I waterski around 32-37 mph. When cutting across the wake on one ski you easily reach 45 mph+. I have fallen plenty and never had a problem and I weigh 230 lbs. HB 162 will do nothing to help with this IMO. A skier going 40 mph still faces plenty of danger crossing a wake.
Again I believe HB 162 will have a completely different and undesirable effect on the lake. High speed chases for one. Now that so called 5% of boaters that are gfbl boaters, who according to some here are driving drunk. You think that drunk guy will stop? I think he will go faster and become more reckless. Driving drunk is extremely stupid but unfortunately people do stupid things. Why not do one more stupid thing and try and outrun MP?
How about those young PWC drivers. Think they will stop for MP when they are already going 70 mph? I am 37 years old now and have matured quite a bit since 18 but when I was 18 I question what I would do on a PWC.
A PWC can travel in inches of water. The first place a law-breaking,fleeing PWC would go would be the shallows, where people fish and swim. Imagine what could happen there.
I am sorry but I see much more undesireable effects coming from HB 162 than desireable. To much wasted time and effort for very little results.
It also restricts too many law abiding citizens.
The 200k sport cruiser that can do 80 mph. 45 mph is slow in these . The fisherman who wakes up at 6 am to fly across the empty, crystal clear lake in his 90mph bass boat to get to his favorite spot, now must go 45 mph. How about that responsible guy who bought his 80 mph PWC to satisfy his need for speed.
Even the trick barefooter will be restricted. I know very few people do this but you need to go over 45 mph to to trick barefooting. I have seen barefooting and depending on the weight of the person,at 45 mph you are normally barely planning the water with your feet.
Again IMO this law will do absolutely nothing to help improve safety on the lake. Uneducated boaters pose a much greater risk.I have been boating for well over 10 years now and have never had an incident with a speeding boat. They all usually go fast, way out in a big lake, where it is safe.
Maybe not the post for this story but here is one of my little experiences with an uneducated boater.
I was boating on a very small lake(with a 30 mph speed limit BTW). We were anchored and our 2 kids were swimming and jumpiing off the boat. A young driver driving a small 16' boat or so was pulling a waterskier at about 25mph. I believe he was trying to show off and he passed in between my boat and a canoe coming within a couple feet of both of us. He actually did it a second time! Then I became mad and followed him until he stopped.
He had no idea about the 150' law and could not understand my anger. "What if one of my kids were swimming under water just off my boat?", I screamed!? I don't even want to think about it .
On any lake I fear the uneducated boater much more that the educated 100mph boater.This is based on my own experiences. If we need to spend all this time and possibly money lets spend it on more boater education, not a useless speed limit.
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