Waterskiing

Includes

Wakeboarding
Knee-boarding

General requirements for water activities

Description

Waterskiing and wakeboarding use skills and equipment similar to those used for surfing, skiing and snowboarding to move across water standing upright behind a boat which tows the participant along.

Forms

An Information and Consent for Event/Activity form is required to participate in this activity.

Who can participate?

Open to those aged seven and over.

Some activity providers have their own age, height and weight restrictions.

Participants must be able to:

swim 50 metres
keep afloat for five minutes in the clothes normally worn for the activity.

Participants may fulfil these rules wearing a buoyancy aid or life jacket when either is required for the activity.

If you have a participant with a medical condition that will affect her ability to swim, ensure that you inform the instructor and make provision to allow her to participate safely.

Ratio of adults to girls

The ratio for activities in open water is one to every five girls with a minimum of two adults for all sections.

There must be sufficient adult helpers to supervise and maintain the appropriate ratio at all times.

Regulations

The Leader must ensure that all participants under 18 have written permission to take part from an adult with parental responsibility.
The local Commissioner must be informed that the activity is taking place.
Carry out a risk assessment for the activity.
When using a commercial activity provider, ensure it is reputable. You can verify the quality of a provider by checking it has one of the following endorsements: AALA, Adventuremark or LotC Quality Badge for Adventure.

The above endorsements are not applicable in Northern Ireland, where you should ask your local Outdoor Activities Adviser to recommend an approved provider.

Ensure the required buoyancy aids/life jackets are used.

Instructor qualifications

The activity instructor must hold one of the following British Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (BWSF) qualifications:

BWSF Instructor licence
BWSF Club Coach licence
BWSF Senior Coach licence.

The person in charge of a boat towing a water-skier must hold a BWSF Ski Boat Driver Award.

Useful information

Water should be inspected for signs of visible pollution, for example rubbish, blue-green algae or chemicals.

If either the Leader or the instructor is not satisfied that the conditions are safe, the activity must be abandoned.

The Leader should ensure each participant (or her parent if the participant is under 18 years old) is aware of the dangers and symptoms of Weil’s disease and knows what action to take if infection is suspected. On the day of the activity participants should be advised to cover cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters to help prevent infection.

Ensure that the provider has the correct size buoyancy aids/life jackets for the participants.

Ensure the equipment being used is:

in good condition
the correct size for the participant
adequately insured.

Ensure participants have suitable clothing and footwear. Wetsuits or dry suits are advisable. Commercial providers are likely to have their own required kit list.