Boating Etiquette on Smith Lake

The dawn of a new lake season arrives with an official kick-off around spring break each year. The fact that many schools start spring vacations annually at the end of March means the lake gets busy well before summer.  Those of us who live on Smith Lake full time have the good fortune to be able to enjoy a very calm and serene lake during the many months off-season, but the inevitable long on-season period often lasts from late March well into October, sometimes later depending on weather in a given year.  There are years when our family can remember waterskiing, kayaking or paddleboarding into early December, but it's not every year that happens.  

Early spring is a good time for all of us to reflect on how we’ll react to the rush of more people, boats and activity overall.  The words we cherish most are TOLERANCE and RESPECT.  Every single one of us has a different way that we experience lake life.  But that is not to say that we cannot appreciate the ways that others enjoy their lake experience in their short summer season of primarily late May through early August.  Everyone is doing their own thing, in their own way, and it’s all good.  We like to think that collectively, we simply make a silent pact as a community to stay drama free and tolerant of one another.  Having respect for others is the key to making sure we can keep that pact intact.
 
It’s simple, and listed below are just a few ways to exhibit respect showing basic good boating etiquette, and therefore earning tolerance from others as we all enjoy lake days in our individual ways.

​Don’t be “that guy” - get your good boating etiquette hat ON well ahead of season!

Photo from ALEA Marine Patrol Division page on X

• Obey boating laws at all times always. Look them up online before the season starts and check out our Boat Safety Tips.  Most importantly, check out the boating rules & regulations at this link for Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Marine Division:  alea.gov
• Practice ramp readiness and respect. Launching or retrieving a boat at a ramp? Do it fast and efficiently. Always load-up and prepare the boat in the parking lot in a “make ready” spot off the ramp area.  Please do not load and prepare a boat at the ramp delaying others. When launched, pull the boat to a designated dock area to pick up passengers and gear. After pulling the boat out, don’t drain it, clean it, or otherwise waste time on the ramp.  To do those things, get away to a spot away from others who are in a hurry to get on their way. Everyone wants to be either on the water or off the water fast, just like you. Think in advance about how you can cut down your ramp time altogether. Delegate responsibilities to your crew and practice them before you get to the ramp.

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• ​Do not be afraid to ask another boater for help on the ramp for any reason, especially if you need help backing in your boat or loading one in.  It's better to ask than to have everyone in line waiting anxiously not knowing what your problem is.  You’ll find other boaters to be very thoughtful and helpful when simply asked.  Don’t wait for them to ask you if you need help, you might already have waited too long at that point, and folks are just ready to have a slow boater out of the way.  Don’t get offended when a boater asks to assist.  They are just trying to help you learn, and help you in and out of the ramp area so that everything runs smoothly for all.
• Practice courtesy at the fuel pump. Get fueled, pay the bill and move out of the way. Leaving a boat at the fuel dock as a parking spot is a big no-no anywhere.  If you need to get snacks, ice, a map, fishing tackle, or just want to "shoot the breeze" with others, please relocate your boat to a temporary dock and tie up. Again, fueling is a necessary part of the boating experience and everyone else’s as well, but be considerate of other boaters who would rather be out on the water than waiting on someone who hasn't thought these things through. 
• Lend a hand. This is one of the unwritten laws that can say more about you as a boater than almost anything else. If you see someone in trouble on the water or on the shore, lend a helping hand immediately.  If you do not, you are creating what we boaters all know as “boating karma" - meaning it will come back to haunt you.  
  
• PRO TIP:  Get an annual membership with your local towing company - TowBoatUS Smith Lake's Captain Terry Russeau can help you get your annual membership secured so you can boat worry free and with full confidence that you've got help if needed.   CALL 256-385-1966!

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• Please be careful that you don't find yourself in legal trouble by posting a photo of someone or their family or property onto social media, without their permission, and creating a false narrative about a situation, their vessel or the people involved, especially if there are children involved.  How would you like that done to you or your children?  Those type of photos might consist of people having trouble on their boat, being towed, undergoing a marine officer stop, going about their day leisurely on their dock, while they are boating or participating in routine lake activities like sunbathing, fishing or watersports.  Don't be UN-COOL - just mind your own business before you get labeled as a nosy neighbor, tattletale or drama diva on local social media pages.  We certainly don't allow that on our private Smith Lake Community Facebook group.  It's a group built to support everyone in every way they like to enjoy the lake, and to encourage a community environment welcoming to others.
• Keep your boat, the lake, and marina area tidy.  NO LITTERING in Lewis Smith Lake. Marinas have enough hazards without having to step over draining coolers, wet towels, shoes, watersports gear, sloppy dock lines, and random trash from a boat. At marina docks, leave the dock area in such a way that no one will ever know you were there, and your slot is ready for the next boater to dock. Furthermore, guests on your boat shouldn’t have to complete an obstacle course to get from one end to the other–bags, shoes, gear and other items need to be stowed properly.  This can also be very helpful for safety when an issue arises and you need to get to something or someone quickly.  Orderliness is your friend in boating. Keep a trash receptacle on your boat at all times, and deposit that trash in the proper receptacles around the lake at the marinas or other designated areas.  Worst case, double bag it and take it away from the lake area to dispose of in a proper receptacle.
• Stay a legal distance from docks if your boat is creating a wake.  This applies to all boats, ANY boat going slow and not trimmed correctly will be pulling a wake, so be sure that you are not close to docks, shorelines and bouy-marked areas when creating a wake.  This is important to keep you from being liable for damage to the property of others, and for the safety of all.  If using an enhanced wake purposefully, be mindful of staying in the middle area of the large open channels.  The 2023 Alabama Bill HB422/S272 (read entire bill here:  HB422) on wake proximity basically states that wake boats (boats that are creating an enhanced wake for specific watersports activities - i.e. wakesurfing and wakeboarding) must operate at least 200ft from shorelines/docks/structures, and ALL boats must operate at least 100ft away from same when making a wake.  Any closer and a marine vessel must be in idle only.  Always try to seek out wider areas where there is less traffic and docks when you plan to be doing water activities on enhanced wakes.  However, always make the best possible boating decisions putting human life above all else.

• ​Smith Lake is very narrow in most areas, even along the large channels of Ryan Creek, Rock Creek and Sipsey.  Treat it like a road when navigating and stay to the right side of center of the lake on average, and especially when passing oncoming traffic, it’s just the way we do things here on Smith.  The narrow lake can be traversed much in the way you would operate your vehicle on a highway.  Other boating laws are available at www.alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol/boating-rules-and-regulation.
• PWCs – these vessels are small, fast and maneuverable, much more than any regular boat.  Therefore, operate them much as if you are on a motorcycle on a major highway, and along with staying to the right of center on all channels, also yield to larger vessels at all times.  As tempting as it is to jump a boat’s wake, refrain from doing so too closely, and especially when a skier is in tow.  If that skier falls, you could risk running over the individual causing serious bodily harm to both the skier and yourself.  Again, read the boating laws in the link above.
• DO NOT EVER AT ANY TIME follow another boat closely in its wake.  These days, in general, there are many young small children wakesurfing, wakeboarding, and skiing, etc., and due to a large wake blocking their height, you may not even realize there is a skier in tow until it is dangerously too late.  And, even mature experienced skiers can ski low while doing tricks, or fall while in tow and risk having you run over them by not seeing them in the water in time.  There are stiff fines for disobedience.  If there is a person on board the boat in front of you that you can see waving arms and pointing for you to get out of the wake, you are already too close, DO NOT FOLLOW TOO CLOSELY, EVER.  Just make it a hard rule in your mind as captain and among your crew.

• DO NOT pull a tuber in wild patterns in lake areas that are narrow and hard to negotiate under the best conditions.  This stirs up the water causing excessive wake and disrupting the regular safe driving pattern for other boaters.  Like wakesurfing and wakeboarding, please try to gravitate to larger open bodies of water, and stay to the middle of the channels.  PLEASE keep your eyes on your driving and don’t get distracted by the tubers behind you causing you to look back at them to long and to not look forward enough.  There should be a rearview mirror on your boat, if not, it's a good investment, so use it!  Leave the rear view watching for the observer in your boat who will likely be videotaping the action for your enjoyment later.  You need to focus on driving and keeping your passengers and those being towed safe at all times.
• Remember, Smith Lake is not only a recreational reservoir, but also a highly popular fishery. Fishermen who visit here are die-hard lakers no matter the season or the weather.  Therefore, be kind to the fishermen as they are parked fishing, and try to veer away from them to alleviate a large wake unexpectedly throwing them towards the shoreline or off the course they are setting with a trolling motor.  Smith Lake loves our fishermen, and we want to show them proper respect and give them a wide berth so they return often to contribute to the community.  Remember that most fishermen are not “racing” around the lake for no reason.  Often they are either practicing for a tournament or in a tournament where there are time restraints that they must operate under.  Many locals just simply offer fishermen the right of way all the time as a kind gesture, but at the very least, just be thoughtful. Fishermen bring a lot of tourism and commerce to our area.  Let’s let them know they are welcome here, and we want them to come back.
• DO raise up your hand and WAVE to fellow boaters.  It’s the southern way, and the way of life on Smith.  There is nothing more unpleasant in the south than an arrogant or unfriendly boater.  

Again, these are all just some favorite community ideas collected from our surveys in the Smith Lake Community Facebook group about how to have a wonderful time on Smith Lake while being conscious of community etiquette.  

Written by The Lakeside LIfe Team
Photography by Terry Turner

Updated:  5/16/24
​Original Article Date:  3/1/19