Water-Skiing - Yamaha AR240 HO Owner's Manual

WATER-SKIING

You can use the boat to tow a water
skier, using the tow cleat provided.
It is the boat operator's responsibility to
be alert to the safety of the water-skier
and others. Know and follow all state
and local water-skiing regulations in
effect for the waters in which you will be
operating.
The following are some important con-
siderations for minimizing risks while
water-skiing.
• The skier should wear an approved
PFD, preferably a brightly colored
one so boat operators can see the
skier.
• The skier should wear protective
clothing. Severe internal injuries
can occur if water is forced into body
cavities as a result of falling into the
water or while reboarding. Normal
swimwear does not adequately pro-
tect against forceful water entry into
rectum or vagina. The skier should
wear a wetsuit bottom or clothing
that provides equivalent protection.
Such clothing includes thick, tightly
woven, sturdy, and snug fitting
apparel such as denim, but does not
include spandex or similar fabrics
like those used in bicycle shorts.
S
afety
• A second person should be on
board as a spotter to watch the skier;
in most states, it is required by law.
Let the skier direct the operator's
control of speed and direction with
hand signals. Be sure the seat is
locked in place (pg. 2-17) before
getting underway.
• When preparing to pull a skier,
operate the boat at the slowest
possible speed until the boat is well
away from the skier and slack in
the towrope is taken up. Make sure
that the rope is not looped around
anything.
After checking that the skier is
ready and that there is no traffic
or other obstacles, apply enough
throttle to raise the skier.
• Make smooth, wide turns. The boat
is capable of very sharp turns,
which could exceed the abilities of
the skier. Keep the skier at least
50m (164 ft), about twice the dis-
tance of a standard towrope, away
from any potential hazard.
• Be alert to the hazard of the tow-
rope handle snapping back at
the boat when the skier falls or is
unable to get up on the skis.
See pages 1-4, 1-7, and 2-23 for Wake-
board Tower use.
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