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Chapter Seven - Water Sports & The Environment
WATER SKIING, WAKEBOARDING AND TUBINGIf you’re into sports, then you’re probably into being towed behind a boat. As with any sport, you want to wear and use the proper gear. Know how to perform the sport safely. Water sports normally need two or more people to make it work, and there is always some inherent risk (tow rope, objects in the water, or just hitting the water). Take the time to properly learn the right way to tow.
Before getting into the water, here are some safety tips:
 Communicate with the driver of the boat and the observer. Discuss hand signals, towing procedures, speed and pickup procedures. - Prepare your gear. Check all tow lines and replace any line with knots or signs of weakening. Check boot or ski bindings. Ensure PFD is securely fastened.
- Have boat operator shut-off engine before anyone gets out of the boat. A safe entry point into the water is from the swim platform. Get into the water and then have the board or ski handed to you. If tubing, have someone hold the tube close to the boat as you get into the tube. Stay low and balanced. Use 3 points of contact when moving.
- After the ski or board is fastened and the skier is ready, or the person has entered the tube, toss them the towline.
- Moving slowly, position the towline 90 degrees to the stern and take all slack out of the line. The skier now controls the movement of the boat through hand signals.
- When the skier gives the signal to speed up, the towboat operator quickly
accelerates in a straight line to get the person up and out of the water.
- Once the skier is up out of the water, the towboat operator slows to a speed
of the skier’s choosing.
- Maintain a minimum 200-foot wide “ski corridor" (100 feet on either side of
the boat).
- Never operate close to any object on the water. Make wide sweeping turns. Slow
down when crossing wakes. Keep an eye on the skier (mirror) as you scan the
water for other boaters or dangers.
- When the skier falls, the observer yells “skier down”! Slow down and make a
180-degree turn to retrieve the skier.
- When approaching the skier, proceed at no-wake speed, keeping the skier in
sight at all times.
- Maneuver the boat along side the skier on the same side as the operator to
keep an eye on him or her at all times throughout the evolution.
- Once the boat is close to the skier, shut the engine off and let the skier
swim to the boat for pickup.
- If maneuvering the towline to the skier, a figure 8-pattern works well. Always
go slow to allow the skier to grab the rope. Once the skier grabs the rope, slow
or stop the boat and allow the skier time to reset for the next tow.
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