The Truth About Wake Surfing

The Truth About Wake Surfing

As stewards of the environment and the communities where we live and work, the recreational boating community continues to collaboratively address environmental protection and safety throughout our waterways. While a boat wake coming ashore can seem like a significant event, in the larger scheme of things, it can be of little consequence. Here’s a few key facts about wake boats to keep in mind:

·    Boat wakes dissipate quickly and have little impact on shoreline erosion compared to wind-driven waves.

·     Wake boats operating in bodies of water with a depth of 10 feet of water while in

surf-mode have no impact on waters’ bottoms.

·     Sedimentation caused by boat traffic or wind-driven waves is significantly less than the amount of sedimentation that flows naturally through lake or river watersheds.

·     Boat wakes can increase oxygenation, which is beneficial for aquatic ecosystems.

·     The wake created by a wake boat in surf-mode dissipates faster than the wake created by a typical boat while underway, or when a boat rides over its bow wave on its own.

·     Residential and commercial shoreline development has a much greater negative impact on lake or river health than boating.


The Boating Community Prioritizes Educating Boaters on Responsible Wake Surfing

Boaters, manufacturers and dealers have a longstanding history of proactively supporting boater education efforts and the adoption of widespread safety measures, such as the industry’s Wake Responsibly campaign.


Learn more about wake surfing best practices in this video.