Chapter 6: Enjoying Water Sports With Your Boat
Water-Skiing

Water-skiing, along with being towed on a tube, kneeboard, or similar device, is very popular with boaters. These activities are both fun and challenging; however, towing people on skis or other devices requires additional knowledge and skills.

Before towing a skier, the operator should:

Have a second person on board to act as an observer. Chapter 4 has the legal requirements for your state.
Review hand signals with the skier to ensure proper communication.
Make sure the skier is wearing a U.S. Coast Guard—approved life jacket (PFD) designed for water-skiing. Keep in mind that ski belts are not U.S. Coast Guard—approved. A PFD with a high-impact rating is recommended. Chapter 4 has the legal requirements for your state.
Be familiar with the area and aware of any hazards such as shallow water, rocks, or bridge pilings in the water.
Make sure the tow lines are of the same length if towing multiple skiers.
Never tow a skier at night. It is both hazardous and illegal.

While towing a skier, the operator should:

Start the engine after making sure that no one in the water is near the propeller.
Start the boat slowly until the ski rope is tight. When the skier is ready and there is no traffic ahead, take off in a straight line with enough power to raise the skier out of the water. Once the skier is up, adjust the speed according to the signals given by the skier.
Keep the skier at a safe distance—at least twice the length of the tow rope—from the shoreline, docks, hazards, and people in the water.
Avoid congested areas, beaches, docks, and swimming areas. Water-skiing takes a lot of room. Some areas may have designated traffic patterns.
Maintain a sharp lookout for other vessels and obstructions in the water. Let the observer watch the skier.
Always respond to the skier's signals. If you need to turn the boat, signal the skier of your intentions.
Once the skier has dropped or fallen, circle the skier slowly either to return the tow line to the skier or to pick up the skier. Always keep the skier in view and on the operator's side of the boat. Some states require the display of a red or orange skier-down flag to alert other vessels that a skier is down. Chapter 4 has the legal requirements for your state.
To avoid propeller injuries, always shut off the engine before allowing the skier to board the boat. After the skier is on board, retrieve the tow line unless you are pulling another skier.

When in the water, the skier should:

Wear a PFD. You never know when a fall will knock you unconscious.
Learn to use hand signals.
Never ski under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is illegal and extremely dangerous because of the damage to your judgment and reflexes.
Never spray swimmers, vessels, or other skiers. Such activity is illegal, dangerous, and discourteous.
Never wrap any part of the tow rope around your body.
Always hold a ski up out of the water after falling or after dropping the rope so that the boat operator and other vessels can see you.
Never approach the back of the boat unless the engine has been shut off. Otherwise, you could be seriously injured by the boat's propeller.

The "Pendulum Effect"

The "Pendulum Effect"—An Added Risk

Boat operators need to be aware of a special risk when towing a person, particularly on an inner tube or other device which is difficult to maneuver. Learn about the "pendulum effect" in this animation. (Most students will already have Flash installed. If not, follow this link to install the Flash Player.)