Help Make Wakesurfing “Lawful” in Virginia
If you are too busy to read this whole post, then please just skip to the bottom where you can find the phone number for your state delegate and call them to ask them to vote for Virginia House Bill Number 1119.
One day last summer my friends and I were doing what we do every Sunday during the summer: wakesurfing. However, this day would be different.
If you don’t already know, “wakesurfing” is a water sport where a person “surfs” in the wake behind a slow moving boat. Initially a rope is used to pull the surfer upright on the surfboard, and then after they get their balance they throw the rope back into the boat and “surf” the wave as they would in the ocean, that is, using only their balance and the momentum of the water.
So on that Sunday last summer we filled up the boat and truck with gas (around $100 total), drove an hour to the lake, then put the boat in the water and prepared it for the day. However, after about 45 minutes of surfing we were flagged down by two officers from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. We weren’t really worried because we always drive the boat with great care, and always have all the required emergency equipment on board, including extra life preservers. There should have been no problem.
Instead, and to our great surprise, one of the officers issued us a citation and told us that wakesurfing is illegal in the state of Virginia. He referenced a law about operating a boat above wake speeds within 50 feet of people in the water. He told us that because the surfer behind the boat wasn’t holding a rope that he was considered a swimmer, and that the driver of the boat was endangering the swimmer. The boat we use has an inboard motor, which is located near the middle of the boat so it’s nearly impossible to come in contact with the propeller.
We have been wakesurfing in these same waters for years, and have passed by many officers who have even waved at us while we surfed. This guy was stretching it a bit. The other officer in the boat tried to add further justification by saying that surfers are so close to the boat that they’ll get carbon dioxide poisoning.
This really was depressing for us because it’s a very safe and fun sport, and we spend nearly every Sunday of the summer at the lake on the surfboard.
But the depression turned to anger and then motivation to get this law changed. The court date was pushed back twice, finally to January 2012. My friends Tate and John went to court to fight the citation, and won. Next, they urged our local delegate Tommy Wright to sponsor a bill to make wakesurfing “lawful” in the state of Virginia.
Delegate Wright did his part and Virginia House Bill Number 1119 is now submitted and ready to be put to vote. If it passes then we can go back to having fun in the summer.
The bill is being voted on in the Agriculture Subcommittee and is scheduled for sometime before the end of January. We would really appreciate it if you could help us out by calling your delegate and asking them to vote for House bill 1119.
Here, I’ll make it easy for you.
If you don’t know who your delegate is, you can use this Virginia state government webpage to locate them. Or, if you already know who your delegate is you can find their phone numbers here.
If your delegate is one of the following members of the Agriculture Subcommittee then we would especially appreciate you calling them:
- Daniel W. Marshall, III (chairman) - Counties of Henry (part) and Pittsylvania (part); City of Danville - (804) 698-1014
- Matthew James - Cities of Chesapeake (part), Norfolk (part), and Portsmouth (part) - (804) 698-1080
- Barry D. Knight - Cities of Chesapeake (part) and Virginia Beach (part) - (804) 698-1081
- James W. (Will) Morefield - Counties of Bland, Buchanan, Russell (part), and Tazewell - (804) 698-1003
- Robert D. Orrock, Sr. - Counties of Caroline (part) and Spotsylvania (part) - (804) 698-1054
- Charles D. Poindexter - Counties of Franklin (part), Henry (part), and Patrick - (804) 698-1009
- Mark D. Sickles - County of Fairfax (part) - (804) 698-1043
Please call!
