New laws in Vermont for wakesports

[Cambo]

Unfortunately this new law now bans some of my favorite lakes for wakeboarding in Vermont. We don't even use ballast or attempt to wake surf while on the smaller lakes knowing they are just to small but, the boats that load up with 4k plus pounds of water and weigh almost 2000lbs more than a Yamaha have been creating issues in Vermont with eroding shores and damaging docks. Now the new laws are in effect limiting the location within the lake and what lakes you can use for "Wakesports" based on acreage and water depth. They also added a new "home lake rule" that requires a sticker that needs to be displayed.

Wakeboating and Wakesports in Vermont | Department of Environmental Conservation

dec.vermont.gov

“Wakeboat” means a motorboat that has one or more ballast tanks, ballast bags or other devices or design features used to increase the size of the motorboat’s wake.


“Wakesports” means:


A. to operate a wakeboat with ballast tanks, bags, or other devices or design features engaged to increase the size of the boat’s wake; or


B. to use a surfboard, wakeboard, hydrofoil, or similar device to ride on or in the wake:


i. directly behind a wakeboat without a rope; or


ii. directly behind a wakeboat with or without a rope, when the wakeboat has ballast tanks, bags, or other devices or design features engaged as described in Section A. above.


“Wakesports zone” means an area of a lake, pond, or reservoir that has a minimum of 50 contiguous acres that are at least 500 feet from shore on all sides, at least 20 feet deep, and at least 200 feet wide.

A wakeboat’s Home Lake is the only lake, pond, or reservoir at which that wakeboat will be used for the calendar year.

However, a wakeboat can be used in a body of water other than the identified Home Lake only after that wakeboat has been properly decontaminated to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Prior to entering a Vermont waterbody other than the wakeboat’s Home Lake, and prior to reentering the waters of the Home Lake after use of the wakeboat at any other waterbody, the wakeboat must be decontaminated at a Vermont Agency of Natural Resources approved decontamination service provider. A wakeboat user may be requested to provide proof of decontamination at public access areas.

 

[biffdotorg]

Hey, at least they defined the boat, and defined the sport. Better than the very vague crap some other states are trying push through for attention. And they are limiting the harmful activity, and controlling the device. So I give them credit for trying.

This may also make boats like the Waketoon more viable. No ballast, is a total sleeper as it comes in the form of a tritoon. But this is where the law comes in, as it defines the activity causing issues. So the verbiage works.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Unfortunately this new law now bans some of my favorite lakes for wakeboarding in Vermont. We don't even use ballast or attempt to wake surf while on the smaller lakes knowing they are just to small but, the boats that load up with 4k plus pounds of water and weigh almost 2000lbs more than a Yamaha have been creating issues in Vermont with eroding shores and damaging docks. Now the new laws are in effect limiting the location within the lake and what lakes you can use for "Wakesports" based on acreage and water depth. They also added a new "home lake rule" that requires a sticker that needs to be displayed.

Wakeboating and Wakesports in Vermont | Department of Environmental Conservation

dec.vermont.gov

“Wakeboat” means a motorboat that has one or more ballast tanks, ballast bags or other devices or design features used to increase the size of the motorboat’s wake.


“Wakesports” means:


A. to operate a wakeboat with ballast tanks, bags, or other devices or design features engaged to increase the size of the boat’s wake; or


B. to use a surfboard, wakeboard, hydrofoil, or similar device to ride on or in the wake:


i. directly behind a wakeboat without a rope; or


ii. directly behind a wakeboat with or without a rope, when the wakeboat has ballast tanks, bags, or other devices or design features engaged as described in Section A. above.


“Wakesports zone” means an area of a lake, pond, or reservoir that has a minimum of 50 contiguous acres that are at least 500 feet from shore on all sides, at least 20 feet deep, and at least 200 feet wide.

A wakeboat’s Home Lake is the only lake, pond, or reservoir at which that wakeboat will be used for the calendar year.

However, a wakeboat can be used in a body of water other than the identified Home Lake only after that wakeboat has been properly decontaminated to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Prior to entering a Vermont waterbody other than the wakeboat’s Home Lake, and prior to reentering the waters of the Home Lake after use of the wakeboat at any other waterbody, the wakeboat must be decontaminated at a Vermont Agency of Natural Resources approved decontamination service provider. A wakeboat user may be requested to provide proof of decontamination at public access areas.

So if I read it correct, one could still use a “wake board“ behind say a non wake making type boat to “ski” and play on a “normal” boas wake?

I like how Vermont addressed the AIS issue as well. Thats a big issue that’s needs to be dealt with for all boats.

 

[Cambo]

Looks Like its some loose terminology, "on or In " but they seem to have the loophole for water skis and now wording for that

B. to use a surfboard, wakeboard, hydrofoil, or similar device to ride on or in the wake:

Would this be considered "on the wake" I will surely find out this summer hopefully its a warning at first





For sure this is in the wake

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Enforcement will be interesting… I’d think that there will be an educational period… I think the spirit of the rule about riding ON the wake will not affect your first picture per se’ unless the boat has a ballast system?

 

[biffdotorg]

90% of waterskiers do not want wake. In fact, most ski boats were designed with minimal wake in mind. Yes, they put one up, but are designed to do just the opposite.

 

[Cambo]

I think the spirit of the rule about riding ON the wake will not affect your first picture per se’ unless the boat has a ballast system?

The soft bags are very easy to remove on the 242x . When out on the lake with other true wake board boats if they are a few hundred feet away and your boat gets hit broad side from the wake as your sitting still the boat rolls hard. I don't think the yamaha wake is close to that when set up for surfing.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The soft bags are very easy to remove on the 242x . When out on the lake with other true wake board boats if they are a few hundred feet away and your boat gets hit broad side from the wake as your sitting still the boat rolls hard. I don't think the yamaha wake is close to that when set up for surfing.

Informative and Agree…

 

[drewkaree]

90% of waterskiers do not want wake. In fact, most ski boats were designed with minimal wake in mind. Yes, they put one up, but are designed to do just the opposite.

My neighbor was (is?) a champion barefoot skier, and his boat was bought specifically for the purpose of barefoot skiing. It was actually designed to flatten a broader area while in use to make it easier for that style of skiing. Before talking to him, I used to think the same thing. @biffdotorg that's some opposite-sounding info, but actually very accurate.

 

[mike230kv]

I have heard rumors of this kind of thing coming to NH soon

 

[anmut]

People ask me why I hate the government. This is why. But also, good luck finding my hidden bags of lead, a55holes.

 

[biffdotorg]

My neighbor was (is?) a champion barefoot skier, and his boat was bought specifically for the purpose of barefoot skiing. It was actually designed to flatten a broader area while in use to make it easier for that style of skiing. Before talking to him, I used to think the same thing. @biffdotorg that's some opposite-sounding info, but actually very accurate.

it seems like decades ago right? Everyone wanted a mastercraft, ski nautique or ghekko for the flat wake and turn on a dime.
Then it evolved into tow sports instead of just skiing.
Correct Craft the parent of ski nautique built and rebranded their wake boat the Air Nautique line. Now folks can’t even remember ski nautique.

Honestly, I feel our jet boats are the ideal tube boat. Not much to be proud of but it’s my tool of choice! Crying or bleeding, that’s how the weekend ends.

 

[mike230kv]

it seems like decades ago right? Everyone wanted a mastercraft, ski nautique or ghekko for the flat wake and turn on a dime.
Then it evolved into tow sports instead of just skiing.
Correct Craft the parent of ski nautique built and rebranded their wake boat the Air Nautique line. Now folks can’t even remember ski nautique.

Honestly, I feel our jet boats are the ideal tube boat. Not much to be proud of but it’s my tool of choice! Crying or bleeding, that’s how the weekend ends.

View attachment 219191

Haha! That reminds me of my childhood. My dad drove like a little old lady until me or my brother were behind his boat on the tube. Then he turned into Dale Earnhardt.

 

[zipper]

I live and boat in Vermont... https://jetboaters.net/threads/wisconsin-bans-wake-boats.43557/page-2#post-677248

 

[zipper]

Enforcement will be interesting… I’d think that there will be an educational period… I think the spirit of the rule about riding ON the wake will not affect your first picture per se’ unless the boat has a ballast system?

Enforcement will be done by all of the camp/shoreline owners, a lot of them out of staters calling VSP to the ramp. VSP does have a marine division. Everybody has a camera now. And as @Coult45 has shown us...some are better than others at long distance.

 

[Coult45]

Enforcement will be done by all of the camp/shoreline owners, a lot of them out of staters calling VSP to the ramp. VSP does have a marine division. Everybody has a camera now. And as @Coult45 has shown us...some are better than others at long distance.

Actual shoreline owner, telling Yamaha wakeboarder they're too close to shore, and to "turn that shit down!"

 

[anmut]

it seems like decades ago right? Everyone wanted a mastercraft, ski nautique or ghekko for the flat wake and turn on a dime.
Then it evolved into tow sports instead of just skiing.
Correct Craft the parent of ski nautique built and rebranded their wake boat the Air Nautique line. Now folks can’t even remember ski nautique.

Honestly, I feel our jet boats are the ideal tube boat. Not much to be proud of but it’s my tool of choice! Crying or bleeding, that’s how the weekend ends.

View attachment 219191

LOL so true - I absolutely hate pulling a tube, but will do it at the end of a the day if we've done enough boarding. I always start out slow for the littles, then the teens get on and "want to go faster and hit some big waves..." Unfortunately for them they've forgot that the boat is still weighed down for boarding... a few slow circles to create a boil, then whip out to get them out of the boat wake, and a straight line through the boil.

If I time the line through the boil right I'll actually be able to predict and slow the boat right as they're flying through the air so they don't have to swim back to the tube that far ???