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My $.02 on wake boats / Lake Powell

ONE-A-DAY

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We have not been to Lake Powell in 8 years..........returned this past weekend for a four day long weekend getaway. As always Powell is simply amazing, but one thing has changed since we were last there 8 years ago.......surf boats. Holy hell, what a mess. These tools wake surf in a canyon that is vertical rock on both sides, three at once in one situation we came across, the waves dont dissipate because there is no beach. Sad to say the advent of this "sport" really has changed such an amazing place, complete shit show.
 

MK1MOD0

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I have a feeling, it won’t be very long till the powers to be , outlaw boats that have ballast tanks on these waters. Or start to make other regulations. The Enviormental nuts are chomping at the bit due to erosion and habitat destruction ( in their minds). There will be backlash for sure. And, it won’t be good. It will trickle down to all of us boaters...... as always, it’s the few that ruin it for everyone.
 

TVMNick

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I boat Powell a ton, and it has been 10x worse the past few months than I've ever seen it. I couldn't believe how rough the water was between Warm Creek and Padre. I think I air dried my props more this past weekend than I have all year!
 

77charger

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Was out last year big jump in them too.Worse is when you find a nice spot and they show up after and will drive right by like no big deal.At that time i dont mind jumping in my boat and cris cross in front of them for fun they ruin my time ill take time to return the favor.
 

HB2Havasu

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Yeah we were there for a week in July. The worst is when you get 2 or more Surfboats going the same direction and their waves merge. It turns them into 3'-4' Tsunami's that come out of nowhere when your in a shear wall canyon. (They don't dissipate) Had one come over the bow and I thought we were going down. There definitely has to be something done. These boats are not made for these type of lakes. Unfortunately somebody is going to have to die before anything is done I'm afraid.
 

franky

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I boat Powell a ton, and it has been 10x worse the past few months than I've ever seen it. I couldn't believe how rough the water was between Warm Creek and Padre. I think I air dried my props more this past weekend than I have all year!
That area sucks!!! We are headed out again next week and our group has decided wheels up by 7:30 to get past that area before it turns into Devcon 5. Our last trip in August my arm was constantly in the air yielding the unicorn fist. Phuck those guys.
 

Gonefishin5555

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My wake launched a deck boat up to about a 30 degree angle. It was a sight to see. Not sure how to avoid that. I noticed a real flat bottom guy got a little close and took a pounding.
 

J DUNN

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I boat Powell a ton, and it has been 10x worse the past few months than I've ever seen it. I couldn't believe how rough the water was between Warm Creek and Padre. I think I air dried my props more this past weekend than I have all year!
That area sucks!!! We are headed out again next week and our group has decided wheels up by 7:30 to get past that area before it turns into Devcon 5. Our last trip in August my arm was constantly in the air yielding the unicorn fist. Phuck those guys.

True, that area is rough, but it ALWAYS has been. That area being rough has NOTHING to do with surf boats IMHO. I have never seen somebody try and surf in the "channel" which is what we call the aka "narrows" between Warm Creek and Padre.


In response to the OP and others, I get your points but I don't really agree. One thing I LIKE about the surfers is how slow they go and it's easy to stay separated from each other. The one big problem I have is DISRESPECT which is exemplified in some of the comments above. The disrespect I experienced this year was this. In our Houseboat in a decent size cove in Face Canyon. Not at the front but just inside the first shallow prop-killer spots and we were camped on the right side. Plenty of room in the cove for 3-4 boats to be tubing, surfing, skiing or whatever and not get in each others way. One afternoon there is 2 boats pulling people in the cove. I've got my Cobalt tied up to the back of my houseboat, not to the swimstep but with bumpers and lines tied to my stern shore lines for the houseboat. And one of the boats pulling a surfer is like literally 10 yards off my stern. He was so close I could talk to him with out yelling. I put my hands up and pulled a Biden and said, "C'mon Man!" As my boat was heaving and hoeing up and down on his 2 foot rollers. The whole rest of the cove was open with nobody on the beaches and this knucklehead has to surf right behind me. So, this leads to the other point I'd use to actually defend surfing at Powell, It's HUGE!!!!!! As long as people get out of your way let those slow plows do what they want, there is PLENTY of great canyons that can't be surfed in and the bays are soooo big you can easily get away from the Surf boats. I totally understand complaints about surfers on Parker or other parts of river, but Powell???? "C'mon Man" -Biden It's big enough for all of us, let's not complain just to be complaining. Oh, wait, that's right, this is the internet.
 

J DUNN

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My wake launched a deck boat up to about a 30 degree angle. It was a sight to see. Not sure how to avoid that. I noticed a real flat bottom guy got a little close and took a pounding.


Was it me? I was there Sept. 10th, 11th running the Mandella. NOT a surf boat, LOL! Does have a ski tow though!!!!!

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Flying_Lavey

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True, that area is rough, but it ALWAYS has been. That area being rough has NOTHING to do with surf boats IMHO. I have never seen somebody try and surf in the "channel" which is what we call the aka "narrows" between Warm Creek and Padre.


In response to the OP and others, I get your points but I don't really agree. One thing I LIKE about the surfers is how slow they go and it's easy to stay separated from each other. The one big problem I have is DISRESPECT which is exemplified in some of the comments above. The disrespect I experienced this year was this. In our Houseboat in a decent size cove in Face Canyon. Not at the front but just inside the first shallow prop-killer spots and we were camped on the right side. Plenty of room in the cove for 3-4 boats to be tubing, surfing, skiing or whatever and not get in each others way. One afternoon there is 2 boats pulling people in the cove. I've got my Cobalt tied up to the back of my houseboat, not to the swimstep but with bumpers and lines tied to my stern shore lines for the houseboat. And one of the boats pulling a surfer is like literally 10 yards off my stern. He was so close I could talk to him with out yelling. I put my hands up and pulled a Biden and said, "C'mon Man!" As my boat was heaving and hoeing up and down on his 2 foot rollers. The whole rest of the cove was open with nobody on the beaches and this knucklehead has to surf right behind me. So, this leads to the other point I'd use to actually defend surfing at Powell, It's HUGE!!!!!! As long as people get out of your way let those slow plows do what they want, there is PLENTY of great canyons that can't be surfed in and the bays are soooo big you can easily get away from the Surf boats. I totally understand complaints about surfers on Parker or other parts of river, but Powell???? "C'mon Man" -Biden It's big enough for all of us, let's not complain just to be complaining. Oh, wait, that's right, this is the internet.
But you can't wait to pass in a plow boy's wake cause the waves they create go all the way across it and they are all massive. And the slow part makes it worse cause you can't match their speed without falling off plane and you come up on them, and worse their tsunamis, MUCH faster so its much more difficult to maneuver around them safely they are horrible and a GIANT safety issue.

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Ziggy

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To me the funny part is every LAM boater thinks others want to see them being cool, dope, bitchen or whatever else you want to call it. I truly don't give one fuck what you got or can do other than not wanting my shit fucked up by it or my peace-n-quiet disrupted.
 

Mototrig

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And one of the boats pulling a surfer is like literally 10 yards off my stern. He was so close I could talk to him with out yelling.
It's like someone said earlier, this is the era of the LAM'ers. It's not cool unless you surf RIGHT by the only houseboat in the cove so they can see how cool you are (aren't).
 

Sharp Shooter

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To me the funny part is every LAM boater thinks others want to see them being cool, dope, bitchen or whatever else you want to call it. I truly don't give one fuck what you got or can do other than not wanting my shit fucked up by it or my peace-n-quiet disrupted.

I think this is pretty accurate. If you're into wake surfing you probably do think other wake surfers look cool. Or if you're cruising the channel in an offshore boat you might be shocked to find out that the guy in the flatty thinks you look like a dork. It's all about perspective which varies from person to person.
 

Ziggy

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I think this is pretty accurate. If you're into wake surfing you probably do think other wake surfers look cool. Or if you're cruising the channel in an offshore boat you might be shocked to find out that the guy in the flatty thinks you look like a dork. It's all about perspective which varies from person to person.
Exactly, I wasn't referring to any particular type of boat.
 

Motor Boater

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I just spent a week at powell over Labor Day and didn’t have one issue. The great thing about powell is there is a 100+ miles of lake. We were 35 miles up lake and had no issues. It’s funny because I just bought a Howard 28 bullet and the first I did when a storm came in and shit got rough was to take the boat out LOL. I wanted to see how it handled the rough stuff.
 

franky

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True, that area is rough, but it ALWAYS has been. That area being rough has NOTHING to do with surf boats IMHO. I have never seen somebody try and surf in the "channel" which is what we call the aka "narrows" between Warm Creek and Padre.


In response to the OP and others, I get your points but I don't really agree. One thing I LIKE about the surfers is how slow they go and it's easy to stay separated from each other. The one big problem I have is DISRESPECT which is exemplified in some of the comments above. The disrespect I experienced this year was this. In our Houseboat in a decent size cove in Face Canyon. Not at the front but just inside the first shallow prop-killer spots and we were camped on the right side. Plenty of room in the cove for 3-4 boats to be tubing, surfing, skiing or whatever and not get in each others way. One afternoon there is 2 boats pulling people in the cove. I've got my Cobalt tied up to the back of my houseboat, not to the swimstep but with bumpers and lines tied to my stern shore lines for the houseboat. And one of the boats pulling a surfer is like literally 10 yards off my stern. He was so close I could talk to him with out yelling. I put my hands up and pulled a Biden and said, "C'mon Man!" As my boat was heaving and hoeing up and down on his 2 foot rollers. The whole rest of the cove was open with nobody on the beaches and this knucklehead has to surf right behind me. So, this leads to the other point I'd use to actually defend surfing at Powell, It's HUGE!!!!!! As long as people get out of your way let those slow plows do what they want, there is PLENTY of great canyons that can't be surfed in and the bays are soooo big you can easily get away from the Surf boats. I totally understand complaints about surfers on Parker or other parts of river, but Powell???? "C'mon Man" -Biden It's big enough for all of us, let's not complain just to be complaining. Oh, wait, that's right, this is the internet.
Believe me they do and yes it has always been bad but worse now. Same thing goes with the Antelope Point narrows. Only longer. Always been a toilet bowl mess but way worse now with surf boats.
 

ONE-A-DAY

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But you can't wait to pass in a plow boy's wake cause the waves they create go all the way across it and they are all massive. And the slow part makes it worse cause you can't match their speed without falling off plane and you come up on them, and worse their tsunamis, MUCH faster so its much more difficult to maneuver around them safely they are horrible and a GIANT safety issue.

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Yeah I can’t drop below 35 or the boat falls off plane so I have to stop and then start over repeatedly. And yes if you go up lake you can avoid most of the LAM boaters as they don’t have enough fuel to go that far.
 

franky

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I just spent a week at powell over Labor Day and didn’t have one issue. The great thing about powell is there is a 100+ miles of lake. We were 35 miles up lake and had no issues. It’s funny because I just bought a Howard 28 bullet and the first I did when a storm came in and shit got rough was to take the boat out LOL. I wanted to see how it handled the rough stuff.
Yeah, when we used to houseboat (last 35 years) we would go up past Dangling Rope (more like 45 miles) and it was nice and quite. Lately we have been staying at the lodge or airbb in Page so have to leave out of Wahweep each morning and going thru the shit every day just sucks lately.
 

traquer

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Don't worry all these newbie boaters won't be around forever, right now it's the peak of the cycle + Covid. Fair weather flyers..
 

Motor Boater

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Yeah I can’t drop below 35 or the boat falls off plane so I have to stop and then start over repeatedly. And yes if you go up lake you can avoid most of the LAM boaters as they don’t have enough fuel to go that far.

What r u driving that you need to come off plane every time you see a wakeboat? I hit that shit at a 45 degree angle and let it rip.
 

Jed-O

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I think this is pretty accurate. If you're into wake surfing you probably do think other wake surfers look cool. Or if you're cruising the channel in an offshore boat you might be shocked to find out that the guy in the flatty thinks you look like a dork. It's all about perspective which varies from person to person.
Yup, the tree hugging kayakers think we are all pieces of shit.
 

riverroyal

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We have not been to Lake Powell in 8 years..........returned this past weekend for a four day long weekend getaway. As always Powell is simply amazing, but one thing has changed since we were last there 8 years ago.......surf boats. Holy hell, what a mess. These tools wake surf in a canyon that is vertical rock on both sides, three at once in one situation we came across, the waves dont dissipate because there is no beach. Sad to say the advent of this "sport" really has changed such an amazing place, complete shit show.
I was there a month ago. All wake boats with the shittiest disrespectful operators ive ever seen. Coming in a out of 5mph to fast causing huge wakes to people being courteous.
You could tell a bunch of new boat owners who never owned before.
 

Gonefishin5555

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Was it me? I was there Sept. 10th, 11th running the Mandella. NOT a surf boat, LOL! Does have a ski tow though!!!!!

View attachment 925298 View attachment 925299 View attachment 925300
No this was last weekend on Lake Mohave. I am starting to look for these occurrences now and understand how to avoid them. The guy in the flat bottom crossed my wake too close and at a 90 degree angle. Oooooofff, I think I will try to catch a few on my iPhone and post them on the next thread with people complaining.
 

707dog

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running the delta for years i have learned how to attack the large wakes from the 40-50 cruisers and long as no one is wave riding i apply the same to the surf boats. i also have a countermeasure for those boats, when my tank comes off plane to slow down for them the 2-3 foot wave that is now being created really fuX%s them up and usually get a look like what the F where did that come from. i myself have to be cautious of the wake mine puts off at slow speed because it's pretty big but i am mindful of it.
 

Badchoices03

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A shitty captain is a shitty captain....this last weekend coming out of Pirates at the narrowest/shallowest point there was a small flatty coming in and a big DCB going out, DCB captain going out decided it would be a good spot to start to plane, his huge wake about nearly sunk that flatty when it rolled across his bow, DCB captain didnt even look back...SMH
 

Boat 405

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A shitty captain is a shitty captain....this last weekend coming out of Pirates at the narrowest/shallowest point there was a small flatty coming in and a big DCB going out, DCB captain going out decided it would be a good spot to start to plane, his huge wake about nearly sunk that flatty when it rolled across his bow, DCB captain didnt even look back...SMH


It’s called situational awareness. Some people just don’t have it. Much like self responsibility, or mechanical empathy.

I just assume most folks lack all three and so I plan accordingly.
 

DaveH

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i generally go to powell 2-3 times a year.

what has changed immensely is the amount large Mormon families with high dollar equipment all over the lake like an outbreak of quagga species.

and no surprise either when you can put 17 people on these new wake boats.

while i find them very uptight and judgemental......I don't find them particularly rude or flashy trying to be seen. my take is that they only boat a handful of times a year and as such are just in their own world out there doing the latest craze surfing thing.

they are super easy to spot........all the women have on one piece suits with board shorts to protect their precious modesty. obviously, you wont see any beer being consumed.

i think people are getting annoyed because there is just so many of them now. i am surprised antelope marina doesnt have a classic Mormon steeple.
 

stingray11

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True, that area is rough, but it ALWAYS has been. That area being rough has NOTHING to do with surf boats IMHO. I have never seen somebody try and surf in the "channel" which is what we call the aka "narrows" between Warm Creek and Padre.


In response to the OP and others, I get your points but I don't really agree. One thing I LIKE about the surfers is how slow they go and it's easy to stay separated from each other. The one big problem I have is DISRESPECT which is exemplified in some of the comments above. The disrespect I experienced this year was this. In our Houseboat in a decent size cove in Face Canyon. Not at the front but just inside the first shallow prop-killer spots and we were camped on the right side. Plenty of room in the cove for 3-4 boats to be tubing, surfing, skiing or whatever and not get in each others way. One afternoon there is 2 boats pulling people in the cove. I've got my Cobalt tied up to the back of my houseboat, not to the swimstep but with bumpers and lines tied to my stern shore lines for the houseboat. And one of the boats pulling a surfer is like literally 10 yards off my stern. He was so close I could talk to him with out yelling. I put my hands up and pulled a Biden and said, "C'mon Man!" As my boat was heaving and hoeing up and down on his 2 foot rollers. The whole rest of the cove was open with nobody on the beaches and this knucklehead has to surf right behind me. So, this leads to the other point I'd use to actually defend surfing at Powell, It's HUGE!!!!!! As long as people get out of your way let those slow plows do what they want, there is PLENTY of great canyons that can't be surfed in and the bays are soooo big you can easily get away from the Surf boats. I totally understand complaints about surfers on Parker or other parts of river, but Powell???? "C'mon Man" -Biden It's big enough for all of us, let's not complain just to be complaining. Oh, wait, that's right, this is the internet.
Anybody running 30 feet on Plane by my boat gets a ski rope in their propeller, just throw out your 75-foot ski rope because you're getting ready to go skiing, just don't tie it to the boat. Not sure about your state but they're not allowed to be closer than 100 ft while on plane

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J DUNN

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i generally go to powell 2-3 times a year.
what has changed immensely is the amount large Mormon families with high dollar equipment all over the lake like an outbreak of quagga species.
and no surprise either when you can put 17 people on these new wake boats.
while i find them very uptight and judgemental......I don't find them particularly rude or flashy trying to be seen. my take is that they only boat a handful of times a year and as such are just in their own world out there doing the latest craze surfing thing.
they are super easy to spot........all the women have on one piece suits with board shorts to protect their precious modesty. obviously, you wont see any beer being consumed.
i think people are getting annoyed because there is just so many of them now. i am surprised antelope marina doesnt have a classic Mormon steeple.


Oh the irony......
 

LazyLavey

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To me the funny part is every LAM boater thinks others want to see them being cool, dope, bitchen or whatever else you want to call it. I truly don't give one fuck what you got or can do other than not wanting my shit fucked up by it or my peace-n-quiet disrupted.

HURUMPH!
 

oldschool

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I passed a big CC going up river Wednesday, wake was as big or bigger than most surf boats.
 

Taboma

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I passed a big CC going up river Wednesday, wake was as big or bigger than most surf boats.


Oh Oh, now you've done it !! :oops: Everybody knows that 40' CC's don't make any more wake than a bass boat. I read it right here on RDP 👍 ;)
 

TPC

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Not saying it’s an excuse but displacement hulls need more speed to maneuver. That’s usually why they speed in the no wake or 5 mph zones.

Most those pigs are displacement hulls to help put up killer wakes or surf.
In addition they have very little if any control backing up and that’s even another fuck story.

Mingling in the past at their favorite morning stop Badenochs you did meet some super douches but the sail boaters at Catalina take Douchery to a much higher level of professional, polished turdness.
 
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