GDM

i just hate the way everything is so regulated lately , it seems like the chicken s-h-i-t-s of the world are dead set on protecting us from ourselves by putting us through so much nonsense and trying to stop us from having fun

example: the pwc manufacturers wont make the pwc's run over 70 mph because they are affraid of the coastguard.it is sickening


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hillbilly24

You have to keep in mind that he is speaking of regulation by a private entity and this regulation could possibly make the whole experience less expensive for all those involved. When it comes to the government regulating my actions I completely agree with you but private entities have every right to regulate their product. In this case the entity is a poker run promoter and the product is the poker run itself, if they can organize the event at a lower cost and either make more money or donate more money to charity as a result of it that is called capitalism and that is what makes this country work so much better then so many others.

I am not saying I agree that this is a great idea but I do agree that it is an interesting thought and something that would be fun to examine in a scholarly environment.

Lastly no matter who you are and how long you have been doing something you can always learn more. I was a partner in a business in Florida for a coupe of years that sold, leased and maintained marina forklifts. We were a division of Wiggins Lift company. I provided an ongoing operating training course program to our customers. I had only been around these lifts for a few years and found myself teaching a class to operators that had been at the controls for 20 to 30 years. Yes they all knew what they were doing and were accomplished at what they did but I never met anyone that didn't leave the class without something they didn't know before they came. Most people learn to drive or operate vehicles and equipment in the seat but there are things to learn in the classroom as well. Once you understand the mechanics and physics of how things works it opens a whole new spectrum to you. With experienced operators I spent very little time with the lift itself and most of my time in the classroom, they already know how to move the thing and what all them fancy levers do, what they don't understand is load centers and WHY you use the axle lock in some situations and not others. They have always known that in situation "A" you use it and in situation "B" you don't. Once you have an understanding of why you are now capable of making decisions when parameters fall outside of those designated boxes. I think the kind of class Phragle was referring to would be something like Tres Martin's performance boat school not some coast guard boating safety course. Again I will reiterate that I am not whole heartedly agreeing that this particular regulation would help anything or be effective in lowering costs but I am agreeing that is something that would be worth researching.

gerritm

When I lived in NY and had to take the Safe Boating Course, I thought the same as you. I have been driving boats and waverunners for many years and I could probably teach the course. Luckily we had a good and interesting teacher and I actually learned many things that I didn't know or never paid attention to before. Now, our boat club(Topps) requires the boating course along with insurance and the card has come in handy several times. It helped my insurance rates also. So it was not all bad. I took Tres's course with an open mind and again learned many techniques and reasons for how a boat works and acts. Education is never a bad thing.

GDM

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you guys made some good points , but i still think making a boating course mandatory for the poker run participants is crazy

how do you tell a guy who has been boating for 30 years and never had an accident that he needs to sit in a classroom to learn how to handle a boat


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GDM

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plus i dont think it will help the poker run grow , i think it will decrease the amount of participants for sure

i know if i had to take an expensive , time consuming course i would just not bother doing that run


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Tres

Many people might feel just like you do or did, but in the real world on todays waters, at the speeds that these vessels are reaching,... SELF TAUGHT boating skills may come at the ultimate price of life or the loss of someone else. You do not get a second chance to repeat, and reinsure.Driving a 5 ton Vessel that has no brakes and does turn very well over three digit numbers is more near airplane speeds, and requires more than been lucky skills. Our poster has brought up good points and insurance concerns are more than on the horrizon.

gerritm

I had a near miss before taking Tres's course. Could have easily flipped the boat and nearly ejected myself and my wife. We got lucky, just a few bruises and a major bruise on my EGO. That is what gets most drivers in trouble. I thought I knew it all, been there done that. I decide I needed a formal education and went to the HP course to learn why my boat did what it did and how the dynamics of how a boat works. You can teach an old dog new tricks. I don't think it should be required to run a PR, but I think it is a pretty good idea to take it when you are running at the speeds these new boats go. How can you justify handing the keys over to someone of questionable experience on a 1/2 million dollar boat that will run 120 plus mph. Look at the Fountain thread, that PR boat ran 140 plus. No training, no license, nothing needed except money to own that boat. Should make everyone a little nervous not knowing what training or experience the drivers of the ultra high performance boats have. Kind of like driving on the highway at 80 wondering who has a drivers license and who doesn't.

GDM

im not saying that the boating course is a bad idea for EVERYONE

or that the boating course is a bad idea at all

im just saying i hate to see something mandatory

lets go to the extreme so i can make my point

lets take a guy who started driving a boat at 10 years old and progressed to bigger boats through the years , now he is 40 and has 20 years experience driving boats at tripple digits , and more than 5 years of them at over 150 mph , and add to it that he races professionaly too

do you think it makes sence to force him to take a course to do a poker run?

Tres

You never know, He may have 10 years of bad habits. You would be supprised how many people we run accross that are 10 yr vets that do the wrong things. I guess its best to wait for big goverment to make thieir own mandates that will eliminate performance boating. Many lakes now have no more Poker runs and I have an Idea of a few more that will be added to that.Untill will get things in control and get skilled education, be prepared to see this topic get heated up.

fantastixvoyage

iTrader: (1)

Yes PERIOD