Jerry Hale

Jerry writes about leisure activities at the lake in his monthly column.

Recent columns

• Stalking stripers
• How to steer clear of boating boo-boos
• Recipe for safe boating in 2008
• Getting your waterfront ready for the season

Wakesurfing, a relatively new variation on towed board sports, is becoming increasingly popular as more and more riders have access to modern wake-sport towboats designed to provide a safe and suitable "platform" for taking part.

Surfing a boat's wake requires a specially designed board -- somewhat larger than a wakeboard and minus any foot bindings -- and an inboard towboat. The rider gets pulled up with a very short rope -- about 20 feet long -- and is propelled along by the boat's first wake, which curls just 10-20 feet behind at speeds of 10-11 mph.

In contrast to outboards and sterndrives, an inboard boat's churning propeller is safely buried three feet forward of the boat's transom, where it presents no hazard to a rider skimming along within easy earshot of observers in the boat.

"No one -- absolutely no one -- should experiment with wakesurfing behind a stern drive or outboard-powered boat, period," said Rusty Richardson of the SML Water Safety Council. "Surfing can be safely done only behind inboard and jet-driven boats."

It also takes a specially designed, heavily ballasted boat to create a surfable wake. Modern wake-sport towboats come with built-in ballast tanks for that purpose. Even then, the wake typically must be "sweetened" with supplemental water bags and several passengers seated on the riding (usually port) side.

With the advent of wakesurfing have come questions concerning its safety and legality.

Sgt. Bryan Young of Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said of the legality of the sport: "A charge of reckless operation for wakesurfing was appealed last year and was dismissed in Franklin County Circuit Court. We have no reason to consider surfing the wake of a proper inboard towboat unsafe or illegal."

Nevertheless, some surf-boat drivers have reported being stopped and cited by enforcement officers for violating the "... running boats must stay 50 feet from docks and swimmers" rule.

One example: Wakesurfing enthusiast Jerry Stump said, "I got pulled over on Claytor Lake ... told that it is illegal in the state of Virginia. My family has spent thousands to be able to do this safely and properly and has been doing it for three years, only to find out we are breaking the law."

"From a distance, the sport looks rather dangerous. We are working to educate our officers on what's legal and what isn't," Young said. Vincent Popowitch, assistant officer in charge of the SML U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary station, agreed that there is a need for officer education.

"Wakesurfing is new to all of us, and there have been no specifics on what's permitted and what isn't communicated down the chain of command," he said.

Micah Gaudio, owner of Wake N Skate at Bridgewater Plaza and an avid wakesurfer, said he, too, believes an educational seminar for enforcement officers is needed.

"When we first started surfing, we knew it would raise official eyebrows, so I contacted DGIF to discuss the safety aspects," he recalled. That was a couple years ago; now that the sport is more widespread, he said it is time for a refresher.

"We're especially concerned," Gaudio added, "because when officers flash lights or [sound] a siren at a boat that is towing a surfer, the operator's natural reaction is to come to a stop. An unsuspecting surf rider can easily crash right into the back of the boat, creating real potential for injury."

As with water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing or any tow-boat sport, drivers should shut down the engine when riders are in the water near the back of the boat to avoid inhalation of carbon monoxide fumes, Gaudio said, especially with the older direct-drive inboards. (Modern towboats use exhaust systems that divert fumes to the side or under the water.)

"Teak" or "platform" surfing (being dragged along while clinging to a boat's swim platform) is extremely dangerous and violates Virginia statutes.

"Boaters can count on being stopped and ticketed for engaging in this activity," Young warned.

He also pointed out the rules for passengers in any boat, whether the boat is towing a rider or just cruising: Occupants must be properly seated inside a vessel that is underway.

"Sitting on a boat's bow, aft deck or gunwhales without proper protective railings/handholds violates Virginia statutes and will be cited," he said.

While not required by law if observers are present, it is strongly recommended that anyone being towed wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest designed for towed watersports.

"It just makes good sense," said Young.