Stoopid season started early

[Matt_E]

Or so it seems.
I was out riding yesterday on the Columbia river.
It was a nice day - sunny, about 80 degrees.
However, the water is still brisk: right at 45 degrees.

I wore my 4/3 Ripcurl full suit and was very comfortable.
There was a guy on a 3-D out, but he left when I put in. He was also wearing a wetsuit.
A while later, I noticed some kids on an older Polaris 2-seater out. No wetsuit, just shorts & T-shirt (and life vest).
Probably not so smart, I thought.
When I was ready to leave, I started heading towards the ramp. This is where the group gang-raping that Polaris was waiting on their turns.
Just as I get close to the dock/ramp, the two kids idling out manage to flip the couch.
I watch with some mild interest, expecting them to flip it back over.
Instead, they try to swim the turtle to the dock to get their buddies to help.
As they get closer to the dock, they shiver more and more and turn blue.
By now, it's obvious that they have no clue how to right the thing.
Anyhow, I got close and turned it upright for them.

They were more than thankful. But I gotta shake my head at the carelessness and stupidity of being in water that cold without any kind of protection or preparedness.

 

[snowxr]

Momma always said "You're not a smart man, Forsest"

 

[tightithrash]

Der der der!

 

[SuperJETT]

Maybe they were Boy Scouts with condoms in their wallets?

 

[Matt_E]

Of course, there was the obligatory "WOT-right-out-of-the-dock" routine.

 

[rasper99]

Remember where you are. They and their parents probably grew up with all that radioactivity from the Hanford site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford_Site

They did process most of the nuclear material that went into the bombs the US made for the cold war there.

 

[suva]

Matt, you should be ashamed. Let evolution run it's course.

 

[rasper99]

Matt, you should be ashamed. Let evolution run it's course.

By Matt helping them with their PWC they still have a way to take themselves out of the gene pool. If it would have sank they probably never would have been able to get it running.

 

[Motorheads5]

I know what your saying. This year I am going to the boat launch with my video camera the first day of derby fishing. It's amazing what some people do.

 

[kawasakit2me]

the group gang-raping that Polaris was waiting on their turns.

These are what we call "rampers". (My then 9 yr old coined the term a few years ago) This is the worst type you can come across at the dock (or anywhere, if they manage to find their way out of the no-wake zone). Usually it's a group of idiots who have never ridden a ski, don't own a ski, don't care about your ski and have no clue about dock ettiquite. They camp out on the ramp all day, often leaving their car parked on one of the only two slips. They have one life jacket amongst them (the orange square kind) and they do a lot of hopping/rev limiter hitting, 180s and shore splashing. They probably also have Budwiser or Corona bottles that they smash everywhere.

At the ramp... I would've let them sink it. I might have even helped.

:biggthumpup:

 

[Cliff]

me and some fellow x ers were down at the local boat ramp the other day when some local natives were trying to get thier boat out of the water. they thought they had the boat secured and preceeded to take off like they were at a drag strip. shortly after, the boat was on the ramp and they was looking all stupid. so, we went and helped them put the boat back on the trailer while some of them just stood there not helping while we were all straining our azzes off. didnt even get a thankyou. so, they preceed to take off again and the boat falls off again. we stood there horse laughing and let the natives handle it on thier own this time.

 

[Matt_E]

These are what we call "rampers". (My then 9 yr old coined the term a few years ago) This is the worst type you can come across at the dock (or anywhere, if they manage to find their way out of the no-wake zone). Usually it's a group of idiots who have never ridden a ski, don't own a ski, don't care about your ski and have no clue about dock ettiquite. They camp out on the ramp all day, often leaving their car parked on one of the only two slips. They have one life jacket amongst them (the orange square kind) and they do a lot of hopping/rev limiter hitting, 180s and shore splashing. They probably also have Budwiser or Corona bottles that they smash everywhere.

At the ramp... I would've let them sink it. I might have even helped.

:biggthumpup:

Perfect description. They were taking off wide open right from the dock, including right after the started it off the trailer. In 45 degree water. :shocked:
They took great pride in splashing each other on the dock.
They did have two vests, I believe.
High class rampers.
An old A-Team box van was their tow vehicle.

 

[jetpilot08]

Remember where you are. They and their parents probably grew up with all that radioactivity from the Hanford site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford_Site

They did process most of the nuclear material that went into the bombs the US made for the cold war there.

Can you say Manhattan Project!!! They use to dump that in the river back in the 40's and 50's. Theres a reason why they say not to eat any bottom feeding fish out of the columbia :shocked:

 

[jetpilot08]

Perfect description. They were taking off wide open right from the dock, including right after the started it off the trailer. In 45 degree water. :shocked:
They took great pride in splashing each other on the dock.
They did have two vests, I believe.
High class rampers.
An old A-Team box van was their tow vehicle.

I pity the fool that cannot ride an old Polaris couch!

 

[accbr]

A guy in a pontoon put in the same time as us last year, and couldn't figure out why his boat wouldn't move when he gave it gas. He forgot to remove the pin that holds the motor up. I told him to turn it off before it overheated. It wasn't in far enough to even pull water through the cooling intakes. He was hanging off the back trying to reach the pin. The water was in the 50s. He almost fell in, so I swam out and removed the pin for him.

Another time we were leaving, and a lady was trying to back a trailer in the water. She had no clue what she was doing. Her boyfriend was waiting for her, so he could pull the boat on the trailer. She asked me if I could back the trailer up for her. I was soaked since I just got out of the water. She said she didn't care if the seats got wet.... he should do this himself :biggrin: So I got in, backed the trailer up, and soaked his seats.

 

[Patio_Furniture]

It seems that there needs to be a designated spot for all of the launch and dock dweller stories, Im sure all of us have seen plenty of retarded/nieve acts go down. Also the stories are sure to bring some good laughs.

I think that the worst is
1. people that cant back a trailer efficiently.
2. Hold there boat on the dock by the launch making it more difficult for other to get their boat out.
3. When I fall off my ski people don't understand that it will come back around so they try to help me but just end up ramming my ski.
4. People that have no clue what they are doing what-so-ever. VERY SCARRY!

P.S. don't down the Columbia!

 

[hfthe3rd]

im about to risk going into 40 degree water this weekend but i will be wearing wetsuit and gear...cant wait to ride but i do not want to go into that water

 

[Matt_E]

Don't go out further than you can swim in.

 

[brett]

we were all kids once.....

 

[ger87410]

we were all kids once.....

x2

Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Not everyone was lucky enough to have rich parents/friends that could afford a boat or ski.