What is tow surfing?
Tow-in surfing is when a surfer is assisted by a vessel or Thirll Craft (PWC/Jet ski) to catch a wave that is too large, fast, or difficult to paddle into by hand. Tow-in surfing is when a personal watercraft (PWC) tows a person on a surfboard onto a breaking wave. You can only do this in open waters at surf breaks where there are no other surfboard riders. You can drive your PWC without an observer when tow-in surfing. In this case, you must follow these special rules.Tow-in surfing is accomplished by taking a personal watercraft (PWC) and a tow-rope and combining that with a surfer. One person pulls the surfer out to the break on the PWC. When the waves comes, the person on the PWC tows the surfer via the tow-rope into the wave. Once the surfer is in the wave, the rope is dropped.
Why do surfers use jet skis?
Jet skis not only enable surfers to tow into waves that would be too fast to paddle into, but they also allow access to waves in remote locations unreachable on surfboards alone. Surfing these larger waves is dangerous and requires specialist training, not only for the surfer but also their tow team. Jet skis, like any watercraft, have the potential to flip or capsize, but whether they flip “easily” depends on several factors: Operator Skill: A skilled and experienced rider who understands how to handle a PWC is less likely to flip it.