Watch Your Wake
Responsible seamanship includes being aware of the wake your boat produces and taking steps to avoid creating a large wake that can damage docks, boats, property, marine wildlife habitats as well as endanger people.
So please take a moment to look behind you so you may understand the impact your boat’s wake has on people, shorelines, docks, or other structures. You may be surprised to see how far it goes, where it ends up and its impact…
- damaging shoreline?
- swamping, or even capsizing a kayak, canoe, SUP?
- swamping a dock?
- knocking a boat off its moorings?
- knocking over a child playing near the water’s edge?
While large wakes are often associated with high-speed boating, it is actually slow-speed boating that creates the largest wakes. When your bow is up, your stern and propeller angles down, plowing the water. The deeper your stern or heavier the boat, the larger your wake.
Hydrologists estimate that a wake 5 inches high produces limited damage to the shoreline. A 10 inch wake is 5 times more destructive and a 25 inch wake is 30 times more destructive than a 5 inch wake (Oregon State Marine Board, 2003).
Waves from wake surfing boats can be 3 to 5 feet high.
Protect the Lake
Shoreline erosion is a problem on our lake. It impacts marine wildlife habitat.
Large wakes cause soil erosion and damage fragile shorelines.
Sediment churned up by boat wake settles to the lake bottom. This disturbs habitat, smothers vegetation, and released nutrients (such as phosphorus) can promote weed growth and algal blooms. Sediment can clog fish gills and suffocate fish eggs.
Large wakes can cause disturbance and destruction of bird nesting sites along shore. Bird nests and the young can drown.
How is the impact of a large wake more damaging than storm waves? Storms, particularly on our lake, tend to prevail from the same direction. Our shoreline and its habitat have had millions of years to adapt and survive. Large wake boating traffic is a recent and sudden phenomenon creating large waves from all directions and speeds. Our natural inhabitants have not had any opportunity to adapt.
If swimmers, water skiers, anglers, pleasure boaters, kayakers and others can no longer enjoy our lakes, then tourism, property values and local business income will suffer.
How can you help?
- Wake-surf well away from shore (200 ft or 70 metres suggested) and out of bays.
- Avoid sharp turns or have a slow speed (bow down!) when turning.
- Minimize repetitive passes
- Maintain an idle speed and throttle (bow down!) near docks, piers, and waterfront property. Speed under 10km/h within 30 metres of shore is mandatory.
Undesirable impacts of large wakes include:
Enviroment
Sediment can be churned up by boat wake and settle to the lake bottom. This disturbs habitat, smothers vegetation, and released nutrients (such as phosphorus) can promote weed growth and algal blooms.
Sediment can clog fish gills and suffocate fish eggs.
Disturbance and destruction of bird nesting sites along shore. Bird nests and the young can drown.
Property
Wake may damage docks and docked boats.
Shoreline property erodes.
Stirred up sediment may cloud the water, making it less desirable for recreational activities.
Safety
Wake may endanger swimmers or anglers.
Large wakes can rock, swamp, or capsize other boats, paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes. Passengers may lose balance or fall overboard, leading to injury.
What you can do
Water-ski, tube, & wake-board well away from all shorelines. Try to make use of the entire length of the lake and find large water areas where wakes will diminish before reaching shore and where the propeller wash won’t scour the bottom.
Avoid small bays, channels, and enclosed areas.
Look behind you to see & understand the impact of your wake on shorelines, docks, or other structures. Adjust your speed & direction to minimize the impact.
For more information
Read the Larratt Wake Boat Study and the Laval Wake Study.
https://boatingnarrative.com/why-is-it-dangerous-for-your-boat-to-produce-a-large-wake/
Wake Responsibly: WSIA Handout, Signs and Downloads – Water Sports Industry Association
Wake Surfing — Last Wilderness Alliance
Videos
