Safety Basics
Wakesurfing safety guidelines are not just some legal stuff the lawyers require us to say; we are dead serious! The guidelines however, do not replace common sense or Coast Guard regulations.

Never wakesurf behind an I/O, stern drive or outboard boat
Never wakesurf behind any boat that has a prop that you can see or a prop that can be adjusted up or down.

Always wakesurf with a Coast Guard approved life vest
Unlike ocean surfing, you do not need to roll under waves in our impact zone.

Avoid carbon monoxide
If you can smell the boat's exhaust, you are also inhaling the odorless killer, carbon monoxide. At the point that it is giving you a headache or making you woozy, it's already way too much. This stuff will kill you so don't take the chance. TIPS: Do not ride downwind as the boat will have difficulty riding away from the fumes. Keep your front window open to allow for a fresh flow of air through the boat. Also, move the people around in the boat. Nobody should be allowed to spend the day exclusively in the back of the boat, especially a direct drive configured boat.

Keep riders and passengers safe
Never put the boat in gear with a rider so close to the boat where you cannot see them. Do not allow passengers to sit or stand on the gunwales, v-drive sundeck or on the swim platform when the boat is running.

Don't overload your boat
Use fatsacks and use them responsibly. TIP: Lead does not float. If you use lead to weigh your boat down you have the potential of being able to sink. Water ballast becomes neutral in water.

Stay in deep water
The deeper the water, the better the wake. Do not ride in water of less thean 5 feet. Stay away from shallow locations where you may ground your boat and rider.

Ride boards that are properly sized
If a rider is running into the back of the boat, chances are the board is too big and fast for them, or their weight is way too far forward. If their weight is too far forward the board should be pearling (pearling is when the board's nose goes in first and then digs in taking you with it.) To correct pearling move the riders weight back on board and spread their stance. If this doesn't work the board may be too small for them.

Don't throw the rope and handle
Never toss a rope and handle back at a rider to help them stay on the wake. You could end up lassoing them and breaking their neck. If in the boat, keep your fingers and hands free from the line. If as a rider you are ready to drop the hanlde and line, toss it to the other side of the wake and allow someone in the boat to retrieve it. Don't throw it in the boat.

Start and end your ride safely
Do not allow riders to dismount onto the transom platform while the boat is in motion and they are wakesurfing. Do not allow any rider to "paddle in" to a boat's wake, or to dive from the front or side of the boat to catch the wave.

Watch that board!
If you fall forward off the board remember to put you arm and hand up to protect your head from the board that will be following in the boat's wake. If you are riding in the rear of the boat be alert and aware. If the rider falls backward they may launch the board toward the boat and its passengers. While a surf leash may prevent this, there is inherent danger of the leash being wrapped up in the prop. If you're going to use a leash make it a short one - less than 4 feet.

Wakesurfer