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View Full Version : How do you deal with PWCs?



2biguns
06-20-2002, 09:07 AM
Every year, it seems, the problems with PWCs become worse and worse. This year is no exception.

If Amy and I try to go out for an easy, peaceful cruise, it's like being attacked by a hive of killer bees. The little b*st*rds come flying out of every slough and hit our wake as if their lives depended on it. It's almost as if they are hiding out around every corner waiting for a boat with any kind of wake to come by and heaven forbid you meet one going down the lake. They'll either whip a u-turn without any thought of oncoming traffic or will take a course that's aimed at about 3' in front of my bow.

I'm a very gentle person by nature, but I have gone so far as to consider buying a paint gun--especially for the kids. Nail them with a couple of quick shots to the side of the head with red paint balls then follow them home and explain to their parents that they should be glad it's paint and not blood.

We've tried everything from Amy yelling at them (which does not work--they act like they think she's getting ready to flash them so they just get closer) to stopping dead in the water and letting them go by. They just go ahead and wait for us to start over again. The other alternative is to drop the throttles but then they think you're trying to race them (which is comparable to beating up a hair dresser--if you win, so what and if you lose, you just got your a** kicked by a hair dresser (one of our best friends is one so I can say that :D ))

Alabama has a pretty strong statute regulating the operation of these monsters but our local water patrol officer is more interested in catching people who might have in their possession a couple of beers (we're a dry county) than going to the trouble of chasing down the pests.

Any thoughts?

How about the idiots pulling inner tubes who have no idea that there might be other boats on the water? Don't get me started :mad:

Stix Magill
06-20-2002, 09:31 AM
Steve,

We all know what you are talking about, and you are right. It is extremely frustrating.

When they ride too close, I wave them over and let them see me jot down there decal numbers and pic up the cell phone. Then I tell them the Water patrol will be by to speak to them shortly to go over the laws pertaining to distances between boats. Usually a hollow threat, but I have called them in extreme cases. Either way, they disappear (like roaches when you turn on the light)!

Hey, these SeeDoos are fun and can be ridden responsibly and conciderately. Unfortunately, 10% of the riders give the rest a bad name. My good friends have them and never harrass anyone.

harbormaster
06-20-2002, 09:59 AM
What I hate is when you come around a bend in a river and there are 4 of them side-by-side coming at you. They also have no concept of boating rules. I see kids that are not old enough to get a drivers license riding a PWC that will go 80mph+

ToonaFish
06-20-2002, 10:20 AM
The same way you deal with cats on your deck?

PWC seamanners take the Darwin Awards to a new level.

Just yesterday, a shiny new Seadoo is floating in the center of Allatoona's busiest channel. We approach, expecting to find a dead body. Nope, just two seadooer's bobbing alongside, reproducing.

Later, were cut off with a good four feet to spare by a Seadoo couple traveling at a snappy rate of speed. Wouldn't have been noteworthy, but for their year old toddler seated between them, slipping from their grasp. In their defense, he had a life jacket on. Adult sized.

Bunches,

Celene 'Seadoo, the name says it all'

2biguns
06-20-2002, 10:20 AM
Not only do they not understand the rules of behavior (i.e. LAWS) of boating, they also do not understand the rules of physics as they relate to boating, such as:

1. Boats do not have brakes
2. If a big boat hits a little boat, it's going to hurt the little boat a lot more

There's a group of kids around here that act like they have their own local branch of the Nautical Hell's Angels. Now I'll be the first to admit that in a confrontation between my F250 and a group of "real" Hell's Angels, you bet your you-know-what that I will graciously move aside and let them pass (I've got a great story about me taking care of an very young child I ran across backstage at a Hank, Jr. concert and discovering that her father was a 6'10" Angel), but I'll be d*mned if I'm going to head to the side of the lake so some pimple-faced kid running down the wrong side of the lake can pass without disturbance.

Tommy McDermott
06-20-2002, 10:22 AM
here in ohio to drive a pwc you need to be 18 and to drive a boat with a boaters license you can be 12.
easy way to get pwc's to leave you alone. let them get behind you, then back off and go off to a side they will go chase after another more appealing wake giving you time to get back on the gas and get right behind them. if their going to get infront of you, stay on the gas. dont let up because then they think they can ride your wake all day long.

mattyboy
06-20-2002, 10:27 AM
certification!!!!!!license!!!!!!!!

Matt

JP BRESCIA
06-20-2002, 10:44 AM
Just a theory but who knows.... As are most states in our union(yes, Scot Texas is also included) New Jersey's budget is running at or near a deficit. This is largely in part to the low interest rates and increasing unemployment. The states rec'v taxes on bank deposit interest and money market accounts. These are paying less than a third of what they rec'd last year. The state expenses are also increasing as a result of unemployment. In NJ we have experienced a sharp increase in the amount of State Police patrols and ticket writing to help with the revenue issue.
I know of 3 State Troopers that have been transfered from the street to the Marine Division for this summer. I suspect this is to generate more revenue from writing fines. The obvious target would be the PWC's. In NJ a PWC must stay at least 100 ft from other watercraft and a special license to operate them. If I was a State looking to generate revenue, targeting PWC would be EZ money. The PWC's may be in for a long summer. In NJ at least.

Forrest
06-20-2002, 10:48 AM
We just shoot 'em down here!! :D Alligators take care of what's left. eek!

blackhawk
06-20-2002, 01:37 PM
This is how I deal with the "wakejumpers" :)

http://www.donzi.net/photos/roost_2.jpg

2biguns
06-20-2002, 01:39 PM
Alabama has made reckless operation of a watercraft a class B misdemeanor (which is pretty darned serious--up to 6 months in jail and up to $1k fine). The problem is that all money from the fine ($25 minimum) goes to some kind of water safety fund.

We recently had our crazy Chief Justice Roy "10 commandments" Moore suspend all jury trials in the state due to lack of funding, which was nothing more than a scare tactic to get more funds. The Governor released a few million $$s in exchange for the court system's promise to pay the money back by stepping up collection of fines. Unfortunately, the increases have been via state troopers & highway patrols rather than water cops.

Gearhead99
06-20-2002, 05:48 PM
Not bad Fileted. Then throw the bones to the gators.

lou
06-20-2002, 06:15 PM
Two years ago I read this story in the local paper it happened in Lake Ida Florida. Two PCWS were jumping another boats wake and the people on that boat slowed down and started complaining to the PCWS, then the boat started returning to the dock at a slow rate of speed so as to not make any wake for them to jump. One of the PCWs followed the boat to the dock and purposely sprayed water on the people in the boat while they were at the dock. Then he sped away while looking in their direction and yelling at them; Well he rammed into the other Sea Doo severing the other rider’s leg, and then he comes over to dock begging the people that he just sprayed with water to call the paramedics. The problem is that he had also wet the guy’s cell phone and it did not work. By the time they got to a phone the person that was injured had bled to death, he was charged with manslaughter.

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-20-2002, 06:35 PM
For us I steer toward them and drift their way when they try to run beside us.

And I know what they say they can do, my neighbor got the new 1500cc 155 HP SeeDoo Bombadier last week, I have yet to be passed at 65 on GPS!

A finger helps.... followed by a turn towards them.

The license cell call that was mentioned is VERY effective.

We had a club member hit on day 5 of his new boat!
Day 1 for the jet ski, boat came off plane, jet ski hits rear and 2 16 yo bodies fly by.
Bryan

Philip47
06-20-2002, 06:38 PM
Down here in L.A. Lower Alabama the Water Police are on their case hot and heavy, there is no PWC problem, they pull em over constantly and are required to carry all the same water saftey equipment you are and right em some heavy fines for anything they can think of. They almost discriminate against them to keep them behaving.

GEOO
06-20-2002, 08:04 PM
Just hose them down. (Jets, Black Hawks, & Arnies)

blackhawk
06-20-2002, 08:25 PM
Here's a bigger pic. It's a little blurry, but if you look really close you can see the guy flying off his sea-doo!

http://www.donzi.net/photos/roost.jpg

Okay, okay, I'm just kidding. :D But I do trim it up a little when they start coming and they get scared off real quick. Or I just outrun them!!!

Stix Magill
06-20-2002, 09:44 PM
Great idea Madpoodle! 100 ft of 50lb test and a sucker-sized snagging treble hook. We'll call it seaDooDoo trolling!
What would clog the jet input on one, but sink before the innocent jets a mile back would be affected? Sort of like the spike-strips the cops use on car chases!! Must be legal so vegetation would be the key. Don't want to kill'em, just want to knock'em out! :p

Rootsy
06-20-2002, 10:38 PM
HEFTY GARBAGE BAG!!!!! :D

Lil Grizz
06-21-2002, 02:39 PM
heres what I do with the reckless PWCs(they are fun and some people actually do know how to behave on them). I dont do anything, I simply make sure I am in the right of way and I act like they arent even there. I rarely change course for them mainly because the few times I have the ski changed course and got right where I was moving towards. Sure this sounds a bit dangerous but if some moron on a seadoo wants to cross my bow at random while im cruising at 50+mph its his life. If i did happen to clip the little bumblebee when it was all said and done with I am pretty sure I would be found not at fault. Then the lawsuit for the idiot cracking my hull would do nicely towards the purchase of a 33ZX. Boating laws favor the larger boat and the agencies are most definately aware of the reckless PWCs. You wouldnt believe the gall some of the jerks have when they spin 180 and almost hit me, I get the finger like i was in the wrong. Dont even get me started on the rednecks and their bassboats, i dont think they know how to drive in a straight line either. Oh and about the tubers, 3 weeks ago I saw the dumbest thing; a bayliner pulling a kid on a wakeboard directly followed by a mastercraft pulling a skier followed by another boat pulling 2 tubes. each of these boats was in each others wake at a distance of maybe 20 feet from skier to bow. Can we say domino effect?

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
06-28-2002, 07:40 PM
When all else fails, try this.
http://www.west.net/~lpm/hobie/archives/v1-i2/humor.shtml
:p :p :p :p :p

HyperDonzi
06-30-2002, 06:38 PM
not only jetskis, im sorry. a week ago, were going through a tight channel, 6foot of water for about 20 feet and a guy who just got a boat, twin engine cigarette boat has to go throught this no wake soe not more than 15 feet away from me at speeds around 50 mph. swimmers are in the water, he just misses them. it is not only (but mainly) jet skis driven by under age kids who have absolutly no idea what they are doing.