on his lake. The benefits being, 1) lake is much calmer at night, so you’re getting a better wave, 2) the grandparents can put the kids to bed and the adults can surf.

For Canada specifically, it looks like there were federal laws that prohibited this, (as well as not having a spotter in the boat), but both laws were repealed in December 2018. This repeal was done at the federal level and so there may be fines (but not criminal charges) imposed at the provincial level but I don’t know that for sure.

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/...-20030101.html

Searching this forum brings back some hits in 2011-2013 but nothing really recent and so I’m wondering if there is a following, and what your experience is like? Do you need a tower light bar facing back towards the surfer? Could you get away with only using lights mounted under the swim platform? Any other do this/don’t do this recommendations?

Sounds dangerous


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It’s not legal here in US in any state. I wish it was legal but it’s not. I’ve heard of using a really good set of underwater LED transom lights work well. I have LED tower lights that work great, I’ve only surfed just past sunset and quit because I didn’t want anyone to get a ticket. Probably a good idea to put a light or glow stick on your surfer as well.


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Wasn’t the guy from shark tank In an after dark wakeboat accident in Canada last year?

His wife drove their 24MXZ over another boat bow killing a couple people?

Kevin O’Leary?

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Originally Posted by larry_arizona

Wasn’t the guy from shark tank In an after dark wakeboat accident in Canada last year?

His wife drove their 24MXZ over another boat bow killing a couple people?

Kevin O’Leary?

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Looks like that accident involved Kevin's slightly drunk wife driving their Cobalt (not a wakeboat) into a pontoon boat that was out stargazing and didn't have it's nav lights on.

Ahhhh ok, the O’Learys also have a Bu MXZ24.

The point is, boating above no wake speed at night is not the best idea. How would you see in front of you?

Bow docking lights are not exactly headlights.

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as turbine mentioned its illegal in the lower 48.
no way I'd try it as cool as it sounds. boating on mead and reading the facebook page for it, there's drunks on the water every day not to mention an armada of go fasts out every day. all it takes is one of them coming back at 60+ using gps to navigate and not paying attention.

happened a few years back on havasu in the daylight and night makes it that much worse.

all that said, to each their own. know the risks.....

it's a misdemeanor and up here in nevada for almost all boating related offenses($315 ticket and mist. on my record for having a guy sitting on the back of my boat last year while surfing) and at night, you're easy prey for the leo's.

At dive rescue, we used the yellow cyclumes attached to the back of the PFD with a tie wrap. They are one use disposable and aid in locating the boarder in the water.

if you are doing it, be careful and spot lights pointing back on the tower are a good idea....i run a combo of underwater that are 2 x 6000 lumens but 2 x LED(4 bulb each) lights.

The major hazards are:

1) Surfer down(glowsticks or something of the sort)
2) Debris in the water
3) Other boats that aren't paying attention at night

My preference is actually dusk as it is just getting dark....and finish up before it is dark. The Tower LEDs work well to add additional light to wave for surfer at dusk.

For a calmer lake, that is dawn patrol for me. And when we get up that early we wakeboard.

I would try it, it would be fun at first, but I would not be setting up my boat for it.

There are some people on social media posting pics of the boards and ropes with lights - looks very disco.

I think transom lights would work in early dusk, but would not work too well in full darkness. I've seen pics were people run transom lights and you cannot see them when they are in the back of the wave - only their glow sticks. Running some type of light off the tower appears that could blind the surfer looking forward if it was too bright.

Looking forward to drive, I have a hard enough time using my spot-light to see where I'm going in the dark. Stresses me out as the driver. Moon works sometimes, but not always.

I thought in the PNW you can legally run 1 hour after sunset.

1 hour after sunset is correct but there usually enough ambient light to see objects in the water.

Where I live it is not a good idea because at night is when the large predatory reptiles wander out to eat...

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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

Where I live it is not a good idea because at night is when the large predatory reptiles wander out to eat...

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What kind of reptiles are we talking?

guessing gators?

This kind of reptile https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...22fce08adb.jpg


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I do it on lake Houston on full moons, maybe once a year usually in August. We didn’t do it this year. We used glow sticks for the people, around the neck big loops and glow sticks to the life vest. Also light sticks on the back corners of the boat. The fish like nibbling on you but other than that no big deal. We have been out planning to night surf but the moon wasn’t bright enough so we didn’t. You just have to use a little common sense and it’s a lot of fun.


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I know people who night surf. I haven't tried it, and prob never will. My valet hours are 8-8. I think its only illegal to be pulled/towed at night. Technically, you're not. Throw that rope ASAP lol.

Back when I was young and foolish we've wakeboarded after sunset almost in complete darkness - HIGHLY don't recommend this.

We still usually do a few surf sets per summer after sunset - just blue LEDs on in the boat - no spotlights. We've found the spotlights do more harm than good for the driver. I eventually took mine off the tower.

This last trip I rode the surf foil at night - VERY sketchy but what a rush. Since you can't see much you have to go by the feel of it which will probably make you a better rider if you don't die falling on it.

We only ride at night on certain stretches of water where we know the depth and there is rarely any debris. There is usually never anyone else out besides a stray fisherman although we have had the sheriff boat out kind of keeping an eye on us and coming back in to the marina at the same time. They have never said a word about it.

We always surf at night but we have a place on a private lake. Glow sticks on the life jackets and lights on the boat.

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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

This kind of reptile https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...22fce08adb.jpg


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That's a hard pass for me lol

Brigade Surf Boards out of the Boise area makes a board with LED integrated into the board. Also saw a gal's post where she glued LED's to her board. I think if you do it on a bright moon, close to full, on a lake you know then it could be OK. The rider should be wearing some sort of glow lights and after they go down they need to get to their LED lit board. If none of those factors are in play then no way. We have surfed a few times late dusk and without lights on the surfer I did not feel very safe.

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Originally Posted by NewbFam5

Brigade Surf Boards out of the Boise area makes a board with LED integrated into the board. Also saw a gal's post where she glued LED's to her board. I think if you do it on a bright moon, close to full, on a lake you know then it could be OK. The rider should be wearing some sort of glow lights and after they go down they need to get to their LED lit board. If none of those factors are in play then no way. We have surfed a few times late dusk and without lights on the surfer I did not feel very safe.

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Looks pretty cool

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dce26c232f.jpg


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I'd be interested in this but I went to the website and they sell the charger and the remote but I do not see the board. They have several boards for sale but none say LED equipped. Is this something they built and discontinued?

We do cheap battery powered LEDs on a couple of the boards, or kids throw on glow bracelets, necklaces, etc. and it helps to have 3 LED light bars on the tower once they fall :)

Also helps that we are the only boat out past sunset... only two docks and we know all the boats personally.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d658daf4cb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9ce62d026a.jpg


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^that is awesome! Too much law enforcement on my lake for me to attempt it.

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Originally Posted by Isaguel

I'd be interested in this but I went to the website and they sell the charger and the remote but I do not see the board. They have several boards for sale but none say LED equipped. Is this something they built and discontinued?

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I think you pick the board you want and then add that as a customer feature. Not 100% sure.