Setting the record straight on wake boats

The lakes of the Northwoods provide countless recreation opportunities yearlong, and during the summer water sports promote accessibility for individuals of all ages and abilities. One of my family’s favorites is wake surfing.

Unlike high-impact water sports that require significant physical endurance, wake surfing — made more accessible by wake boats — offers a safer, more controlled alternative. Over the last 50 years, wake surfing has grown in popularity.

Recently, however, a small group of activists and politicians in communities across the state have tried to shut down wake surfing, asserting that it is unwelcome on “their” lakes. But excessive restrictions and calls for bans are not about environmental protection — they are about exclusion. These community by community patchwork measures limit public access, undermine the inclusive spirit of Wisconsin’s water-based recreation and sow confusion among boaters.

One of the most-used arguments against wake boats is that they produce waves that cause excessive damage to the shorelines and bottoms of the lakes they are on. That just isn’t the truth. Forty years of research analyzing boat wakes — including research from the Environmental Protection Agency — don’t support this argument. In fact, there is no verified evidence that Wisconsin’s lakes are deteriorating due to wake boats; any suggestion to the contrary is a blatant misrepresentation of scientific findings, grounded in fear and emotion.

In fact, it’s not wake boats, but ice movement, wind-driven waves, and shoreline development that are the dominant causes of erosion around Wisconsin’s lakes. The waves created by wake boats dissipate quickly. By the time a wake travels 200 feet, more than 71% of its height and energy dissipates, leaving waves that are a modest 8–11 inches high — about the same as waves generated by a 20-mph wind over one mile of water. Regulation should be informed by empirical data, not fear-driven narratives.

Other arguments against wake boating can be quickly discounted as well. The low-impact nature of wake surfing and the design of the boats themselves make wake boating a safer activity than towed sports like water skiing or tubing. Claims that wake boats increase the transportation of aquatic invasive species (AIS) fail to mention that wake boats are required to adhere to all the same anti-AIS regulations that other boats do.

Despite these facts, opponents of wake surfing are pushing for unreasonable restrictions, including a setback of an astonishing 700 feet or a complete ban. Yet southern states with more vulnerable ecosystems and longer boating seasons — like Tennessee and Georgia — have found that a 200-foot setback for wake boats effectively addresses safety and environmental concerns.

This is not a debate rooted in genuine environmental protection; it is an agenda-driven effort to regulate a recreational activity that, by every measurable standard, poses no greater risk than traditional boating practices.

Wisconsin’s waterways are a vital part of the state’s economy, recreation, and cherished way of life. Decisions about lake use should be guided by facts — not fear. Let’s ensure Wisconsin remains a leader in accessible, responsible water-based recreation without becoming the most restrictive state in the nation.

Carla Hameister is a resident of Manitowish Waters and a wake boat enthusiast.