no surfing in indiana?

[Salty87]

wow...

http://www.wowo.com/ArticleDisplay/tabid/74/ArticleId/5479/New-Wake-Boarding-Surfing-Rules-Go-Into-Effect-July-1st.aspx

(AP) The Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that starting July 1, a new law will go into effect that will restrict wake boarding and surfing and teak surfing behind certain motorboats.

Teak surfing, or holding onto the swim platform while the boat is underway at any speed including running idle, will become illegal behind all motorboats powered by an inboard, inboard/outboard or outboard engine.

The same law will apply with wake boarding/surfing. According to DNR Commander, Lt. Gary Whitaker, the new law was proposed after the state saw an increased number of carbon monoxide poisoning cases from teak surfing and propeller injuries from wake surfing. Whitaker said this new law applies to activities that take place directly behind the boat in the wake where the wake is the means of propulsion to the individual.

Whitaker said if a person is skiing or tubing and is not directly behind the boat and the rope is the means of propulsion, then the law does not apply.

Whitaker also said wake surfing has increased the amount of damage to other vessels due to the fact that the boats are producing huge wakes. Those wakes then crash into boats and piers and end up causing secondary damage.

Violation of the new law could include up to $500 in fines and court costs, which estimate to be around $130

[bdumas35]

Jeez Salty. Cross your fingers that our local popos don't get any ideas.

[wotan2525]

Ughh.... I think the Indiana DNR is suffering from carbon monoxied poisoning!

[docdrs]

Ok , It is still fine to wakesurf behind a inboard ......not behind a outboard or outdrive


Chapter 13. Motorboat Watersports

Sec. 1. This chapter does not apply when a motorboat is moored, anchored, docked, or aground.
Sec. 2. The requirements and prohibitions set forth in this chapter are in addition to the

requirements and prohibitions set forth in IC 14-15-2, IC 14-15-3, IC 14-15-4, 14-15-8 and IC 14-15-12.
Sec. 3. An individual may not do the following:
(1) Operate a motorboat inboard or have the inboard engine of a motorboat run idle while an individual is holding onto the swim platform, swim deck, swim step, swim ladder or any part of the exterior of the transom of a motorboat while the motorboat is underway at any speed.
(2) Operate a motorboat powered by an outboard motor or equipped with an outdrive unit while an individual is:
(A) holding onto the swim platform, swim deck, swim step, swim ladder or any portion of the exterior of the transom of a motorboat while the motorboat is underway at any speed;
(B) swimming, or floating on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway; or
(C) floating on a board on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway using the wake itself as the means of propulsion.
(3) Operate a motorboat with the number of individual riders on a towed device that exceeds the listed capacity on the towed device or the owner's manual.
Sec. 4. An individual who violates this chapter commits a Class C infraction

[beast 496]

I see absolutly no problem with this new law. I have seen many people nearly die from teak surfing. This law does apply to Inboards as well as outboard, and stern drives. This however does not apply to a person using a Boom for wakeboard, barefooting, or skiing. Al

[docdrs]

I see absolutly no problem with this new law. I have seen many people nearly die from teak surfing. This law does apply to Inboards as well as outboard, and stern drives. This however does not apply to a person using a Boom for wakeboard, barefooting, or skiing. Al

You have me beast, I'm confused as I see no mention of inboards in 13-3-2.
The teak surfing is covered in 13-3-1. But wakesurfing behind an inboard is not covered as I read it. Maybe I am interpreting your post wrong?

[rludtke]

(C) floating on a board on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway using the wake itself as the means of propulsion.

I don't know guys, I think 13.3.c can be interpreted as no wake surfing...

[docdrs]

I don't know guys, I think 13.3.c can be interpreted as no wake surfing...

But at the heading of the section there is no mention of an inboard while the other two types of boats are listed. The previous section 13.3.1 references inboards. So since it is not listed it does not apply to inboards in 13.3.2

[rludtke]

(2) Operate a motorboat powered by an outboard motor or equipped with an outdrive unit while an individual is:
(A) holding onto the swim platform, swim deck, swim step, swim ladder or any portion of the exterior of the transom of a motorboat while the motorboat is underway at any speed;
(B) swimming, or floating on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway; or
(C) floating on a board on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway using the wake itself as the means of propulsion.

Your right docdrs, I see it now. (C) is a restriction placed on outboards and outdrive equipped boats. This being the case, I agree with it too. This is simply enforcing what should be common sense.

[michael hunter]

I think I got out just in time.

[docdrs]

Your right docdrs, I see it now. (C) is a restriction placed on outboards and outdrive equipped boats. This being the case, I agree with it too. This is simply enforcing what should be common sense.

This is a good law and it covers all the problems that need to be. Some people are just interpreting it wrong to fit their desires. To say the wakes are too big is hogwash ......yes they are big , but have you ever seen a wake a 1999 air nautique throws unweighted ..... or a 22 foot cobalt at 10 mph ..... just 2 of the reasons i put a lift in my boat house and way before wakesurfing came around ... sorry ranting

[beast 496]

I know i really don't fit with the wakeboard croud. I just don't get it. I grew up skiing and barefooting. We still do it. No wakeboards allowed in my boat. lol Anyway the wakes have done damage to moored boats and some have been held responsible for damage hear on Lake Wawasee. However Proof must be presented. As for surfing behind an inboard, maybe not actually illegal, but Teak Surfing is and is very dangerous. It is sad we must have more laws just to portray common sense.

[Ptownkid]

It is sad we must have more laws just to portray common sense.

No kidding...

[cadunkle]

Whether this law actually prohibits surfing behind an inboard, which I believe it does as the wording can be interpreted that way and undoubtedly will be interpreted that way by your typical uneducated law enforcement. At the very least the wording needs to be changed to explicity include only I/O and outboard in that section C.

Regardless, this is another bad law. Nothing unsafe shoudl ever be outlawed if the only persons at risk from it are those who choose to participate. No one forces you to surf behind an I/O or to teak surf behind anything, and if you do the only people that may be injured or killed are those who choose to participate. Stupid is as stupid does, in a free society stupid is not illegal.

[Ptownkid]

It's quite clear that it does not restrict surfing behind an inboard...

The subheadings under (2) ONLY apply to the types of boats listed.

[KG's Supra24]

I also don't believe it applies to inboards based on what I read.

Teak surfing is just a bad idea and should be illegal. I would actually think it would be covered under whatever law states that persons should be seated when underway or something like that.

I'm actually glad to see this go into effect and wouldn't mind it here. I see I/O boat guys every weekend that "think" they have the same boat we do. Hell I got in an argument with a local Chapperal (spl) dealer because he was telling me how the boat could do everything an inboard can but with the benefits of an outboard drive. I brought up surfing and he said "its great for surfing". He is selling that aspect of the boat! Over the past couple months I've realized that many of the tahoe, chapperal, crownline, etc owners feel their boat is no different than ours. I've seen several of them start "surfing" (they are actually just wakeboarding right behind the boat as all their pressure is usually on the backfoot). Anyways, its a pet-peeve of mine as I don't want to see anyone get hurt (both for their sake and the sports sake).

I have thought numerous times that I should go strike up a convo, offer a surf behind the boat, and warn them of the dangers, however, i don't want to come across as a pompus a$$. This law could perhaps slow them down. Well if the water patrol knew what they were looking for.

[KG's Supra24]

Speaking of water patrol ...

Set with 3 of them for an hour or so the 4th weekend. I'm pretty sure they hate jet ski's more than I do!!

The ones here were only concerned with 2 things: number of people onboard and jet ski's. I am a little worried bc I asked him what he thought my boat was rated for and how high he'd have to count before coming over ... "probably rated for 8 or so, its tough to tell with those boats, if i counted 10 on yours i might come stop you" .... I was quick to let him know i was rated for 16 and not to bother :D

[chrisk]

I agree completely with Cadunkle, a free society is one that allows for stupidity... as long as that stupidity doesn't affect someone else.

I could understand an argument that brought up an instance where someone owned an I/O, invited out a friend out who had zero experience on the water and with wakesurfing, and told them wakesurfing was safe. Then if that friend were to fall forward and get hurt or killed, I suppose it would make the DNR look bad for not making it illegal.

However, I like to think that if you're a passenger on a boat period you're already putting your trust in the boat operator so it's no different.

[KG's Supra24]

My fear is with kids. That I/O dad who just got sold his brand new crownline (full of false sales pitches) thinking it is the same as an inboard puts his kid back there (because of ignorance, not necessarily stupidity) and an accident happens.

[chrisk]

Yeah that's a good example too... but anyone who is ignorant enough to think that his I/O is a good surf boat, will also be ignorant enough to not know about the no surfing law in the first place, so I don't know that it will matter much.

[Ptownkid]

I totally and utterly agree that surfing behind an outboard or I/O should be illegal...it's far, far too dangerous to be allowable.

[jsandy]

think thats bad, we got a guy on shoals the surfs behind an offshoar fishing boat with a 225 outboard on it.

[bdumas35]

Can't regulate stupid.;)

[haugy]

Better keep a copy of that law in your boat. I know it sounds corny, but many of these watercops are going off what they interpret or hear without reading the actual regulations.

I had a water cop try and tell me I needed 2 fire extinguishers on board. Reality is I did have two, but one had expired over winter and I forgot to check it. So he tried to start writing. I told him any boat under 26 feet is not required to have two. He said I was wrong, blah, blah, lecture. So I go into my storage hatch, pull out my laminated TWRA official law and requirements book and showed him where he was wrong. Helps having those little things around.

I'm not surprised by this law to be quite honest. There's having fun, and being stupid. Stupid seems to outweigh fun.

[Tim405]

Maybe the President or some politician has suffered in incident of either Carbon Monoxide induced stupidity resulting in injury ( it's obvious sum'n aint right with all them folks) and need reason/cause to blame it on - therefore regulate and ensure our health and well being by interfering in our lives once again... Government needs to get out of the way of "Natural Selection" - then the herd will automatically thin out the idiots and we'll all have waay more fun surfing without the concern over the guy a few hundred yards away surfin behind his Evinrude...one less guy to wait on at the boat ramp!

[jsandy]

^^^^^^^preach on! i have been saying this for years, as long as the act being commited cant hurt anyone else let the stupid do what they want (surfing,helmets,seat belts)

[firstdogriver]

I'll second jsandy's motion.

[Ptownkid]

The problem with that theory is that stupid is infectious...if the boat owner says "i do it all the time" someone with no boat experience may trust them that it's ok. Yes, that also makes the other person rather dumb, but still...

[beast 496]

Ok, on a lighter note about 2 years ago I was bet I wouldn't barefoot nude in front of the local on water pub. I did, so does that make me stupid or just dumb. lol Al

[Ptownkid]

Nothing stupid about it...simply adventurous!

[bdumas35]

Hope it wasn't too cold.....know what I mean?:shock:

[docdrs]

Ok, on a lighter note about 2 years ago I was bet I wouldn't barefoot nude in front of the local on water pub. I did, so does that make me stupid or just dumb. lol Al

I vote young and havin fun :)

[rludtke]

It's a guy thing.

[TitanTn]

Speaking of water patrol ...


The ones here were only concerned with 2 things: number of people onboard and jet ski's. I am a little worried bc I asked him what he thought my boat was rated for and how high he'd have to count before coming over ... "probably rated for 8 or so, its tough to tell with those boats, if i counted 10 on yours i might come stop you" .... I was quick to let him know i was rated for 16 and not to bother :D

This one is interesting to me. Capacity plates are only required on boats less than 20 feet in length. You can be written a ticket for overloading your boat on the perception of the officer, so the number isn't really all that relevant for boats over 20'. Manufacturers include them on boats over 20' long only to get the certification of the NMMA.