When will boating/pwc licenses be REQUIRED?

Erik

Had another day of fun, and madness, on the lake this weekend.

I saw a black bass boat fishing near my buddy's house before we started our set. I noticed them becuase there were 2 dudes on the boat fishing and drinking, and a girl was on a lounge chair on the front catching some rays. It was a weird sight, but kind of cool.

So about 20 minutes later I saw them kneeboarding, then tubing, then someone was trying their hand at wakeboarding. A few hours later as I was pulling a buddy of mine, I looked in the mirror and saw the black bass boat following us, at our 5 o' clock or so, and at the same approximate speed as us. Perfect for fitting in my blind spot and my riders' blind spot. Then they pulled closer and if my rider had cut out he would easily have been able to hit the boat. He didnt see them till I lost it and started waving at the bass boat.

They slow down and pull aside. Later on we were at the dock eating lunch, and the black bass boat cruises by and gives us a glare. We glared back. Pointless. What is this; petty high-school sunday afternoon BS.

So we got to talking about it. It isn't a stupidity problem (I say that with my hopes that the human race is not as dumb as they can apear behind the handlebars of a jetski or wheel of a boat) but an ignorance problem.

There is barely any enforcement of the rules of safety on my lake - occasionally a boat patrol cop will come by but even that is rare - so people are required to approach the lake at their own risk, putting their own safety at risk, not to mention everyone elses. I'm not saying that the boat cops need to get on the lake and bust our balls for carying ballast tanks, or making sure we have a bilge cup, whistle or any of the other pointless required items - I am taking about safety. I still can't believe that boat owners are not required to have a license or some equivalent proof-of-capability. It has gotten to the point where the 150-300 feet rules are thrown out the window, and we only cry bull**it when it cuts into the 65 foot range (the space where my rider could actually crash into a passing boat or jetski).

What's worse is that this problem gets worse every year. I am considering taking this to the town's board of selectmen. Small steps, but at least on one huge public lake people can start obeying very VERY simple rules of safety. Anyone else kind of worked up about that?

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

a manager from sea-ray was killed last weekend in a bass boat by being run over by a ski boat on douglas lake in east tn. i was told by the medics that it was not pretty.

i just stay off the lake on the weekends. i have been run over once and i don't want that to happen again. lotso idiotsa out there. licenses or not.

boardstiff · Soul Rider Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 264 City: Canada

Looks like this is a problem everywhere not just up here in Canada. Some people have total disregard for any of the rules that go along with owning a boat or jet ski. Here in Ontario they are slowly implementing a pleasure craft operators licence. Anyone born in 1981 or after must have one to operate anything above a 10 hp motor. Everyone must have one if operating anything 4 meters in length (jet skis) or smaller with more then a 10 hp motor and as for the rest of us we are not required to have anything untill 2009. What are the rules obtaining to a boating licence were your from?

wesgardner · Posted: Aug 23, 2004 10:19 am Post subject:

Hey All,

Here in Maryland anyone born after 1972 (I think) is required to take a boating safety course. There is no age limit, if you can read and understand the material and then pass the test, you're good to go. PWCs can only be operated by those older than 16 years. who have taken and passed the course.

Both of my daughters have their license to drive a boat, neither is old enough to operate a PWC, but they can operate my 400 HP ski boat.... Shocked

I DO believe this is a step in the right direction however.

Wes

Powaman · Outlaw Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 170 City: escanaba

Ya i hear ya. Here there are many asswholes who don't know how to stay the hell outta the way. I get pissed. Usually I just pull out the airhorn and blast em and shake my cellphone in my hand. One day I even called in the boat, with the registration number, who almost was within 25 ft my boarder. I also hate dumby wumby jetskiiers. Now don't get me wrong many aren't asswholes. Me and my girlfriend take hers out, we see a boat or people skiing we move out where it's rougher.

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

I wonder what Leggester thinks.

Is requiring a license taking away our freedom and just creating more government beurocracy?

Diggs · Addict Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 627 City: Portland

In Oregon you are required to have a license. Believe me there are still idiots, but I could see it getting better in the future or if more people pay attention to these boards.

Brit Rider · Posted: Aug 23, 2004 12:16 pm Post subject:

next year the major watersports lake in the UK - windermere - is being practically closed. this is partly down to ecological reasons (which are yet to be proven) and partly to the ass holes that give us boat users a bad name.

I was there last week and saw so many dangerously weighted boats and people just being plain dumb with their driving.. it costs £40 to register for the year to use the lake.. and then the restrictions are minimal. you can go out and buy a 1200 hp offshore racing boat and take it on if you want.... or as many people do.. go out and buy an old un reliable 14ft ski boat with no training or idea on how to operate it.

I am all up for growing the sport and people having fun on the lake.. but with so little guidance and no need for any kind of boat safety or driving proficiancy test its crazy out there!

And now.. because of this: the lake is having a 10 mph speed limit implemented as of march '05. this sucks bigtime as now i have to board on the sea (and spend an extra £2k on having closed water cooling fitted to my next boat) all because their has been no quality management of the lake.

all it needs is a higher registration cost so the lake can be maintained to a higher standard and for people to have to take a driving test and have an annual boat inspection upon registration. I don't understand why this hasn't happened but it should have.

I guess the point i'm trying to make is - the majority of people int he UK are crying out to have safety improved to protect us and others.. but the authorities don't listen and therefore we lose facilites due to the small minority that ruin it with lack of education and bad judgement. because the industry is so small.. its literally ignored by the government. i just hope this doesn't happen to any of your large lakes Shocked

I can't see any future andy mapples or heaney brothers coming out of the UK if our facilities are abused by some and taken away by others.

ok majorly too long post and rant over. Rolling Eyes

boarditup · Addict Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 731 City: Allendale, MI

I was a US Coast Guard Investigating Officer and was required to pass the Navigation Rules test - closed book. All commercial captains must pass a similar test. They also must have a number of hours on the water under a licensed driver. Sound similar to automobile driving?

While I bristle at the thought of government intervention in our lives and certainly do not want to have another bureaucracy, I do see the point.

I can see the utility of a "B" or boating endorsment on a driver's license to operate in state waters. Use the Nav Rules exams the USCG uses. Make it so that the license can be revoked. Personally, I would take the test every year if it would imporove safety on the water. The Nav Rules are not hard, but it takes some study - particularly on signals.

I hate to think of this becoming a reality. But, we may have to implement something like this because of simple ingnorance.

lumpy · Criminal Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Posts: 99

I am to the point that we go when everyone else is off the lake. On the weekends we try to go either between 7-10am or between 5-8pm. Through the week is the best, leave work at 5pm, in the water at 5:45. I absolutely refuse to go on holidays.

Not sure which is needed more, license or enforcement, likely both. Maybe a license should include a pull to the water, unload, drive, docking and load up. After watching someone do all of these it wouldn't be hard to see who needs a little more attention before getting on the water with others. And maybe there should be a $1k fine for getting within 150 feet of a rider/skier and $500 fine for failing to give right of way. On lake I frequent if they would just place spotters in about 5 locations they could write enough tickets on one holiday weekend to re-do every boat ramp on the lake.

The rest of what I see relates more to courteous behavior. Two weekends ago we were waved down by a pontoon that was out of gas. They were about a 1/4 mile from the marina and had been there for about an hour. Before we got to them I personally watched 5 boats ride by them, no telling how many boats passed them up.

astro209 · Soul Rider Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 279 City: Nor*Cal

I'll never forget my experience with that kind of ignorance...

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=15042&highlight=

I guess it is just like driving... you always have to look out for the other idiots. After our experience, I did a number of things to improve our ability to handle things of this nature...

1.) We got a very loud air horn and it is accessible by everyone on the boat at all times.

2.) If anyone notices a boat in a dangerous position, we signal the boarder and the boarder will get directly behind the boat until either we can move to another spot, or the other boat moves.

3.) I have actually practiced emergency boating maneuvers.... I can get the boat into a position between the rider and any oncoming boats in an extremely fast manner even weigted down. I figure other boats will have a much better chance of seeing the boat then the downed rider, and if not, then I guess we all bail and let the insurance companies take care of the rest, no need for us to get hurt in my opinion.

Erik Jernberg, do you think the guy even knew why you were pissed at him (ignorance)? I know people hate confrontation, and this is a very tense issue, but maybe letting the guy know what he had done in the best way you could have could have helped. Then, if he acts like an ass, he deserves an ass whoppin... Maybe that will make him think twice about his actions!!! LOL!!! I know the guy that almost ran over my girlfriend knew exactly what he had done. I would not be surprised if he left for the rest of the day after I lit into him....

AndyAndy · Addict Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 660 City: cutchogue

more than liscencing is needed, remember pretty much any idiot could go out and get a car liscence as well. I think the course i took to get my boating liscence a few years ago should be mandatory to operate any boat longer than a certain length and it should include jetskis cuz jetskiers are the biggest problem

absolutofft · Outlaw Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 162 City: Langley

I took the PCOC test at the boatshow for free in vancouver. The test was far too easy and definitely isn't going to cause less accidents. The test should just state this 50 times in bold type.

ALWAYS PASS ON THE RIGHT
ALWAYS PASS ON THE RIGHT
ALWAYS PASS ON THE RIGHT
ALWAYS PASS ON THE RIGHT

I ride in a small channel which can have 6 boats in it at the same time and when you get some idiot in there who doesn't know what direction to turn or which side to pass on then things can get pretty scary.

One other time I had a woman nearly run me over in her boat while towing her husband slalom skiing. Then when she got back to the dock she said I shouldn't have been on the right side of the river and she didn't want to move in case she upset her husband's slalom run. Rolling Eyes

When I think back on it now I should've just punched her right in the nose for nearly killing me. Laughing

grapic · Outlaw Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 192

In Tennessee new law starts Jan 1, 2005. If your born after 12/31/89 you must take a boating safety course and pass an exam to receive your license.

Brit Rider · Posted: Aug 24, 2004 12:13 pm Post subject:

i wish we had something like that in the UK! i can't understand why nothing has been implemented

SupremeWake · Soul Rider Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 322

We certainly need something in Indiana too! Its nice to hear that I'm not the only one fed up with all the jerks out there.

My other biggest gripe is the bass-ers who think they constantly need to throw their damn luers under, into, on top of my boat & boat house. When I'm outside and they are trolling by I just stand out on the dock and wait for them to pass by. I find that they are less likely to throw at my boat if I'm standing there Smile

I still find their stupid luers on top of my roof, hooked to my lift cradle and sometimes IN MY BOAT. ...drives me nutz! It just makes me want to video tape them one time and then file a law suit, getting them to pay for repairs of all the vinyl in my boat. Not sure if I'd have any real legal standing there, but its a comforting thought.

-supreme

Sky Blue Lou · Posted: Aug 24, 2004 5:04 pm Post subject:

NH has a test. It's phased in by age - the older you are now the longer you can go. Everybody has to pass it by 2007 or 2008.

Maine- where my camp and boat are has zippo at this point as far as I know.

lou

tama2015 · Newbie Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 11

maybe they should implement limited hours for jet-skiers. cant ride between noon and 5, or something to that effect.

DiyGuy · Soul Rider Joined: 26 Dec 2003 Posts: 460

Texas has required boater certifiction for operators of PWC and motor boats for 14 yrs and up. If beyond 18, nothing required.

Tx will also require anyone take the full 8 hour couse if cited for a violation on the water.

Was funny...I wanted my 14 yr old to take the course, so I just sat along and took it too. There were a lot of kids getting certification for the PWC rule, but a marked mandatory audience of adults who sheepishly admitted why they were there.

They asked me, and I said, to make sure my kid understands the rules before I turn him loose w/ 325 HP with his buddies!