Jet skis on the race course

[headmount]

I don't know how it is with mainland races with race boats but here on Maui we have accompanying jet skis to pick up distressed paddlers and provide some element of safety.  But for me it's love hate. 

Last saturday the water was extremely rough side slop for long sections of the 10 mile course and as if it wasn't bad enough, when the skis went by, sometimes at 90 degrees to your line, they added yet more, unfamiliar,  bump to the madness. 

And the very worst aspect of them is that in light wind the fumes drift over you while you are in your most vulnerable state.  My attraction to this activity has been largely attributed to the fact that we're sucking in nice clean unadulterated air.  That facet is also what's appealing to being in the snow backcountry... clean air.  I may be hyper sensitive to to fumes because working hard and inhaling exhaust does me in quickly.  Just a little hit and I'm done.  That's why I'm not too good on boats either.

On downwind races that have decent downwind wind speeds, the jet ski's chop and exhaust are never a problem.  That might be my answer.

[stoneaxe]

Wakes and exhaust are an issue for us during the CCBC as well. We have to have the smaller support boats in close to be able to keep an eye on things, supply water, and respond if necessary. We also have to have a lead boat setting the pace or the faster paddlers would leave the slower behind. Wakes are a pain but not usually that much of an issue but the exhaust kills me when you get the occasional wiff. We have our big diesel whale watch support boat stay way outside the pack and downwind for that reason.

[covesurfer]

The wake and exhaust can be awful. Saturday, a boat going north passed about 1/4 mile outside of me, near the end of the race. When the wake finally got to me, I'd already forgotten the boat passing by and almost fell. Everything gets amplified when you're stretched like we were Saturday.

Glad to have the skis out there but I wish they'd stay behind us or go far outside. When they are going slow, I think they create bigger water disruption. When they are flying, on a full plane, they don't produce much wake. I'm still recovering from Saturday. That was a race I will not likely ever forget.

[TallDude]

It's always kinda of hit and miss with the jet skis and boats. In the BOP a few years back, a neighbor of mine took his son out on their jet ski to watch the race. They saw me during the distance race and raced up along side of me to say hi. I heard them coming up and thought what the hell! Their wake just about dunked me but I stayed up. Just as I was going to give them a piece of my mind, I saw his son smiling and waving at me. I'm glad I didn't yell. On another race there was a big yacht that following the race and filming someone. They were throwing a big wake and kept crossing over the course path. The fumes weren't an issue, but racers were getting dumped right and left by the yacht's wake. If you are going to follow a race, you should be in a craft that doesn't interfere with the race, and stay well out side of the course path. They pretty much ruined what could have been a fairly glassy morning ocean race.
About 30 yrs ago, I had a speed boat full of drunks run me over on my windsurfer in Mission Bay. After they ran me over they circle around me a couple of times telling to get out of their 'F'n way. I've generally hated any kind of powered water craft since then.   

[pdxmike]

I've seen the same problem in races I've been in with aid boats and photographers, although never too bad.  The only time I remember seeing a jetski was at a Gorge Performance race (racing is fast in the NW, so jetskis are the only thing that can stay ahead of the racers) and it was driven by gorgebob, who as a racer/paddler himself was fully aware of his wake and didn't even come close to creating any wakes that would affect anyone. 


It is amazing how clueless people can be about the wakes and exhaust they're throwing out and how those affect racers.  But it's harder to criticize the ones who aren't doing it intentionally.

[yugi]

local expression for powerboats here translates [roughly] as: "douche bag stroller"

[PonoBill]

I can generally deal with the wakes, despite my geezer balance, though GorgeBob DID knock me off at a race. I was on the Speedboard, way up front so it would release. It's about 20" wide up there, so stability is an issue.

The worst is the exhaust. We're breathing hard, alveoli full open and sucking up everything, then you get a nice lungful of exhaust. Uck.

I'm not a fan of powerboats. I made a guy walk the plank a few years ago for intentionally dropping me into his wake. Waited for him on his dock and gave him the choice of getting punched in the mouth and then tossed in, or jumping in the water. Chickenshit thing for me to do. If he'd been a big, tough, young dude I probably would have yelled at him. But he wasn't.

[yugi]

Not a fan of exhaust either. Same reason I Mtn Bike rather than road bike.

On the other hand we embrace powerboat wakes. We encourage them to come close and accelerate so we can ride the wake. Then again we're landlocked.

[greatdane]

It's definitely a love-hate relationship.  Still not as bad as being in the lead group of a bike race & having the police escort moto & a couple photo motos in around you for 40 miles (-:

[starman]

That's the problem with the shift to four strokes. They just don't have the same exhaust scent as a two stroke. Nothing better then the smell of castor bean oil in the morning.

[Off-Shore]

Reminds me of doing a snowmobile tour in Yellowstone. Beautiful scenery in awesome conditions but had to suck exhaust fumes of the 3 snowmobiles in front of us the whole way as we had to stay in single file... Electric vehicles are coming and I am sure that the electric jetski is not too far away..

[headmount]

Reminds me of doing a snowmobile tour in Yellowstone. Beautiful scenery in awesome conditions but had to suck exhaust fumes of the 3 snowmobiles in front of us the whole way as we had to stay in single file... Electric vehicles are coming and I am sure that the electric jetski is not too far away..

Amen to that. 

[eastbound]

electric seems so sensible for rec vehicles--in general one uses them for a set amt of time, without the schedule ad libbing we need with cars.

other than that there are few to no charging stations around here, that's my problem with tesla. when i decide last minute to drive somewhere distant, i dont want to be constrained.

[corrego]

i do not mind wake that much as in a lake any wave is fun. But the exhaust and the noise drives me crazy.

hate them

[Pierre]

solution is sailboats to attend /escort at downwind races.  with suitable  handy boats and skippers should not be an issue. no noise, no spill,... and safe/no breakdown.