Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Well, I should have taken pictures, but I hate looking at it, let alone taking a picture of it. This weekend, me and the family were out on the lake and a friend of mine has a new jet ski and this was the second or third time now out on it. He is starting to feel a bit more secure about doing a few tricks and such and has had fun splashing water on on as he flys by...well, this weekend he got a bit closer than normal and not only splashed us with his wake but also his nozzle. Did I mention this is a very powerful jet ski that can do like 70 MPH and has 260 HP? Anyway, it flooded the boat with water and after it was all over my wife said you dented our boat!! I went back to look and I guess his jet stream must have pointed right at my rear fence and put a very large dent in it. I tried to kick it out but it is a lot more solid than I thought and it's creased so I'm sure it will need to be replaced. It actually pulled it out of the groove it sits in. I couldn't believe it but he felt really bad and told me he would take care of it so I'm not mad at him or anything. I kinda like the splashes once in a while but I never thought what the jet stream could do!! Will I have to order the panel from Sun Tracker? Anyone ever replaced one of these panels?

With all due respect to your 'friend,' he would have been charged with reckless boat operation on our lake. Passsing at speed within 50' feet of any vessel, dock, persons in the water, etc., and deliberately splashing others with the jet ski wake (also applies to boats) is illegal on many waterways. Frankly, what he did was stupid and put you and your family at risk. I hope he has learned a valuable lesson.

Many of the accidents on our lake (Smith Mountain Lake in VA), involve jet ski's. Virginia now requires any person operating a jet ski under age 34 to pass a boater safety class. While this may help improve safety, the age limit is a bit confusing since I suspect there are many foolish boaters over age 34. Also, rental jet ski's are exempt but the rental company is 'required' to provide instruction in safe operation.

Jet skis are the main reason that EVERONE in Oregon has to pass a boaters exam. What a stupid law exempting rental customers. I'm sure in many cases the people renting have never been on a jet ski. We just watched a man with 2 kids racing by us nemours time way too close and chasing water fowl. I never have been able to understand why so many jet skis and ski boats feel the need to come so close when I'm anchored completely out of the way. I'm guessing they're the same people that back up to the water to launch and THEN unstrap, load coolers, gas, people etc. I can't tell for sure if these people are just stupid or just don't care about being courteous to others.

Yes, I should have said something sooner. I don't think he will be doing it again and I'll be sure to let him know about the laws here which state 10MPH or less when within 50 feet. He is actually 46 but he's going on 26 this year!

smlranger is right and they are VERY strict here about fooling around. Probably because of so many accidents we have here. I see police at least twice every time we're out. Luckily within a couple of years the age won't matter, you will need the safety course for PWC's AND boats, any age. I am stunned every time we go out how many PWC's cut us off, and even boaters, pulling CHILDREN on tubes that cut right in front of us! Are you kidding me!!!????? Our very first maiden voyage, if my husband hadn't been watching he would have t-boned an idiot (or vice-versa) that shot out of a dock going about 70. Dumb a$$.

The waverunners are a lot of fun. Seems they only have two speeds wide open an stop. Had one that had 110hp an that was a group at that time. Couldn't imagine how fast that one is. To all the waverunner jockeys.............stay safe.
doc

Ya, they are real fun till ya hit something going 60 mph....

Like has been said so many times you can't fix stupid! He could have blown someone right off your boat with the jet water blast. How would he have felt then? I know friends are hard to come down on but he needs to know just how bad it could have been. If a child had been standing near he side what then? I hope he learned a lesson he won't forget. People just don't seem to have enough respect for water pressure and what can happen. Lucky it was only your fence that was damaged.

A large percentage of accidents and complaints at most lakes are caused by pwc's and yet you rarely see any pulled over by law enforcement. Can anyone tell me why that is? At least that's the way it is in Tennessee.

Here in KY we have 1-2 deaths per year on PWC's. The latest being a couple of weeks ago on the Ohio River at Cincinatti

We have some friends whose daughter almost died when she was in the water and a jet ski (when they were underpowered)took off right in front of her, it collapsed her lungs, ruptured her stomach and caused massive trauma to her body. No skin was punctured but just the high pressure coming from the nozzle.

OK ya that was not so smart, but to answer your question the panel and frame as well as the track the panel sits in are assembled flat and then the hole assembly is sent throw a custom die roller that bends it all at once. on mine a 94 alumacraft I must cut the tack welds on the track replace old panel with new and then reweld the track, not all that hard (but I can weld aluminum)

a few years back I had a friend / co worker that used to ride his jet ski like a maniac.... one monday he came into work and he looked like somebody had beat the hell out of him with a bat... he told me he was running his jet ski wot and and was going to make a turn around a bouy when all of a sudden the ski shot straight up in the air throwing him into the lake... when it came down it landed on his face.... he was up....... also in the short time I've been tooning, I have already had one instance where a couple of kids on jet ski's came out of a cove at a high rate of speed, crossing right in front of me... I pulled the throttle back into nuetral immediately and nearly sent my wife and son over the front rail.. If I could have caught those little I certainly would have given them a piece of my mind.... scared the hell out of me. Like anything else, you have to use commmon sense.... and on the subject of boater safety courses, even though I have never taken one, I think they should be mandatory for anyone who buys a boat of anykind.. Just in the last two months I've been lucky enough to have people with me to teach me some of the rules while out on the water.. never would have known if they hadn't been with me... i'm still going to take a safety course because I know there's alot I need to learn.

smlranger wrote:With all due respect to your 'friend,' he would have been charged with reckless boat operation on our lake. Passsing at speed within 50' feet of any vessel, dock, persons in the water, etc., and deliberately splashing others with the jet ski wake (also applies to boats) is illegal on many waterways. Frankly, what he did was stupid and put you and your family at risk. I hope he has learned a valuable lesson.

Many of the accidents on our lake (Smith Mountain Lake in VA), involve jet ski's. Virginia now requires any person operating a jet ski under age 34 to pass a boater safety class. While this may help improve safety, the age limit is a bit confusing since I suspect there are many foolish boaters over age 34. Also, rental jet ski's are exempt but the rental company is 'required' to provide instruction in safe operation.

You are exactly right.
Within 50' feet of any vessel, dock, persons in the water, etc., you are supposed to be at IDLE speed, in Virginia.
I wish there were enough DGIF officers and police boats to stop all of the idiots who don't know what they are doing and most of them don't care.

ROLAND wrote:a few years back I had a friend / co worker that used to ride his jet ski like a maniac.... one monday he came into work and he looked like somebody had beat the hell out of him with a bat... he told me he was running his jet ski wot and and was going to make a turn around a bouy when all of a sudden the ski shot straight up in the air throwing him into the lake... when it came down it landed on his face.... he was up....... also in the short time I've been tooning, I have already had one instance where a couple of kids on jet ski's came out of a cove at a high rate of speed, crossing right in front of me... I pulled the throttle back into nuetral immediately and nearly sent my wife and son over the front rail.. If I could have caught those little I certainly would have given them a piece of my mind.... scared the hell out of me. Like anything else, you have to use commmon sense.... and on the subject of boater safety courses, even though I have never taken one, I think they should be mandatory for anyone who buys a boat of anykind.. Just in the last two months I've been lucky enough to have people with me to teach me some of the rules while out on the water.. never would have known if they hadn't been with me... i'm still going to take a safety course because I know there's alot I need to learn.

There are safety courses online, you don't have to get into a classroom. Pay when you pass. I'm actually taking mine right now, and you can stop anytime. I've been doing a chapter or two per day, sometimes skipping a few days in between. I've got 1 1/2 chapters to go....and you're right, there are a lot of things you wouldn't have otherwise known. http://www.boatcourse.com is one.