How Do You Hit Waves On A Boat?

For instance, if the weather is extremely windy, your boat might not turn exactly in the direction you want it to be. I have been mentioning earlier how driving a boat is somewhat similar to driving any other motor vehicle. You need to know about driving a motorboat that isn’t present when driving a car or other types of motor vehicles. Adjust the speed of your boat according to weather conditions.

Slalomers need a slalom course, and having boat wakes go down the course will force them to stop and wait for them to dissipate, as hitting wakes at slalom speeds is dangerous. Online maps are such a quick and straightforward solution that can help you prevent major issues with your day. Potentially even opening up amazing opportunities on the water, simply by checking before you commit to taking a look. Make sure the observer you have in the boat is paying attention and not just playing on their phone. You don’t want to watch the skier for their full turn and crossing the wakes, you want your eyes to predominantly be looking ahead of the boat.

If it’s windy, I would recommend positioning the front of the boat downwind, in the opposite direction of the wind. Pontoon boats don’t have small turning circles, so you should think in advance before turning in the water. Place the throttle into forward shift and start off slowly with little bursts of power. Next you will need to start turning using the steering wheel. If you have a clear path in which to drive back into, make small and controlled bursts on the throttle to back the boat out of the slip. Using the pontoon’s throttle should be something done with a very gentle motion.

Although there are no numerical speed limits on the water, citations may be issued for excessive speed or reckless operation. Use common sense, and operate at a safe speed at all times — especially in crowded areas. Maintain a 50-foot distance from other PWC’s, vessels, persons, shore, or stationary platform or other object unless operating at headway speed. As long as you are safe, take care, and are a responsible captain, I genuinely believe that within 10 minutes you will be entirely comfortable operating one of these amazing vessels. As you can see, it’s actually incredibly simple to drive a pontoon boat.

I have been there, you are nervous and doubt your ability to pilot your boat. Now you desperately need some final tips to feel confident behind the wheel steering the boat. Understanding how to properly trim a boat can have a dramatic effect on how comfortable the ride is, but every boat reacts differently to trimming in different sea conditions. So, most of the time it takes a bit of experimentation to find the sweet spot. The most important thing is simply that you try trimming, because many boaters never make any adjustments at all and never discover how big a difference it can make. When driving in tight spaces to maneuver up to a dock or slip, shift into neutral for more precise handling.

This helps you know how your boat responds at different speeds. Instead, just slow to a water safe limit and then turn; generally 20-25% slower than the top speed. Now when you reverse slowly this will push your stern into the dock while your bow will move away.