Wake Surfing Restrictions Proposed in Four States

As state legislatures begin their new sessions in the coming weeks, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), are engaging with policy makers
 on key issues including wake surfing access. There have been four states that have proposed legislation that would restrict wake surfing, and more are expected to in the coming weeks and months.

For more information, please contact MRAA’s
 government relations manager, Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com or NMMA manager of Great Lakes policy and engagement, Jill Sims at jsims@nmma.org.

Active Wake Surfing Legislation

Indiana (HB 1098)


  • HB 1098 – Defines wakeboarding and wake surfing; prohibits night wakeboarding/wake surfing; establishes process for lakes to petition NRC for restrictions
 and includes safety requirements for the watercraft.

New Hampshire (HB 229 and HB 115)


  • HB 229 – “Wake boat” means any boat that is equipped with ballast
 tanks, bags, compartments, containers, plumbing or similar devices or systems that are designed to alter or enhance the characteristics of the boat’s wake, and is also known as a “ballast boat.”

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  • HB 115 – Requires wake surfers to wear life jackets, bans nighttime
 wake surfing, and requires the tow boat to be designed by the manufacturer for wake surfing.

Oregon (HB 2555, HB 2725, and HB 2734)


  • HB 2555 and HB 2725 – Provides that maximum loading
 weight of motorboat must be less than 4,000 pounds to obtain towed watersports motorboat certificate.

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  • HB 2734 – Directs State Marine Board to study and make recommendations for legislation to impose excise tax on wake boat sales.

Virginia (HB 2083)


  • HB 2083 – Prohibits a person within 200 feet of a dock, pier, boathouse, boat ramp, shoreline or other person in the water from operating a vessel on any inland
 lake that is more than 500 feet above sea level and of 20,000 acres or more in size, and wholly located within the Commonwealth (Smith Mountain Lake), while accompanied by a person or persons engaged in wake surfing.