Wakeboarding Question

[h_2_o]

I didn't want to gum up the Tennessee thread with this question but it has been on my mind for a while now. A lot of these new proposed laws for wakesurfing and wakeboarding are very similar no surfing within 400 ft of shore and no wakeboarding behind outdrive boats. Now the wakeboarding part is what really confuses me. Can anyone explain the safety factor because that is the argument i always hear is that wakeboarding is unsafe behind an outboard or an io. How exactly is it dangerous 40 plus feet from the motor on a wakeboard on any type of propulsion?

[dpb185]

The 10RC law only bans wakesurfing behind an outboard. I can't imaging why wakeboarding behind an outboard would be banned.

[Mainely Wake]

If people aren't allowed to surf behind an outboard how will we ever cull the morons from this world... Hopefully they won't ban surfing behind an air boat too that would be a tragedy!

[jpwhit]

I think this is a case where a lack of understanding has caused an unfortunate consequence for wake boarders. Essentially I think they've lumped Surfing and Wakeboarding together for the purpose of this law simply because they are both the activities where the boats employ wake enhancing technology. And there is "some" danger of surfing behind an I/O or Outboard. Looks like Wakeboarding is now illegal in Tennessee by association. There is no danger IMO to wakeboard behind an I/O or Outboard, but it now appears to be illegal in Tennessee.

My only concern with this law is the general precedence and this guilty by association potential. I'm not bothered by the actual 200 feet away and 400 feet minimum cove size restriction imposed. And as I've said before, we probably wouldn't be here if the majority of boaters were surfing responsibly on their own.