Severe Weather

h2oman · Newbie Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 46 City: Dallas

Have you been caught out on the lake during severe weather? What happened and how did you handle it?

LakeIolaLuke · Posted: May 09, 2007 7:06 pm Post subject:

h2oman, I drove in to shore

OuachitaWaker · Addict Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 577 City: Hot Springs

dude just keep boardin the rain might feel like needles but that just means ur hardcore

matt1808 · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 05 Feb 2004 Posts: 1981

about every summer on a houseboat Laughing

never fails there is always a tornado nearby or 40-50 mph winds. You just have to pull anchor get on the main lake and drive into the wind. pretty stressful getting everything secured and ready though, especially when you have boats lined along side.

only been caught in an open boat a couple times. no big deal there just drive to shore like lakeiolaluke said.

pet575 · Posted: May 10, 2007 5:58 am Post subject:

I got caught in the middle of a strong thunderstorm a couple of years ago. We were out cruising, and noticed some dark clouds forming, so we decided to turn around and go in. We rounded a bend and got hit head-on. Largest waves I've ever seen in my life on a lake. We were in my old 1974 I/O, which had a hull that has been loving called a "water slapper." I nosed the bow into the waves at about 45 degrees and gave it just enough throttle to keep the bow up in the air.

Worst part was, my wife was about 7 months pregnant and the waves were beating us to death. I finally found a cove to pull up on the shore and "hide" a bit until it passed. I swore she was going to deliver the boy right then and there, but he stayed in and even baked for another 2 months.

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

Yeah, we parked and hid under some guys boat slip. I'd rather have some psycho yell at me then get hit by lightning. Laughing

devon · Posted: May 10, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

i just went to the nearest shore.
there was a very bad storm last summer, the worst annyone in my family has ever seen. you couldnt see 3 feet ahead of you all the trees on the property were ripped out of the ground.
luckily for that one i wasnt in the boat
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--cresko-- · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 496

Last summer, out of no where while i was in tow huge waves started up, in 2 mins it went from glass to ocean. Waves were around 3 feet sometimes more. Pouring rain too.

Heres a shot as the storm was just rolling in. We had a 20 min ride, and the waves kept getting bigger. But the response pushed through.

jlaws · Addict Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 832 City: NC

drove to shore. put the boat on the trailer, went home.

oh no, but it wasn't that calm. there was lightning striking everywhere around us and i scared the crap out of myself when it hit a power pole about 100 yards away

LFADAM · Posted: May 10, 2007 4:11 pm Post subject:

Haha we have done a few different things...

The worst was when my friends parents tried to get my friend out of the house to set up his surprise bday party so we went out in the boat and tubed even though it was obvious a storm was brewing. Sure enough, we get to the next cove and the wind picks up, the waves pick up, and the sky turns black. Then a lightning bolt hit a few hundred yards away with thunder that was so loud that I could feel it in the boat. We immediately got in the boat and hauled home.

Another time we were coming home from a local comp about 30 mins north on the lake. We saw the storm straight ahead in the distance and knew we had to beat it home. Unfortunately we couldnt speed up because there were TONS of boats on the lake all flying home (so there were wakes everrrywherree) and the wind had already picked up a lot so we had a 2 ft white capping wind chop to go with it. We pounded through the waves head on at about 15 mph the whole way home. We saw one CRAZY fishing boat with 2 hard core rednecks that flew by us, literally flew. Laughing

They were going somewhere around 50+ mph and hit a wake or big chop and lifted out of the water and tilted a good bit too. I thought they were gonna flip! Gotta love Virginia....Anyways, luckily we beat the storm by about 2 minutes. Cool

P hat in Cincy · Posted: May 11, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

For the first time ever, our houseboat (with 3 boats tied to it) gone blown loose by an incoming storm last year. Luckily we knew of pending severe weather and had eyes on the tie lines. The minute it let loose we scrambled to get boats launched and houseboat untied (decided to head back to dock...it was last night of trip). Idling across the lake in pitch dark, in a driving rain, with lighting flashing all around, with a metal tower above your head was not a comfortable feeling. Thankfully the lake stayed calm.

FLWake · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 274

Right now we have all of these brush fires here in Florida. I go to school in St. Pete (right outside of Tampa) and there is a thick fog outside-only its not fog, its smoke. As far as I know the nearest fire is over 50 miles away, and visibility here is down to about 1/4 mile.

I know its not really a storm or weather, but it still sucks!

Chattwake · Posted: May 11, 2007 9:27 am Post subject:

One time we were riding in Vonore, TN on Tellico lake when a lightning storm came up. Luckily we were near the Searay Plant and a friend of mine, Turner, was working there as an engineer. We tied up to their well cushioned covered dock and hid underneath. It was scary as hell, because lightning kept striking the roof of the mastercraft plant accross the cove, and right next to the Searay dock was a fueling station for the big cruizers. Nothing happened, but I kept expecting the whole thing to blow up like the godfather.

going_commando · Newbie Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 3

Wen me and m buds Krack went out in stormy weather, we just went to the ruiver and road that then on the way back we decided to see how long we can hot the waves.... they were white caps haha Shocked

garveyj · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 877 City: Savage, MN

Hyrific · Newbie Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 36

Oh man I'll never forget this

2 summers ago I was in Lake powell and we were just staying in the slips. I took our boat out across the bay and anchored it in a cove to do a little hike up to a plateue. I had anchored not far from a campsite and a small anchored houseboat. the boat was doubled anchored.

We began climbing the plateu and right as I reached the top of the plateu a wind storm came up from 0mph to 50 mph. I yelled stuff as loud as I could and started a dead run down the plateu toward the shore. It took me about 10 minutes to make it to shore and as I was running past the camp site it got abliterated by the wind as it reached above 60mph. There whole 8 man tent was picked up with all there stuff in it and blown out to sea. allong will all there camp chairs and everything.

I got to the closest shore to my boat and it was being blown away with the anchors dragging. I ran out to sea and tried to swim to it but I was so exhasted from running and the waves were 2 ft swells I almost drowned. The wind was too strong and the boat was moving away to fast. so I made it back to shore. I looked at the small houseboat owner as he was out of his boat making sure his runabout was tied to the housboat well and his engines were running to keep his boat in the right place and yelled "Help me get my Boat! Its blowing away into the Boey field where it will be destroyed!" He looked at me, looked at the wind storm said "NO!" then ran back into his houseboat.

I vowed then and there If my boat blew away I would run into his houseboat and beet him into dust.

I ran along the shore line of the cove it was blowing out of and at the low points of the waves you could see the anchors would try and catch and then be pulled out. This was slowing it down some so I headed out into the lake at the end of the cove for one last ditch effort to catch the boat. For some miricle it was shallower at the mouth of the cove and the anchors slowed it enough I barely caught it. I was so happy that the boat wasn't going to be lost forever I fogave the door knob that wouldn't helped me and drove back to pickup the rest of the group as them made it down the slopes of the plateu.

Craziest storm I have ever had to deal with.

going_commando · Newbie Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 3

Hahaha, sorry bout that, the school keyboards are really shitty... im trying Smile

and wow thats pretty crazy.

Hyrific · Newbie Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 36

I guess you can't type d0uche bag

pet575 · Posted: May 18, 2007 10:44 am Post subject:

Commando, I STILL don't know what in the hell you were trying to say.

typeRider · Criminal Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 99 City: austin

a buddy of mine had been snapping bi-levels so the local shop let him take out a brand new '05 karma still in the plastic as a demo till they got something figured out. as soon as i got off work we took my ski. got about 10 minutes of riding in then this huge black cloud came up on us and the wind picked up. the ramp was packed so we were like alright we'll wait it out on shore till we can get out. well then the rain starts and wind speed increases. then the friggin hail and again the wind increases. so we're wearing our vests and holding the karma above us to keep from gettin pelted. well the jetski takes off because the wind got so strong. my buddy jumped for it and i was still holding the board. i was lifting it over my head to put it in front of me and the wind caught it and it blew somewhere above me. it was too rainy to see where it went. so once everything cleared the ski was fine and we were fine but the karma had landed on a huge pile of rocks and got pretty bad dings. one of which literally took off an entire corner of it. the shop fixed it for me and i ended up still having to buy it. not all bad though. got a brand new slightly beat karma for 100 bucks. i still ride it too.

Hero · Outlaw Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 129

Last year I was riding and then a storm rolled in, so i started heading back to the dock and a lightning bolt hit the water right next to my boat. the lightning displaced the water (made a hole in the water) and i could see the lake bed. it was crazy.

wakeboarder89 · Addict Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Posts: 637

ive been caught in storms a few times, im always trying to push my luck. Its only a 5 minute boat ride back to the marina. But one time i was out and waiting to get into the marina casue everyone had run in and i was sitting there with my hadn on the throttle and i guess lightning struck somewhere close cause i got shocked.

wakeboarder89 · Addict Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Posts: 637

ive been caught in storms a few times, im always trying to push my luck. Its only a 5 minute boat ride back to the marina. But one time i was out and waiting to get into the marina casue everyone had run in and i was sitting there with my hadn on the throttle and i guess lightning struck somewhere close cause i got shocked.

--cresko-- · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 496

Hero, right....how deep was this? i dont beleive that at all. Rolling Eyes

Hero · Outlaw Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 129

it was only a couple feet deep. I swear it happened

waketek516 · Criminal Joined: 13 May 2007 Posts: 58 City: Long Island

Being from Long Island you have to watch the weather... I've only been caught out on 2 storms, but lets just say that it gets a little rougher than what a lake would do:

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

Can you ride in that?

waketek516 · Criminal Joined: 13 May 2007 Posts: 58 City: Long Island

Willy · Outlaw Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: 159 City: Montreal

Still looks pretty choppy to me.

gene3x · Addict Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 759 City: Dallas

Damn I am spoiled I wouldn't ride in any of that crap! Shocked

We got caught in a storm a few weeks ago that is by far the worst of any lake storm in had been in. It went from dead calm (we were boarding) to 70mph straightline winds that came out of nowhere and we could not see 10 feet in front of the boat. 6 foot waves threatened to swamp us. I read later a tornado and water spout passed right near us. When we got back to the marina whole docks with 40 & 50 foot cruisers were broken from the main Dock and pushed into the back of the marina. It was the only time I have actually been concerned for my life in a boat.

CP3 · Outlaw Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 219 City: SC

I have been on lake mead in 50 MPH winds and the waves were getting up to about 7 feet.
I wouldnt do it again. Our big tige pushed through it tho

J.M.B · Posted: May 26, 2007 9:02 am Post subject:

got caught in lake ontario once, not boardin but salmon fishing, man it was crazy, 1.5 meter waves and a 20 foot boat dont mix, the bow would go sky high and all you could see was tsky, then it would tip and all u seen was water and a 60 degree crash into the water, the bow would go right under then come back up, it was possibly the scariest moment of my life, felt like the perfect storm, i had to time it perfect between waves to turn back to shore cause i was afraid if my boat didnt hit the waves head on i would have barrel rolled

very very scary we took on a lot of water in such a short period of time

Punkpenguin · Outlaw Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 224

We ride a pretty small lake but once the wind gets up passed like 10 mph it starts to get a little choppy IF we are not the only boat out.... I hate it, stupid jetski'ers and tubers always go to the flat side of the lake...

but if we're the only boat out, its usually glass because we drive a certain way so avoid alot of chop

<3 riding with the sun setting on GLASS, nothing better

Hero · Outlaw Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 129

I was fishing on lake erie on a little 16.5 foot inboard... The weather got bad and the waves were 4-5 feet high. At first it was kind of fun driving the boat in those waves (we got airborn a couple times) but then it started to rain and it was scary. Waves were coming over the bow and flooding the boat.

mjmurphy53711 · Outlaw Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 242 City: madison

Wakeboarded in a Tornado once, literally.

Had to run into a random persons house who didnt have a basement, watched it flip their pontoon while my boat 15 feet away was just fine.......knocked down 20 houses two blocks away.

This was in Stoughton WI if any of you remember it on the news two years ago.