WATER SKIING

Always follow safe towing procedures. The term skiing or towing implies you are pulling a person or persons behind your boat. This includes pulling skiers, wakeboarders, tubers, kiters, or any other evolution where a person is in the water and being pulled by a boat. The person being pulled should always wear a properly fitted PFD.

Never allow teak-surfing as the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning and propeller injury are significant.

Safe towing practices include: having a responsible, dedicated observer who is in a position to observe the progress of the skier. Using a wide-angle mirror to keep an eye on the skier and raising a skier flag anytime a skier is in the water.

Never tow someone close to shorelines, boathouses, boatramps, or under bridges. Maintain a clear skiing corridor, giving ample room to maneuver both the boat and the skier in a safe manner.

Specific Kansas Skiing laws

In Kansas, no person shall operate or manipulate any vessel, tow rope or other device by which the direction or location of water skis, a surfboard, or similar device may be affected or controlled in such a way as to cause the water skis, surfboard, or similar device, or any person thereon to collide with or strike against any object or person.

• Skiing is permitted between from one hour before sunrise up to one hour after sunset
• The boat must be equipped with a wide-angle rear view mirror properly placed to provide a maximum vision of the person or persons being towed, OR there must be an observer in the boat, in addition to the operator. The observer must be a responsible person of at least twelve (12) years of age.

The water skiing rules do not apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or an authorized activity.