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Over the last decade, wake surfing has become increasingly popular due to some pretty impressive advances in wave-generating technology: specially designed hulls, automatic ballast systems, and wake shaping devices. In case you’re unfamiliar with this burgeoning water sport, wake surfers are propelled on a specialized surfboard by the large wake behind so-called wakesurfing boats, which are specifically designed with this tech to create a large, clean, and customizable wake at low speeds. It looks like a lot of fun. However, the use of these wake boats comes at a cost, and not just to your wallet.
Concern about the environmental and safety impacts of these boats is building. Even in the great lakes, waves are rarely powerful enough to surf, but the wake these boats generate can reach heights of over 1 m and are powerful enough to propel a person weighing over 200 lbs. When these waves reach shore, especially on small lakes, they can still be quite large, dramatically eroding shorelines, stirring up bottom sediments, and contributing to suspended nutrients in the water column, increasing the potential for algae blooms.
Then there’s the downward-pointing propwash resulting from the high angle of attack when these boats are in wake surfing mode. This wash (the turbulent water that is pushed backward by the spinning propeller) can reach depths of up to 9 m, uprooting vegetation, destroying fish habitat, also stirring up sediment, and adding more nutrients to the water column. The ballast tanks they use to increase their weight can contribute to the spread of invasive species and of course there is the safety element for other lake users, damage to property and infrastructure, and the disruption of important wildlife habitat like loon nesting areas and fish spawning and nursery grounds.
Want to learn more? Safe Quiet Lakes member Timothy James talks about wake surfing in the context of the evolution of our lakes and how we can enjoy it sustainably.
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