Tennessee passes new Wakesurf & Wakeboarding law - Effective July 1, 2022

[VC137FE]

Beech Lake in Lexington TN is good to go... narrowest parts in both fingers is 722' feet. 1000' in the main channel.... It's actually one of the best places we found to wakesurf.... we do piss off the fishermen in the morning when we ride... But, if ya want a good quiet place to surf and wakeboard, Beech Lake is it...

[Taco47001]

This isn't really a big deal and anyone with common courtesy and sense was already abiding by the new "rules".


There's studies out there showing no further action is necessary.

https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperi...paperid=116094

[Taco47001]

Totally agree, cabin cruisers, plowing and crazy tubers are part of the problem and should be addressed.

THIS!!! Cabin cruisers and larger vessels just cruising not on plane is much worse an issue.

[dhanni848]

So, I just mapped where we normally surf and I was for sure a couple spots may be close but not really. I agree with everyone that this shouldn't single out a group, but should cover other vessels as well. Honestly, have been anchored plenty of times and have a jet ski come by at 5 mph and bang boats together.

It is funny to read all of the fishing boat comments, and of others that probably tow their tubes all hours of the day.

[Morety]

I haven't checked to see if this is the exact language posted, but I'd argue that the law says you can't wakeboard or wakesurf in Tennessee when 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5 occur. It says "and" not "or". (2) says on a body of water 50 acres or less. So as long as the lake is bigger than 50 acres (and most are), then 2 would not occur and the law would not pertain? Does anyone else read it this way?

[MattsCraft]

Kent, thanks for sharing. I saw this on a CHL facebook page and all the wakesurf haters are all over it. I think in the end, very little will change. I agree that calling out one group is wrong and further adds to the divisive culture this great country has become. The TWRA and other patrolling bodies should (emphasize SHOULD) focus on other safety issues. We have all been a part of situations where idiots in all forms of vessels get WAY to close to our riders, and have had ski/wakebord/ surf too close to moored vessels, etc. On the bright side the crazies that will yell at us for enjoying our watersports, can't measure anyway...

We are on Norris - Pretty much have been following these rules anyway, out of total respect. I checked via google maps, all the places we surf (all in compliance) and mostly places that are shoreline to shoreline, no docks! However my biggest concern is with all the Tooner vigilantist trying to enforce what they believe, is me now breaking the law just because we are surfing. I see this as getting ugly real fast! TWRA has little presence on Norris except on Holiday weekends!

[FoggyNogginz]

Kent, thanks for sharing. I saw this on a CHL facebook page and all the wakesurf haters are all over it. I think in the end, very little will change. I agree that calling out one group is wrong and further adds to the divisive culture this great country has become. The TWRA and other patrolling bodies should (emphasize SHOULD) focus on other safety issues. We have all been a part of situations where idiots in all forms of vessels get WAY to close to our riders, and have had ski/wakebord/ surf too close to moored vessels, etc. On the bright side the crazies that will yell at us for enjoying our watersports, can't measure anyway...

Agreed - the good part of CHL is that there are no personal docks and the channels are super wide! It's not too much of a problem for me on OHL either, it's just the targeted way that it was written that bugs me. Hope to see you out there soon.

[FoggyNogginz]

We are on Norris - Pretty much have been following these rules anyway, out of total respect. I checked via google maps, all the places we surf (all in compliance) and mostly places that are shoreline to shoreline, no docks! However my biggest concern is with all the Tooner vigilantist trying to enforce what they believe, is me now breaking the law just because we are surfing. I see this as getting ugly real fast! TWRA has little presence on Norris except on Holiday weekends!

As a kid who grew up in east TN, I miss and love Norris!

[Wheelin98TJ]

Someone help me understand shoreline protection. Ignorant guy here, it's all sea walls on my lake.

Doesn't wind beat up the shoreline much worse?

[Tsumi]

Someone help me understand shoreline protection. Ignorant guy here, it's all sea walls on my lake.

Doesn't wind beat up the shoreline much worse?

Wind doesn't usually kick up the waves as high unless you're on a really big lake. Also, boat wakes/waves add on top of the wind.

[Wheelin98TJ]

Wind doesn't usually kick up the waves as high unless you're on a really big lake. Also, boat wakes/waves add on top of the wind.

I live on a 1,330 acre lake and it gets surf boat size waves when it’s windy. There aren’t any boats out when this happens. Surf boat size waves repeatedly for sometimes hours.

It seems to me a wake boat would be pretty minor compared to Mother Nature when it comes to shoreline. At least in this situation.

[Taco47001]

I haven't checked to see if this is the exact language posted, but I'd argue that the law says you can't wakeboard or wakesurf in Tennessee when 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5 occur. It says "and" not "or". (2) says on a body of water 50 acres or less. So as long as the lake is bigger than 50 acres (and most are), then 2 would not occur and the law would not pertain? Does anyone else read it this way?

The only portion where the "and" appears is between 4,5.

[2RLAKE]

well i like it ... every year we have a couple events of some idiot renters down the cove that place grandma on the dock and they do circles to show her what they can do ... or they go up and down out cove literally 50' off our docks ... not sure it will help but its worth a try ... they broke my under water brace last year

[jgraham37128]

This law will for sure affect Tim's Ford lake owners.

[88 PS190]

THIS!!! Cabin cruisers and larger vessels just cruising not on plane is much worse an issue.

I disagree this is just quite a silly argument I can fix this easily - all motorized boats must operate either at idle no wake speed or fully on plane. Do you prefer this version of the law? It after all fixes cabin cruisers and larger vessels operating not on plane as well as fixes wake boats not operating fully on plane.

Or how about no vessel may be ballasted for purposes of wake enhancement? Does that fix the law for you?

The fundamental problem is that there is only ONE group of people that are operating vessels modified for the purposes of converting mechanical energy into wave energy. And those are wake surf/wakeboard towboats.

There are boats that run ballast for stability, such as sail boats that pump water side to side to counter the sail area's wind effect etc. But there is exactly one group of people who have boats modified to create waves for the purpose of making waves - and that's why they're being regulated.

I find the size of a vessel directly correlates to the fuel consumption and directly correlates to having fuel consumption gauges and most owners of large vessels operate at whatever the fuel consumption gauge tells them to be ideal.