Wake boats unsafe on Rideau
Re: Water fight: Why wakesurf boats are making waves in cottage country, June 13.
We are long time boaters on the Rideau, Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. And we have seen or experienced every type of misbehaviour or misadventure that can happen.
The recent story about wake boats causing erosion on the banks of the Rideau is very troublesome for both the river habitat and other boaters. Wake boats are specifically designed to generate huge wakes. These boats provide people with the type of wake that they can use to wakeboard or wakesurf.
It looks like fun. But it can be very unsafe. These wakes will swallow up a canoe or kayak in no time flat. Then there is the shoreline erosion, destroying the natural habitat. This activity should be restricted to larger bodies of water where the wave energy can dissipate over distance, such as the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa between Britannia and Fitzroy Harbour, or the Great Lakes. Rivers like the Rideau are just too small for wake boats.
Personal Watercraft (PWC) bring a whole different set of issues. For some reason, many riders don't respect the laws; they are like motorcyclists who zigzag in and out of traffic. There are very specific signs on the water that tell boaters to slow down. There are areas around marinas and narrow passages that are no-wake zones. These signs and locations are seldom followed by PWC riders.
Obey the rules. You have to know what they are in order to get your boaters licence.