Water Skiing Safety
An afternoon of water skiing on a lake or ocean can be enjoyable and exciting. This very excitement, however, can make it easy to forget or overlook basic water skiing safety precautions. And unfortunately, the nature of the activity portends that even the smallest of mishaps can quickly turn into a tragedy.
Water skiing should be seen as a team activity, involving a skier, a boat operator, and a spotter. The boat operator should be experienced and, ideally, the spotters only job is to watch the skier. All three members should be strong swimmers and understand how to communicate with one another.
Following are some additional tips to help ensure a fun and safe water skiing experience:
- Always wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket (personal flotation device).
- Check the towline before each skiers turn.
- Be alert for swimmers, partially submerged objects, cross-wakes, or anything that may come between you and the boat.
- If the skier is “dropping a ski” for “slaloming”, he or she should do so near a dock, out of the way of other boats and skiers, and where it can be retrieved quickly.
- Before pulling the skier up, the boat operator should check the path ahead for obstacles and not accelerate until the ski tip or tips are showing above water, and the skier is holding the towline handle and signals to “hit it”.
- The boat operator should maintain a safe speed (according to ability and size of skier) and keep an eye open for obstructions and other watercraft (not the skier that is the spotters job).
- The boat operator should give a wide berth to other docks, boats, and people who are fishing, out of both safety and respect (the wake left behind a ski boat can be both dangerous and disruptive).
- Do not turn the boat sharply, especially if the skier is outside the wake on either side. If an obstacle forces an unexpected turn, signal the skier and throttle back in the turn. It is better to dunk a skier than risk an accident.
- If a skier falls, return promptly. The presence of the ski boat may keep other boaters, who may not see the skier, from the area.
- Approach the skier from the boat operators side to keep the skier in view.
- Never back the boat up to someone in the water.
- Remember that even when idling, the propeller may still be turning, which can injure the skier and tangle the line (it is best to shut the engine off when near the skier).
- Pulling an injured skier aboard may aggravate the injury. Someone should get in the water to support the skier until the nature of the injury is known.
- The spotter/observer should watch the skier at all times and relay the skiers and boat operators signals.
- Learn water ski hand signals.
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a water skiing accident, negligence by any of a number of individuals or other parties may have been involved. Signing a waiver of liability does not remove your rights. You may still be entitled to compensation.
Contact a qualified personal injury or product liability attorney for an evaluation of your case.
Also see boating accidents.
