PULLING A WAKEBOARDER WITH YOUR BOAT

ALWAYS SELECT A SAFE, LEGAL AREA WHEN PULLING ANY KIND OF TOWABLE. THIS AREA SHOULD ALLOW SUFFICIENT SPEEDS TO TOW A RIDER AND WILL HAVE AT LEAST 100 FEET OF UNOBSTRUCTED SPACE ON EACH SIDE OF THE BOAT AS WELL AS AT LEAST 3000 FEET OF UNOBSTRUCTED SPACE IN FRONT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY DOCKS, PILINGS, SWIMMERS, ROCKS, OR HEAVY BOATING TRAFFIC THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE WAKEBOARDER. NEVER TOW SOMEONE IN LESS THAN 8 FEET OF WATER OR IN ANY AREA WHERE THEY MIGHT BE INJURED DUE TO AN UNDERWATER HAZARD. ABOVE ALL, ALWAYS OBEY YOUR LOCAL BOATING LAWS.

WHEN TOWING SOMEONE, IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO DESIGNATE A SPOTTER THAT WILL REMAIN ONBOARD. THIS PERSON'S JOB IS TO BE CONSTANTLY COMUNICATING BETWEEN THE RIDER AND THE BOAT CAPTAIN. SINCE THE ATTENTION OF THE CAPTAIN SHOULD ALWAYS BE FOCUSED ON THE WATER, OTHER BOAT TRAFFIC, AND POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER, IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA FOR THE SPOTTER, THE RIDER, AND THE CAPTAIN TO COME UP WITH A SYSTEM OF HAND SIGNALS BECAUSE THE NOISE OF THE ENGINE OFTEN MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR ANYTHING BEING SAID. THE SPOTTER SHOULD CONSTANTLY BE UPDATING THE CAPTAIN OF THE RIDER'S STATUS AND WARNING ANY APPROACHING BOATS OF THE PERSON IN THE WATER. DISCUSS WITH YOUR SPOTTER AND EVERYONE ELSE WHERE YOU PLAN TO MAKE YOUR TURNS AND WHAT DISTANCES YOU PLAN TO COVER. MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS HOW THEY WILL GET INTO AND OUT OF THE BOAT.

ONCE YOU'VE DECIDED WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO TOW, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVE THE KEY. IT IS A SAFE PRACTICE TO ALWAYS REMOVE THE KEY TO THE BOAT WHEN SOMEONE IS GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE WATER AS THIS PREVENTS ANYONE FROM ACCIDENTALLY STARTING THE ENGINE. BE SURE THAT THE WAKEBOARDER TAKES PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID THE PROPELLER AT ALL TIMES AND THAT THEY PADDLE AWAY FROM THE BOAT WHENEVER THEY ENTER THE WATER.

TURNING AROUND WHEN TOWING A WAKEBOARD IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHEN PULLING OTHER TOWABLES. SINCE WAKEBOARDERS GENERALLY WANT WATER AS CALM AS POSSIBLE TO HELP THEM LAND TRICKS AND CREATE A GOOD WAKE, CARE SHOULD BE USED TO NOT OVERLY DISTURB THE WATER WHEN TURNING. ONE WAY OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS IS TO MAKE "DOG BONE" TURNS. YOU DO THIS BY FIRST TURNING 45 DEGREES TO ONE SIDE AND THEN COMING BACK AROUND IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. THIS PREVENTS THE BOAT FROM CATCHING THE BIGGEST PART OF ITS OWN WAKE.

WHEN THE RIDER IS IN POSITION AND READY, BEGIN PULLING BY IDLING SLOWLY UNTIL THERE IS NO SLACK ON THE TOW LINE AND THE RIDER IS POSITIONED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BOAT. NEVER JERK START AN RIDER BY GUNNING THE THROTTLE OUT OF IDLE AS THIS IS DANGEROUS TO THE RIDER AND CAN ALSO DAMAGE YOUR BOAT.

NORMAL, SAFE TOWING SPEEDS FOR AN WAKEBOARD ARE GENERALLY BETWEEN 20 - 30 MPH FOR ADULTS. WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY FEEL THIS IS TOO FAST FOR THEM, IT IS ADVISABLE TO MAINTAIN A SPEED FAST ENOUGH AT WHICH THE WAKEBOARD SKIMS ALONG THE WATER AND DOESN'T DRAG. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE AMOUNT OF POWER NEEDED TO ACHEIVE THESE SPEEDS WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE WEIGHT OF THE RIDER AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ONBOARD.

THE SAFEST AND EASIEST WAY TO TOW A WAKEBOARDER IS TO KEEP IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOAT'S WAKE. THE IS ACCOMPLISHED BY SIMPLY KEEPING THE BOAT ON A STRAIGHT PATH AND MAINTAINING A STEADY SPEED.

IF A PERSON FALLS, ALWAYS STOP THE RIDE AND PICK THEM UP IMMEDIATELY. AS THE SPOTTER IS MAINTAINING CONTINUOUS VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FALLEN RIDER, THE CAPTAIN SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND SAFELY TURN THE BOAT AROUND. THE SPOTTER SHOULD BE ASSISSTING THE CAPTAIN BY INFORMING HIM, AS WELL AS ANY SURROUNDING BOATS, OF THE RIDER'S LOCATION SINCE THEY ARE OFTEN VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. APPROACH THE RIDER AT IDLE SPEED WITH THE BOAT AIMING INTO THE WIND OR WATER CURRENT, WHICHEVER IS STRONGER. TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVE THE KEY WHEN THE BOAT IS CLOSE ENOUGH FOR THE RIDER TO SWIM TO IT. USING YOUR HANDS, PULL THE RIDER TO THE BOAT WITH THE TOW LINE AND SECURE IT BEFORE MOVING AGAIN.