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Old     (jhmeg2)      Join Date: Jul 2014       08-05-2015, 8:34 AM Reply   
How old does your spotter have to be? I want to go out,but only have one adult available. The kid is 10 that would spot. Is that old enough?
Old     (trayson)      Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vancouver WA       08-05-2015, 9:20 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jhmeg2 View Post
How old does your spotter have to be? I want to go out,but only have one adult available. The kid is 10 that would spot. Is that old enough?
Hell yeah! Our laws don't specify age in either WA or OR. maybe check your state's laws, but I've been using my son as a spotter/flagger since he was 7.

Hell, one time my buddy and I went out and used his 4 year old as our flagger! LMAO!!!! Whatever works!



I just looked up the WI rules and it says:

Quote:
When a vessel is towing a person on water skis, a surfboard or other device, the operator must have a competent person on board to act as an observer
I think a 10 y/o is plenty competent.

Last edited by trayson; 08-05-2015 at 9:24 AM.
Old     (Nordicron)      Join Date: Aug 2011       08-05-2015, 9:32 AM Reply   
10yr old is fine!

I heard a rumor that Wisconsin is looking to get rid of the spotter rule so long as u have a mirror that meets specs. I so hope that's true!
Old     (jhmeg2)      Join Date: Jul 2014       08-05-2015, 9:33 AM Reply   
Awesome guys. Thanks a lot.
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       08-05-2015, 9:57 AM Reply   
haha!! reminds me of a friend who put a blow up doll the passenger seat of his car while on his learner's permit.

Texas is a mirror state. makes things a lot easier.
Old     (AxisofEvil)      Join Date: Mar 2013       08-05-2015, 10:05 AM Reply   
My daughters 2... she says Uh-oh dada when I fall. That works right?
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Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       08-05-2015, 10:20 AM Reply   
awesome!!
Old     (tonyv420)      Join Date: Jul 2007       08-05-2015, 3:06 PM Reply   
my 4 year old granddaughter has spotted for us before!
Old     (robbo3)      Join Date: Jul 2015       08-05-2015, 6:44 PM Reply   
WI law is for a competent passenger. That being said, my son has spotted since age 7, that was competent enough for me. As long as they can demonstrate the hand signals and communicate them to the driver, they'd have a hard time proving otherwise.

I would support the mirror rule.

Last edited by robbo3; 08-05-2015 at 6:51 PM.
Old     (on_wi)      Join Date: Feb 2013       08-06-2015, 6:16 AM Reply   
It seems like the term competent is up to the officer that day. We were pulled over in WI awhile back and the 10 year old wasn't enough for the officer. I'd prep the kid to be sure he'd do well if stopped.
Old     (trayson)      Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vancouver WA       08-06-2015, 11:21 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by on_wi View Post
It seems like the term competent is up to the officer that day. We were pulled over in WI awhile back and the 10 year old wasn't enough for the officer. I'd prep the kid to be sure he'd do well if stopped.
I've had the same type of disagreement with a sheriff about the flag being displayed. We were sitting out in the middle of the river and the kids were swimming off the back of the swim platform. The sheriff came all the way over to us (no one else around) and said that our flag in my "flag buddy" wasn't good enough. that we needed someone to hold the flag the whole time the kids were swimming.

Later I looked up the Oregon law and it said:

Quote:
When any person being towed by the boat becomes disengaged from the towline and is down in the water, a person in the boat shall immediately display the warning flag aloft, visible from all sides, as an indicator to other boats in the area that a person is down in the water. As long as the downed person is in the water, the flag shall remain displayed to prevent danger to that person and hazards to passing boats.
I would most certainly say that rotating the flag on the "flag buddy" that is attached to the tower is most certainly having a person "display" it.

Yeah, the Sheriff would disagree, but I'm certain that I'd have beat it in court if I was cited.

Pic of a "flag buddy"

Last edited by trayson; 08-06-2015 at 11:29 AM.
Old     (07STI)      Join Date: Jul 2015       08-06-2015, 12:33 PM Reply   
I've had my 4 year old spot in WI. Virtually no one else on the water and he knows all the signals. In fact, he's better than some people in their 20's I've had who just mess around on their phone...
Old     (dvsone79)      Join Date: Dec 2012       08-06-2015, 1:44 PM Reply   
I think in my state you aren't required to have a spotter as long as your mirror is a certain size.
Old     (jhmeg2)      Join Date: Jul 2014       08-10-2015, 4:36 PM Reply   
Where can I find the "hand signals", and is the flag a certain size and material? Or just a red flag? Or more info on it.
Old     (brhanley)      Join Date: Jun 2001       08-10-2015, 4:44 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by trayson View Post
I would most certainly say that rotating the flag on the "flag buddy" that is attached to the tower is most certainly having a person "display" it.

Yeah, the Sheriff would disagree, but I'm certain that I'd have beat it in court if I was cited.
Eh, I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Old     (Paul_42186)      Join Date: May 2013       08-10-2015, 9:04 PM Reply   
Flag is not required in WI, never seen anyone use a flag.

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