Wakesurfing article - Good to see some headway on this

[seeth07]

I'm not sure how much this impacts your local lakes but over the last two years, this issue has dominated my local town hall meetings. I live near a big lake where a lot of rich doctors and lawyers from Chicago and Milwaukee have summer homes and many of which have purchased these boats and the participation keeps getting higher and higher. The wakes created can be massive and it has resulted in two small fishing boats sinking last summer.

Wakesurfing boats on WI lakes; calls to restrict 'monster trucks' of water

A conflict is brewing on Wisconsin lakes as a new generation of powerboats is making big waves. That is setting the stage for a water war in Madison.

www.fox6now.com

 

[seeth07]

All recreation on public land should be non motorized

Unlike a lot of states, WI is a gem when it comes to public waterways. We are a true open water law state meaning there are just about zero restrictions to public use on a body of water when it comes to recreation - regardless of who owns the dirt under the water. The regulations literally state "if you keep your boots wet, you are in public water".

 

[seeth07]

I'm headed to that lake on Friday to do some fishing with a buddy. I'll see if I can catch some video of how much it impacts us. There is a 100% chance there will be a wakeboarder cruising by us at some point, probably way closer to us that he needs to be/should be and tossing us around with the 3-4' wake he creates.

 

[bigsky2]

I can just hear my relatives from Wisconsin cussing out those wake surfers as their musky fishing boat nearly gets swamped.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Dang… I hate mountain bikers and dog walkers when I’m hunting, but they deserve to be there too. If they could only go to a designated place, surely it would be way crowded way quick! I love wakeboarding and although I don’t do it often I think they deserve to be there… is it just the new form of wakeboats that create this problem? How many boats would be sank if a whole lake was designated for wakeboarding? Probably more than 2! It’s good to spread out the recreational activities!

 

[Sako'06]

I like it when they load up the fat sacks to throw bigger wakes.

Competition for everything is everywhere and it doesn't matter how many feathers get ruffled. Tubers draw my ire as well.

Unfortunately, it seems $$$ wins out more often than not.

 

[Gellar]

When the river is high like it is now the waves smashing into unprotected shoreline is pretty devastating. People do not realize that they are responsible for their wake and damage it causes. Proving whose wake caused the damage is near impossible but something needs to be done.

 

[seeth07]

Dang… I hate mountain bikers and dog walkers when I’m hunting, but they deserve to be there too. If they could only go to a designated place, surely it would be way crowded way quick! I love wakeboarding and although I don’t do it often I think they deserve to be there… is it just the new form of wakeboats that create this problem? How many boats would be sank if a whole lake was designated for wakeboarding? Probably more than 2! It’s good to spread out the recreational activities!

I totally agree that everyone deserves to use a resource until safety becomes the concern.

As a kayaker or a small fishing vessel you look at the weather and you see calm winds and you head out. You are minding your own business at 5am and things are glass on the water and then at 8am one of these boats shows up, cruises 200 feet from you and you have to hang on for dear life to not get tossed overboard. These aren't your typical boats - a typical ski boat creates a wake no different than a big fancy walleye boat. These boats toss out massive waves that allow the surfing. I should perhaps clarify for the readers that the issue is not with skiers or traditional wakeboarders. It is with boats specifically designed for wakesurfers.

 

[seeth07]

When the river is high like it is now the waves smashing into unprotected shoreline is pretty devastating. People do not realize that they are responsible for their wake and damage it causes. Proving whose wake caused the damage is near impossible but something needs to be done.

I was just in Dubuque over the weekend and I couldn't believe how high the water was there. Never seen it that high in June I don't think before have you?

 

[Gellar]

I was just in Dubuque over the weekend and I couldn't believe how high the water was there. Never seen it that high in June I don't think before have you?

Last year was the 3rd highest on record. It crested in April and dropped to record lows. Most of the major flooding is in April and maybe may.

 

[Gellar]

I

I was just in Dubuque over the weekend and I couldn't believe how high the water was there. Never seen it that high in June I don't think before have you?

The river is on its way up again now.

 

[jryoung]

Man I miss hucking off the double up. Makes me want a boat again.

 

[seeth07]

Yeah I'm aware of April and may crests. Seeing it over the banks in June in dubuque I just thought was crazy

 

[seeth07]

Man I miss hucking off the double up. Makes me want a boat again.

View attachment 330291

That looks good. Your wake isn't 4 feet high

 

[seeth07]

This video shows it pretty well. Those docks they keep driving by I bet have to get replaced annually if they have a bunch of people like this constantly going by. That's the number one complaint at the town meeting is property owners complaining about the docks and damaged boats tied to the docks.

 

[rjthehunter]

I spend 5-6 days a week on the water... here's my observations.



No one likes wakesurfers other than wakesurfers.

They're creating 3-4ft waves that are not only incredibly annoying, but also dangerous to those in smaller watercraft, kayaks, or paddleboards. My first boat was a 12 ft duck boat that I rowed around at 10 years old. It wouldn't be safe to be out there these days with those boats.

They're destroying shallow weed flats. Lakes that usually have big cabbage weed flats in 6-10ft of water are getting absolutely abused by these huge waves that are consistently pulling weeds out of the bottom creating lots of floating weeds.

The waves are eating up shorelines. Especially on narrow lakes or rivers. With this, they're wrecking docks.

Half of these boats feel the need to play their music (usually shitty) at levels that are so high, you can hear it from 400 yards away on a calm day.

They suck, and I hope they get banned or limited to the point where most people get rid of them. Wakeboarding, tubing, skiing, and other things like that are just fine. They throw small wakes like any boat does. They're within reason.

 

[thomas89]

Dang bro, you really are turning into a Karen.

First no planes, now no boats. Sheeeeeesh.

 

[NoWiser]

I can’t even take my kids fishing on the lakes around home with decent water quality because of the surf boats. It’s ridiculous. You couldn’t hardly invent a more destructive machine if you tried. Lake bottoms and shorelines are being destroyed, not to mention the enjoyment of every other person on the water. We are left to fish the mucky, smelly lakes with dead carp washing up on shore. But, it beats dealing with the surf boats. I honestly can’t believe they are legal.

 

[Sask hunter]

I'm headed to that lake on Friday to do some fishing with a buddy. I'll see if I can catch some video of how much it impacts us. There is a 100% chance there will be a wakeboarder cruising by us at some point, probably way closer to us that he needs to be/should be and tossing us around with the 3-4' wake he creates.

Thought all lakes were like that lol

 

[Sask hunter]

On my local lake they have a sign saying do you wake making in 20’ or more as the wake is supposed to go down 15’ I think and they are worried about to churning up the bottom and affecting water quality.