Towing a Person Safely
Here are some safety practices that the operator, the observer, and the skier should follow.
The operator should:
- Make sure he or she satisfies all the legal requirements before towing a person on water skis or another device.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for attaching and using towing equipment properly.
- Never tow more than one inflatable device or an inflatable device and a skier at the same time.
- Make sure that persons being towed or on board are not entangled in the ski line before acceleration.
- Not exceed 20 mph when towing an inflatable device.
- Ensure that a person riding on an inflatable device is not launched over large waves.
The observer should:
- Communicate to the operator all signals received from the skier.
- Always keep the skier being towed in sight.
- Immediately notify the operator when a skier falls in the water.
- Help the operator locate a fallen skier.
The skier should:
- Follow all the manufacturer's recommendations for the towed device.
- Alert the observer of any potentially dangerous situations.
- Avoid all horseplay and other dangerous activities.
