Jet Skier Season

dwhite1031

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
130
I'm probably gonna get some flack over this one.....
We have deer season, duck season, quail season, turkey season, and others. There are times I wish we had open season on some of the jet skiers. I know there are a lot of responsible jet ski owners and operators out there, but on our recent outing with our new boat, they must have decided to all stay home. If there was such a season, I would have bagged my limit within 100 yards of the dock and never had to leave the no wake zone. It just blows my mind how irresponsible, dangerous, and arrogant some of these people are on these watercraft.​
 

rrhodes

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
636
Re: Jet Skier Season

The problem is that most JetSki owners do not know the laws and regulations. They have no clue what No wake means, they think jumping your boat's wake is fun.

This past Sat on Lake Murray a guy thought it would be funny to attempt to splash a raft up and misjudged his speed hitting the swim platform and sending one girl to the hospital with a broken leg. 6 DNR boats ran to the scene. The law states that you have to pass anchored boats at nowake speed within 50 feet although even that is too close IMO if you are running WOT.

Safety courses should be required for anyone that operates a boat or Jetski.
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: Jet Skier Season

Safety courses and boating courses should be mandatory for anyone who owns or operates a boat. I jet ski safely, but I grew up boating first and know all of the regulations for the waters I boat on. I also limit passes across another boat's wake to 3 or 4, then I leave them alone instead of chasing boats all the way down the lake.

If operating a boat required a separate license like motor vehicles do, it might not be quite so prevalent an issue.
 

IVAZ

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
816
Re: Jet Skier Season

I usually stay out of the "jet skiers are jerks" argument because I have generally had good luck with them. This weekend was different. I had a couple follow me around to jump my boats wake, a few others would cut in front of me while I was at WOT. I didn?t let my kids do any tubing because these skiers were being too careless. There were many jet skis in the water, the only ones that were a pain seemed to be the ones operated by kids. Eventually they were stopped by a patrol boat.
I wish parents would teach their kids the rules before setting them loose on a jet ski.
 

salty87

Commander
Joined
Aug 12, 2003
Messages
2,327
Re: Jet Skier Season

PWC's are banned from my local lake on holiday weekends. it's niiiiice.
 

Arabian180

Banned
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
122
Re: Jet Skier Season

Did somebody say Jet Ski Season?

I love it when those no boating bastages hover on my transom when I'm in the jet. I guess they assume that it'll be fun to get sprayed. WRONG ! Blast em right off the ski. I'm betting it hurts. :D
I usually hose down a dozen on a good weekend.

Now ya see em.

100_0557.jpg

Now ya don't

100_0558.jpg


Works every time. :p
;)
 

Gary H NC

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
8,972
Re: Jet Skier Season

Did somebody say Jet Ski Season?

I love it when those no boating bastages hover on my transom when I'm in the jet. I guess they assume that it'll be fun to get sprayed. WRONG ! Blast em right off the ski. I'm betting it hurts. :D
I usually hose down a dozen on a good weekend.

Now ya see em.

100_0557.jpg

Now ya don't

100_0558.jpg


Works every time. :p
;)

PRICELESS!!!!!:D
 

dvan1901

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
503
Re: Jet Skier Season

One of your options is to get yourself a marine radio and when you have someone doing something really stupid/dangerous you can get their registration information and call it in to the authorities. I think they take extra pride and nailing these guys. I was in a no wake zone with the wife and this guys kept coming by at full speed about 20 feet away. In that case, I came very close to calling the patrol because he kept doing it and they could have caught him no problem. Just use the radio or phone and give them your location and the information about the boat, any boat, not just jet ski's and let them take care of it.
 

IVAZ

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
816
Re: Jet Skier Season

Arabian180,
What you?re doing is wrong. For some reason it?s also hilarious.
 

75reinell

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
36
Re: Jet Skier Season

I am not sure about other states but in Oregon they can't come with in 200 feet. If they do then it is at their own risk. Like others said the majority are great, but a few are morons and that goes for boat owners. Saw a Malibu wakeboard boat buzzing a guy in a 14 foot aluminium who was fishing. He made two passes by and almost swamped him. Everyone in the boat was laughing. He came in for pass 3 and the guy unloaded with his flare gun. Should have seen that Malibu run.
 

Arabian180

Banned
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
122
Re: Jet Skier Season

Arabian180,
What you?re doing is wrong. For some reason it?s also hilarious.

Well, it's not like I go trolling around with the bow up stern down and plowing waiting for some lake lice to nibble at my wake then throw the roost at em.

Ok, well maybe I have done that a time or two:D but they usually know before hand what's coming. I do like to ride with my foot on the floor & the roost up.
 

skysurfer2010

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
159
Re: Jet Skier Season

Some days I think pwc riders get an unfair wrap, other days I'd like to strangle them myself. I usually try to inform them of what they're doing wrong instead and point them in the direction of where to attend an approved course.

Thankfully in most states you're required to obtain a safety certificate before you can operate a pwc. I think the vast majority of pwc riders are responsible adults and families that want to go out and enjoy the same bodies of water you guys do in your boats. The ones that typically ruin the reputation are the rich kids or the kids whose parents shine a flashy "toy" (in their wrong opinion) in front of their eyes to get them out of sight.

I use to be the President of largest AWA (American Watercraft Association) sanctioned club for pwc in NJ and PA. We found that education was the best way to combat reckless riders. Those that still chose to ride recklessly the best avenue was law enforcement. And remember guys, that same idiot riding a pwc is the same idiot if you place him into a boat. I've had my fair share of idiot boaters out on the water. I think you find more idiots on pwc because they're cheaper to obtain.

BTW- this is my first post. I'm currently shopping for my first boat after selling my sit down pwc this winter. I kept my stand up pwc since I could never sell that though. It's way too much fun!
 

fat fanny

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,935
Re: Jet Skier Season

It should be a national law that respect to all water craft @least more than half your size should not be approached any closer than 200' unless in case of an emergency. But in all honesty the first time one of those wave jumpers puts me or mine in any sort of danger they won't have to worry about thier personal water craft they will be using thier personal floatation devise PERIOD!!!!!! because in some cases with these idiots it's the only way to fix stupid.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: Jet Skier Season

for every one moron jetski, there is at least one person in a bassboat driving 60 mph in a crowded area, nearly running people over to get to their fishing hole. or a pontoon captain, completely oblivous to anything more than 10 feet away, or the guys in the 14 foot tinny's, who think it is a good idea to set anchor and fish in a very busy channel. (I could go on the rest of the night, but its getting late!)

EVERY group on the water can complain pretty much equally about every other group!
 

smclear

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
626
Re: Jet Skier Season

for every one moron jetski, there is at least one person in a bassboat driving 60 mph in a crowded area, nearly running people over to get to their fishing hole. or a pontoon captain, completely oblivous to anything more than 10 feet away, or the guys in the 14 foot tinny's, who think it is a good idea to set anchor and fish in a very busy channel. (I could go on the rest of the night, but its getting late!)

EVERY group on the water can complain pretty much equally about every other group!

+1 - well said
 

n2ostroker

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Messages
177
Re: Jet Skier Season

for every one moron jetski, there is at least one person in a bassboat driving 60 mph in a crowded area, nearly running people over to get to their fishing hole. or a pontoon captain, completely oblivous to anything more than 10 feet away, or the guys in the 14 foot tinny's, who think it is a good idea to set anchor and fish in a very busy channel. (I could go on the rest of the night, but its getting late!)

EVERY group on the water can complain pretty much equally about every other group!
This is true most of the time..
A couple of weeks ago I was running 55mph or so and some guy comes at me full speed on his ski on my port side. Hits my wake at probably 60mph 20ft behind my boat:eek:. Thats uncalled for and dangerous. Whats worse is I was heading straight into a no wake zone and until saw him was about to pull the throttle all the back to slow down.

Had another kid come flying up behind me 2 days ago weaving my wake too close. Then he tried to gas it up behind me. I just "dropped the hammer" and he couldn't keep up. He finally gave up and turned back since he couldn't play on my wake anymore.

I play on the lake but always try to be respectful and careful of others space. I do agree on the boaters safety course. Especially for the people that didn't grow on the water like me. There is even some things I'd like to learn or get refreshed on.
 
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