Last year we posted a video to our Facebook page that went viral. The video was of a wakeboarder who whipped into a dock to catch a drink from his buddy and, distracted by the process of catching said drink, didn’t notice the large wooden pole that he was quickly approaching. He slammed into the pole going about 20 miles per hour. Fortunately for our idiotic friend here, he was wearing a thick life vest that lessened the impact on his ribs — slightly. But best believe he was hurting for a long time after this one. If he would have hit the pole any harder or with a different part of his body, it could’ve been lights out. We’re thankful the story doesn’t end like that.

It should go without saying that nobody should ever attempt something like the guy in that video. Simply put, that was stupid. (I’d use more colorful language because that’s what it really deserves, but my publisher told me I had to keep this PG.) Stationary objects such as poles, docks, buoys, other watercraft and even floating debris should be avoided at all costs. Don’t be that guy (or girl) trying to impress your friends by jibbing the tree on the bank, high-speed whipping into a dock or ollie-ing that one “No Wake” buoy. Chances are you’ll be fine, but all it takes is one little mistake to rack up a hefty medical bill and say goodbye to wakeboarding forever. Not only will you be physically in pain but your dignity will be hurting too.

If you’re riding, steer clear of the shoreline, shallow water and anything in your path. Look ahead to ensure an unobstructed landing zone before cutting in for a wake jump. And if you’re the captain of the boat, it’s up to you to avoid dangerous areas with obstacles in the water. Too many people have been injured by not using their best judgment — don’t be one of them. Use your head, and be safe out there.

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When it comes to being a boat ­owner, there may not be anything more embarrassing than sinking your beautiful vessel. And sinking your boat at the dock because of a missing drain plug? Well, that just takes the cake. It’s the simple mistakes that tend to be the most humiliating, and among those excruciating mistakes lies the dreaded missing drain plug. What’s crazy is this is one of the most common problems boaters face out there. In fact, we’re betting a relatively high percentage of you have experienced this firsthand. And if this hasn’t happened to you (yet), you better knock on wood, because as much as you think you would never let this go down, it’s happened to the best of us.

For at least one of our readers, that unlucky day has already come. On a recent outing, he made the error of forgetting to check if the plug was installed before launching the boat. The launch area had been tight and overcrowded, so in a rush to unload the boat into the water and park the truck and trailer in a timely manner, his typical protocol went out the window. With everyone situated in the boat and his mind focused on starting the engine and getting underway, he wasn’t ­paying too much attention to his son’s comments about water creeping up into the back of the boat. Upon pulling away from the dock, he realized his son’s incessant complaints were valid. Turning around, he stared in horror at the alarming amount of water — 2 feet and rising — with not a clue where the missing plug could be.

You can imagine how this story ends. Fortunately, the family was fine; both passengers were wearing life jackets, and they were still close to the dock. However, the same couldn’t be said for their boat, which sat completely underwater with only the bow visible. The moral of the ­story is simple: 1) devise a plan for remembering your drain plug and never veer from it, and 2) always listen when someone complains about water ­entering the boat, even if it is just a kid.

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Boat-launching fails seem to be the most comical of all the boating mishaps, and rightfully so — they usually don’t result in injury like many of the other cringe-worthy stories that come across our desk. If you think we’re just being cynical, go ahead, Google “boat launching mishaps” and tell us you don’t get a good laugh from the ­majority of those images. We’re assuming the only person not laughing is, of course, the boat and/or vehicle owner.

We’re always baffled as to how people end up in those types of situations. Launching a boat seems like a ­pretty straightforward task. Even if you’re not the most savvy at trailering a boat, it’s still totally doable. But time and time again, boat owners are caught doing it wrong. And not just slightly wrong, but very, very wrong: The boat has ended up in the back of a pickup truck; the car is underwater while the boat and trailer are still on the ramp; the boat is upside down on the dock — you name it. The stories are almost too bizarre to be true.

Nonetheless, we just got a second-hand view into the very real world of boat-launching fails from one of our ­Facebook fans. In an attempt to avoid getting out of his car at the bottom of the ramp, our friend here released the winch hook from the bow eye prematurely. As he began to reverse down toward the water, the entire boat slipped off the trailer and onto the ramp. Although the story isn’t as insane as some of the others we’ve heard, i.e., launching the car instead of the boat, it’s ridiculous in and of itself because it’s a mistake far too many people make.

Moral of the story: Don’t try to save time by detaching your boat early. You’ll end up spending the next several hours scratching your head, wondering how the hell you’re going to pick your 5,000-pound boat up off the asphalt.

The post True Stories: You’re Doing It Wrong appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The story goes something like this: A group of friends were out on the lake enjoying Fourth of July weekend. In the same cove was a second group of boaters, and they approached the first group to ask if one of them could wakeboard behind their boat. They obliged, and one of the girls prepared to ride.

Novice at best, the girl proceeded to dig her nose with each wake jump. Her friends in the second boat started following behind in her wake, attempting to get a better view of her set. With her next cut into the wake, she fell directly in front of her friends’ boat. Since they weren’t completely on plane, they failed to see her over their bow. She resurfaced from her crash only to be run over by her friends. She was disoriented at first but came out of it unscathed — only by some miracle. The same couldn’t be said for her board though, which had a large cut (eerily similar to the shape of a prop blade) straight through the center between the bindings.

The girl was extremely lucky to walk away from this unharmed, but for others who have been involved in similar situations, the outcome was sometimes much grimmer. Remember: Having a boat doesn’t make someone a safe or competent captain, so as a wakeboarder, you must always watch out for other boaters. Make sure to have a quick look behind you before cutting into the wake, and don’t be afraid to wave off boats. Be vigilant — in the end, your safety really lies in your own hands.

The post True Stories: Watch Your Back appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Animation by George(s)
Video produced by Chris Balogh

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When this story came across our desk, it gave us all a pretty good laugh. It almost didn’t seem real. When we looked into it, we discovered that the story was submitted by a friend of the victim, and it took place in Australia, of all places ­— so naturally, it had to be true. While we have our doubts about whether this so-called friend isn’t just the victim himself playing it cool, apparently the scars do exist, and the once-tragic memory of the incident is now accompanied by humor rather than remorse.

As the story goes, the rider — we’ll call him Steve — and his wife, who was driving the boat — we’ll call her Tracy — were out for a casual set on a hot summer day. Steve fell, and when Tracy came back around to pick him up, she accidentally ran him over. When she ran him over, the prop did quite a number on his leg. In a panic, she pulled him back into the boat and sped to shore, where they scrambled into their SUV. In a frantic rush to get Steve to the hospital, Tracy drove like a madwoman, only to lose control and drive off a cliff and into a tree. At that point, they ditched their SUV and ascended the cliff back to the scalding-­hot 100-degree asphalt, where they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

How is no one dead after this series of events? You can’t make this stuff up. Now that we’ve all had a good laugh, let’s get serious for a minute. Anytime you set out on any waterway, you need to have an emergency plan. For example, the building you are in right now probably has an escape plan posted on the wall somewhere. Why should planning be any less important on the water? Get to know your waterways and learn the street names associated with the shorelines. This way, if a tragedy strikes, you can call for help and tell them the exact street to pick you up at. If the emergency plan is known beforehand, those split-second decisions that are made in a panic don’t have to result in wrapping your SUV around a tree at the bottom of a cliff.

To better educate yourself about boating safety and help prevent mishaps like these, go to wakeboarding​mag.com/boatingsafety. Stay safe out there, folks!

The post True Stories: A Comedy of Errors appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

There seems to be an endless supply of boating mishaps for us to pull from. And although some of these stories are pretty comical, there’s really nothing funny about it when an accident happens to you. So above all, keep safety at the front of your mind when preparing for time on the water. A few extra seconds of critical thinking could prevent a life-changing catastrophe.

With that said, the boating blunder that most recently caught our ­attention comes fresh out of Australia — which always seems to be where we find our most extreme stories. A family was towing their boat ­behind a houseboat using a cheap old rope from Bunnings (the Australian version of Home Depot). During their voyage, the adults were having some drinks while the 15-year-old on board was left to be the ­designated ­driver. After their boat crossed the wake of another boat, the rope ­between the houseboat and the wakeboat snapped. The 15-year-old skipper went back to check on the boat in tow and saw it floating away. The family then turned the houseboat around to retrieve the ­wayward vessel, only to witness a passing yacht crash head-on into it, punching a large hole in the side of the hull and causing it to sink. Shocked at the sight of their family boat bubbling down into the depths of the river, they called marine rescue, who managed to retrieve the boat within a week’s time.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the collision, but it could have been much worse. First of all, drinking and boating is never a safe combination, not to mention leaving a 15-year-old kid in charge of both of your vessels. Second, don’t skimp on getting the right gear. Just because you have an old rope lying around doesn’t mean that it’s suitable to tow a boat. And third, if you’re driving a yacht, watch where you’re going.

Let’s all learn a lesson from this and get educated about boating safety before we head out to our local waterways. Go to wakeboarding​mag.com/boatingsafety for more information on how to prevent mishaps like these. Stay safe out there, folks!

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Have you ever been so excited about something that you completely forgot about some of the required preparation? Well, that’s exactly what happened to a few riders last summer in Austin, Texas. They set out for a maiden voyage on their newly rebuilt, 15-year-old family boat after it had been sitting dormant for a few years. They had been working ­tirelessly getting their vessel back into tip-top shape, both ­mechanically and cosmetically, so it was beautiful inside and out. As you can imagine, their excitement level was off the charts to see their boat back in the ­water and get to wakeboarding again. After charting out a glassy area, the first rider geared up and hopped in.

But as soon as the driver put the boat in gear, something went horribly wrong. Frantic, the rider climbed back into the boat, and the crew tried to diagnose the problem. Smoke was billowing out of the lockers at this point, and further investigation revealed bright orange flames. Naturally, the crew grabbed the fire extinguisher to put out the flames, but it was too late. The fire had become out of control. A call to abandon ship was ordered, and the crew gathered their precious cargo, including their dog, wakeboards, phones and wallets, before jumping overboard. Shortly ­after entering the water, a nearby fishing boat saw the commotion and brought them safely to shore, where they were left to watch helplessly as their family boat of 15 years went up in flames.

Although the official cause of the fire is unknown, the preventative safety-check measures had not been taken before getting on the water. Luckily, no one was hurt; it could have been much worse.

Let this be a lesson to us all: Routinely check your boat before you put it in the water — especially if it’s been sitting for a while. Here’s a few quick steps to remember:

1. Open the engine hatch and sniff the bilge smelling for fumes.
2. Turn on the blower for 5 minutes.
3. Make sure everybody is off the boat while this is happening.
4. Do not run any other accessories until this is complete.
5. After 5 minutes, board your crew, crank your tunes and head out.

A simple ­safety check could have prevented this day from turning tragic in a hurry. Go to wakeboarding​mag.com/boatingsafety for more information on how to prevent mishaps like these. Stay safe out there, folks!

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We’ve all heard a wild tale or two of a boating mishap, but we weren’t prepared for how unbelievable some of these True Stories were when we gathered them from our audience. This tale begins on the Murray River in Bundalong, Australia, where a crew of nine all loaded into their new boat late one night, charted for a nearby tavern for some more drinks. Six of the nine boarded the vessel directly into the bow, and remained there to avoid getting their dirty shoes in the boat. Once underway, water ­started pouring in over the bow. In a desperate attempt to induce bow rise, the driver accelerated abruptly, burying the nose of the boat even further under the water. As the boat sank, everyone abandoned ship ­except for the driver, who put on some music, cranked up the volume, and went down in style — honoring the saying that “a true captain goes down with his ship.” Meanwhile the remaining passengers were left to swim against the current, and four of them ended up more than 100 ­meters downriver. To add to the chaos, a good Samaritan blasted out of the darkness on a PWC to offer help, unaware of the remaining passengers still in the water. In a stroke of pure luck, the boat was recovered and no one was injured in the debacle.

As much of a comedy of errors as it was, things could have been much, much worse. Now that we’ve all had a laugh, let’s learn from this crew’s mistakes — because in the future, we may not be so lucky. Let’s ­identify some of the factors that put them at risk: It was pitch dark, some of the occupants were under the influence of alcohol, and the boat was ­improperly weighted. It goes without saying, but if they had avoided these risk factors by staying off the lake after dark; not mixing boating and alcohol — because boating under the influence is just as deadly as drinking and driving; and either redistributing the passengers initially, or just relocating them rather than hitting the throttle, this whole fiasco could have been avoided. Moral of the story? Don’t wear your shoes in the boat. It’s a wild world out there, folks. Have fun and stay safe!

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