Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

[AZBoatDreamer]

OK this has happened the last two boating outings.

Kids playing at the docks when there is High Boat Ramp Traffic. Yesterday my wife was coming in with the boat while I was waiting at the trailer with the wrinch strap. All of a sudden two kids jumped off the dock about 5 feet from the front of the Boat. My wifed yelled and I yelled at the kids. Parents no where to be seen. Kids were pre teens. Guessing about 10yr. Scared the heck of us.

The time before that 4 kids were swimming along side of the dock guessing ages from 8-12yr. My wife went off on the mother big time "yelling you shouldn't let your kids play at the docks" near the boat ramp. The mother cop an attitude and I though my wife was going to tear her up. I had to hold her back.

Anyone what is wrong with these parents of these kids. There is plenty of shore line to let your kids play and swim.

I had to vent.

Happy boating.

 

[scoutboater]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

I've never had trouble with kids swimming at the ramps I've used, but then again all of the ramps I've used have been on private property at boy scout camps, and its a little hard to call some of them ramps....

As far as the idiots swimming, I saw just yesterday four people swimming at the local park. No big deal, there is a swimming dock there, and they did use it to get in. However, it was raining cats and dogs (again, no big deal), but it was also lightning and thundering.... Finally, they ended up nowhere close to the swimming area, they were 100 yards out in the middle of the channel leading in and out of the marina. :facepalm:

They walk among us.....

 

[blifsey]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Not really had issue with this either. I had issue with some folks fishing from courtesy dock at a COE campground ramp. Their lines/bobbers where right off end of dock in way of only spot for docking to pickup family after wife had parked truck/trailer. Water level was too low for me to dock on side of dock. I headed straight toward the lines and hollered they might want to move them. There is a big sign at top of ramp stating no fishing from docks.

 

[vfrkent]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

For the first time this weekend I had a problem with swimmers at the ramp but the pathetic thing was it was some red neck adults that were swimming.

regards,
Kent

 

[boat1010]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

We always have kids swimming at the boat ramps at our lake. I don't like it a bit. There are signs that say no swimming or fishing from the boat docks but doesn't do any good. I blame the parks a lot for this. They don't really have any place nice for the kids to swim. But that does not excuse them from swimming at the boat dock. I'm sure that most of the parents do not own boats or they would be swimming from them, so they do not realize how dangerous it is to swim there. I just make sure I have someone watching while I back in the boat so the kids aren't going to get hurt. I just wish they would fix up a nice place for them to swim so when they are around the dock you can tell them to go to the swimming beach where it will be safe..

 

[robert graham]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

It's summer, it's hot, and they're kids...have to look out for young folks, maybe tell them to swim in another area...

 

[BTMCB]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Very surprised that other folks and their kids are up so early and swimming!!! Just teasing David. We have the same problem at one lake we frequent. Kids are always swimming off the dock while their parents are fishing off the end of the dock - both of which are clearly prohibited by several well placed signs and even by painted warnings on the dock platform itself.....NO SWIMMING OR FISHING FROM DOCK......Some people simply don't care about following rules and / or are clueless and / or can't read. While that is annoying (and dangerous) enough, we also have seen kids jumping off of their parents boats while the boat is docked at the launch.....talk about moronic.

David, guess the answer is.....you need to do your boating even earlier than you already do....

Good luck.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Very surprised that other folks and their kids are up so early and swimming!!! Just teasing David. We have the same problem at one lake we frequent. Kids are always swimming off the dock while their parents are fishing off the end of the dock - both of which are clearly prohibited by several well placed signs and even by painted warnings on the dock platform itself.....NO SWIMMING OR FISHING FROM DOCK......Some people simply don't care about following rules and / or are clueless and / or can't read. While that is annoying (and dangerous) enough, we also have seen kids jumping off of their parents boats while the boat is docked at the launch.....talk about moronic.

David, guess the answer is.....you need to do your boating even earlier than you already do....

Good luck.

Witty Reply

This wasn't launching the Boat at 5:00am. This only has occured during retrieval about noon. I failed yesterday and got the Family to the lake at 8:00am.

 

[CaryW]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

There is a certain group of immigrants from the south that thinks our boat ramps are the public pool. I tried to launch at a small lake and there were, honestly, 15 kids swimming ON the boat ramp with the parents sitting off to the side at picnic tables. If you tell them to move, they look at you and go about 2 feet over. They will only move when the trailer is about to hit them. I have seen them actually touching a boat trying to power up on a trailer.

Parks and Wildlife doesnt patrol this lake much so the Ranger drives by once a day, runs them off then within 15 minutes they are back swimming.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Witty Reply

This wasn't launching the Boat at 5:00am. This only has occured during retrieval about noon. I failed yesterday and got the Family to the lake at 8:00am.

Ha! I'm lucky if my girls are even up at 8:00 a.m. I just drink coffee and clean up the boat until they're ready.

 

[jopes]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Here it is illegal to swim or fish within 100 feet of a boat ramp or dock, yet I had to tell some 8-9 year old to get out of the water when there was no parents in sight.

 

[capslock118]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

the ramp i use is state owned and the lots specific purpose is for parking vehicles and their trailers and launching boats. The dock that does exist at the ramp has guard rails and there is a town run beach (fee for parking but otherwise free to use) not a 5 min. walk from there.

From my 10 years of boating memory I can't recall a time when people were swimming at the boat launch.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Ha! I'm lucky if my girls are even up at 8:00 a.m. I just drink coffee and clean up the boat until they're ready.

I do the same thing but 5:00am in the Morning. Perfect time to run the boat on the Muffs that time as well.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

We've seen it at one of the boat launches with a campsite. This year, they improved the picnic and swimming areas so it's not as bad as it has been in the past. Since where we normally go is a National Forest, if we let the camp host know of the problem, they're usually pretty quick to shoo them away.
It's pretty scary to think what may happen to a kid around a rotating prop. It just makes me furious to see them doing it with the parents standing there watching.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Swimmers, not so much as there is a nice big sandy beach by the ramp. But fishermen... They have no issue at all casting off the courtesy dock, and if you are lucky they will move their lines. They also tend to tie up stringers and bait buckets on the side of the courtesy dock, more than one fisherman has had a plastic minnow bucket shattered by my boat!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

And I can guaranty you that should one of these "rule breakers" get his/her leg cut off by a prop, they will sue you, the municipality, the county, and the state and win...

 

[AZSenza]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Theres been a lot of stupidity at the docks lately, I see this, fishing and twice in 3 outings, ADULTS jumping in the water at the dock to "Cool Off" once we had to wait to dock till he got out of the water, another I had to wait to load. I guess the heats frying a few brains around Phoenix...

 

[AZSenza]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

Oh, and theres ALWAYS someone fishing...

 

[southkogs]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

We see it a lot around here. Probably because there aren't many beaches, but that's no excuse. It doesn't get enforced enough, and it needs to be. Unfortunately, it goes hand in hand with irresponsibility that's running rampant at the dock, on the water, on the road, in society, etc, etc, ...

 

[lncoop]

Re: Sick of Kids Swimming at the Docks.

I do the same thing but 5:00am in the Morning. Perfect time to run the boat on the Muffs that time as well.

Hope you're joking about the muffs at 5:00 a.m.. That sounds like a good way to wake up to flat tires and all sorts of fun stuff.