BOATsmart! USA Knowledge Base

Be sure to take the following safety precautions when you’re operating a towing boat or taking part in towed sports activities:

• Designate a spotter.
• Plan ahead—know the area where you’ll be boating to avoid hazards, obstacles or heavy traffic.
• Check the towing line for tangles, loops or knots before you leave the dock.
• Leave an open seat in the boat for each person being towed.
• Be aware that only personal watercraft that are designed to carry three or more people can be used to tow passengers.
• Make sure any passengers being towed are wearing Coast Guard-approved lifejackets.
• Understand that it’s illegal to operate a towing boat by remote control.
• Be aware that if you change direction quickly, the sharp maneuver will have a dangerous slingshot effect on the person being towed.
• Only tow passengers from one hour after sunrise until one hour before sunset—it’s illegal to tow a person in the dark.

Towed sports are fun and if performed properly with all the right safety and sporting equipment, can be very safe. However, the Coast Guard lists ‘skier mishaps’ in the top five types of boating accidents. So, stay safe and never allow yourself to become careless on the water. Accidents do happen if you aren’t being careful.