How do you handle boat ramp terrors?

DeloBoarder · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 131 City: Knoxville

Warning: RANT

I went to the usual put-in the other day to take a quick, chill evening set with a couple friends. When we arrived and got out to prep everything, I notice three jetskis doing donuts literally within 30 yards of the ramp itself. One was only about 25 feet away and directly in front of the ramp. Reminder: this is a clearly marked, NO SWIMMING, NO WAKE ZONE area. I watched as a small family somehow managed to load up their two jetskis on their trailer amidst the waves and chaos created by the others. I figured they would move away at least some when I backed my boat in. No, I backed in, friend started the boat and was off the trailer all the while having one of them chase his jetski around in a circle after he'd fallen off about 15 feet away from my boat. Surely, I thought, they'll stop long enough for him to clear the ramp and come pick me up after I park the truck. I'm glad I wasn't in the boat at this point because I was walking toward the dock and to my horror, I watched as one guy turned a donut, fell off, and his jetski started to circle and came within only a few feet of smashing into the rear of my family's boat.

My question is this, how do you handle a situation like this? I'm usually very chill and patient, and I appreciate everyone's right to enjoy the lake. On the other hand, however, this kind of thing really just makes my blood boil, and had I been on the boat, I'm afraid I would probably have started spouting obscenities Evil or Very Mad

Everyone runs into or WAS at one point the typical lake newbies, but sometimes things just go too far

jmlloyd · Criminal Joined: 20 May 2010 Posts: 61

I don't know that there is any "good" way to handle the situation. As I am usually boarding with my family, I would lean towards trying to ignore it and get out of the area as quickly as possible. I may mention to them the difficulty of launching with them in the area. If they don't listen or get hostile, then let them be. They are too ignorant to reason with and you will end up more upset later. The good news is that if they keep up the stupid behavior, then natural selection will take it's course and you may not have to deal with them much longer. These are the types of bozos you read about in the paper.

pet575 · Posted: Jun 10, 2011 1:39 pm Post subject:

Guys are either oblivious or just don't care. Either way, I wouldn't take it into my own hands when lake patrol or someone like that can deliver an ass-chewing and a ticket all at once without me having to worry about it.

holdsworth · Posted: Jun 10, 2011 3:28 pm Post subject:

I don't depend on ramp lake patrol anywhere I go to do anything. At alll the lakes I go to back home, I have double the experience on the water than most of them do. I would've caused a scene at the ramp and chewed them out for what they were doing. If they ignored or got s#itty with me, I would come up with something creative.

Craig-R · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 19 Dec 2008 Posts: 1676

savage3221 · Posted: Jun 10, 2011 5:32 pm Post subject:

I would start with the nice approach. Sometimes people are just so stupid that they don't even realize what they're doing wrong. But, if they give me any guff I'm gonna get pissed about something like what they were doing pretty quickly.

DeloBoarder · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 131 City: Knoxville

these are all interesting takes for sure

Like I said, I wasn't on the boat when that guy almost hit the boat with his jetski. Unfortunately I was still walking towards the dock, or else I probably would've done some chewing. I just couldn't believe these guys were so stupid to be doing all this in a clearly marked no wake zone AND no swimming area.

Craig-R, that's crazy about your friend. I had a similar yet not quite so close encounter with a fishing boat tailing me while I was riding. Had I fallen, it could've been bad. Just landed a jump and looked behind me to see this boat following way too close on that side of the wake.

TnR6Rida · Posted: Jun 12, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject:

Pull out your glock and start busting caps in asses.

Wakeboarder3780 · Posted: Jun 12, 2011 8:47 pm Post subject:

I voted for politely asking them to stop, but really my course of actions is this:

Take the high road, try to be nice and see if they are receptive to it. Depending on their reaction, I got to plan B which is full out make a scene complete with threats of physical harm if they come near my boat ever again.

When it comes to any situation i think you always get farther with trying to keep a cool head, so you're on the right track.

However if personal safety is being involved (which is the only reason i pull anyone aside anyway) and they aren't receptive to me - I will let myself get heated and in faces. I'm not going to hold back when my rider's safety is at stake (or my own - i ride too) and I don't see the problem with that. I'm a bigger guy and I can handle myself so I don't have a problem playing the "I'll kick you're F*cking a$$ if you pull anything like that again" card.

If you aren't a big guy, 48 states allow conceal and carry. Show your piece and mention that you don't mind protecting yourself if necessary.

Again my approach is always try the nice route. But if they aren't listening - I'm an angry alpha male with mama bear syndrome when it comes to my riders safety. I'll make all the belligerent threats I want if they're endangering my crew and follow up on them if necessary.

I think you just have to escalate appropriately:
A) Ask nicely
B) Inform them that what they're doing is unlawful
C) Inform them that you can report them to the authorities and they can get tickets for said unlawfulness
D) (at this point they aren't reasonable at all) Take the alpha male standpoint and go as far as you want to try to go. I personally wouldn't go the gun route, but I'm not above threatening physical harm on someone who's doing the same to me.

*shrug*

I'd put contacting the DNR in there somewhere but i've always been more about handling things myself. Depends what type of person you are.

For the record I've only had to pull someone aside once. What they were doing was riding straight at my down riders and turning when less than 40' away. The rider would have their arm up waving like crazy and I'd be hauling my ass at them to throw the boat inbetween the two of them just to have them cut hard at the last second.

I pulled them aside at the launch afterwards. I went the polite approach but they could tell i was a little hot under the collar about it. They got defensive and claimed they always saw the downed rider but just wanted to give their rider as long of a straight set as possible.

I asked them to keep a bigger distance because it made me and my riders uncomfortable and they pretty much just stayed on with the "we see you, dude" story. The next couple of times they were out, however, they did stay further away.

I would pull them aside in an instant if they did the same crap they used to do and I wouldn't be as nice this time around. I think it's every boaters responsibility to keep things safe out there: which includes asking people to stop unsafe behavior. I'm also the one thats always dropping the line and picking up big sticks and logs so noboyd hits it with their boat / board / rider's head.

The lake is what we all make it.

DeloBoarder · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 131 City: Knoxville

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

I would agree with the nice approach first and try to educate them. Before trying to tell them what they should be doing, I would ask if they know the rules and basic etiquette. If they aren't receptive or just want to be jerks I would just get their registration numbers and call lake patrol.

We had a couple interesting things happen this weekend at the lake.

First one...

I had backed the truck and trailer down the ramp and was waiting for my wife to drive the boat onto the trailer. The truck next to me was loading a Malibu. The guy wa struggling and had to make a couple of attempts. While he was doing that and my wife was waiting a bit of a distance away, a couple boats came plowing through the area at a pretty good speed, throwing rollers towards the ramp. The area is kind of a pass through from one part of the lake to the other with a "No wake" zone right by the ramps so it is best to idle through there for safety and courtesy. Just as the guy pretty much gets it on the trailer he says to me "These boats are a little tough to get on the trailer", which told me he may be new to inboards. I said, "Yeah, they take a little getting used to and if you just keep at it you'll figure it out pretty quick." I also said "It doesn't make it any easier when you have inconsiderate people like them throwing rollers over here (pointed at the boats that plowed through previously)". So my wife gets the boat on the trailer and off we go. She heard me talking to the guy and she was cracking up. When I asked why she was laughing she told me that when I was getting the truck, that guy had done the same thing plowing right through there throwing rollers heading to the ramp to load his boat. LOL!

Then...

As we were wiping the boat down this nice Malibu comes driving into the same area loaded with people doing power turns all over the place and blaring the tunes. Not really the best place to be doing that as previously mentioned. There is an enclosed fishing dock right there too so I'm sure they were rocking that pretty good. As we had pulled out and got over to our unload and wipe area, I had noticed the local police (who are also in charge of lake patrol) had a vehicle pull in and it seemed like they were looking for someone in particular. When I went to throw our trash in the trash can I realized they got who they were looking for just as that Malibu drove to park and wipe themselves (of course they chose to park right behind a bunch of other trucks and trailers blocking them in if they wanted to leave instead of parking in the outer loop like you're supposed to). It seemed as though the driver of the Malibu was who they were after and he was getting the field sobriety test as I threw away my trash.

I guess you could say that what comes around goes around. Always be courteous and respectful of each other, be safe, follow the rules, and do your best to teach those that are ignorant by politely talking to them or having lake patrol do it.

SouthWaker · Posted: Jun 13, 2011 10:13 am Post subject:

No one goes to the lake with the intentions to hurt others. We go to the lake to relax, have fun and get into our own world. For people that haven't grew up on the water, it is easy for them to get caught up in their own world and forget about others. As long as their actions aren't harming others I'll remind them that they can get a ticket for (insert noob action here) during a casual chit chat.

As for the common sense going out the window even I lose my cool more quickly. Two times I remember off the top of my head, one being buzzed by another ski boat when picking up my rider. This guy has been on the lake forever and is notorious for spending to much time turned around watching his skier than looking ahead. The other I was coming under a low bridge one day and halfway through a deck boat comes through on half plane. I though the tower was going to get torn off the boat. I asked them if they bothered to read the six no wake cones around the bridge but they wanted to play dumb as if they didn't know they had done anything. They started speaking english though when they learned they were an inch away from paying 4 grand for a new tower and gel coat repair.

pet575 · Posted: Jun 13, 2011 11:07 am Post subject:

I voted for alerting the appropriate lake authorities based on how things are at my lake and with the limited example in mind. At my lake, the water patrol has a hard-on to take someone down for whatever they can so I'm just feeding hungry dogs w/ the jetski example. If it is out on the water, then I would handle it loudly and in an unfriendly way if me, my boat, or my riders/swimmers are threatened.

LaynDoor · Outlaw Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 152 City: Meriden CT

Rent a slip and never have to deal with boat launch antics ever again... best money you will ever spend!

Its worth the 1-2k per year so that you can enjoy your 25-80K boat without frustration.

pet575 · Posted: Jun 14, 2011 8:54 am Post subject:

boardordie · Posted: Jun 14, 2011 12:00 pm Post subject:

DeloBoarder, Sorry to be the one to point this out to you but... you created your own problem. You saw the mayhem happening and yet you still chose to launch the boat. If I had seen the same thing happening I would have waited at the ramp until the jetskiers moved on or I had gotten their attention and could safely launch the boat.

Regarding to close jetskiers or boats in open water... I get my riders attention and instruct them with a hand signal to ride directly behind the boat and not cut out or jump the wake. I then drive to the nearest shore line and drop the rider. If the shore is to far away I alert everyone in the boat I'm about to do a hard power turn and have the ride cut out and turn back into the rider using the boat as a shield for the downed rider against the jetski or boat. 21' of boat turning hard back into them usually gets them to realize they're traveling to close to you!! If the jetski/boat continues to be a problem then it's on like donkey kong... but the riders safety comes first!

I'm also about to install a wetsounds WS-420 equilizer so I can use my twin pro-485's to talk to my riders. I figure yelling through that at someone following to close will get their attention! Twisted Evil

DeloBoarder · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 131 City: Knoxville

man it would definitely be sweet to own a slip! On my lake, however, I would definitely have to have a lift it's so dirty Laughing

jnowell006 · Newbie Joined: 28 May 2011 Posts: 1 City: laplace

i know here in LA depending on where your at in a no wake zone there is a good chance if you get caught by some camp owners there may be a couple bullets flying your way. ive actually heard of some incidents where a couple guys had given one guy a couple warnings about it and the next time he passed they shot at the boat.

Plave · Newbie Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Posts: 34

Jet skis banned on our lake, private slip, speed limit keeps away all the racers and idiots. Pretty much serious riders only on our lake it's great.

Freezing cold 12 months a year but everything else is great. Laughing

anw7405 · Outlaw Joined: 10 Sep 2010 Posts: 188 City: edmond

haha. Ive been talking about this sooo much lately. We usually are on the water march - october. the people who are out there at those times are die hard boaters and usually know what they are doing. then comes summer and the holidays..........WOW! This is better than any show on TV(if you are not in a hurry)! These people who take their boat out 2-3 times a year can't even back a car up much less back a truck and boat up. I seen a guy the other day at our docks (we have two lanes) strattle the two lanes with one tire on each and thought it was fine. Another guy ran off the ramp and split his tire. this didnt stop him though instead of getting out of the way he looks at it for 15 min and then gets out a can of fix a flat and never lets anybody go in front of him Shocked

If any day you are board just go to a boat ramp on a nice day.....people are crazy.

Most people are just ignorant to the subject of ramps and boating and need to be informed. I help some people and 99% of the time they appreciate the knowledge.

Red57Bird · Soul Rider Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 316 City: Raleigh

kartman · Posted: Jun 16, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject:

your buddy should of jumped on the ski and dropped it off in the middle of the lake after a quick joy ride!