See photos of the area's worst wake zone.
It is strongly recommended that boaters who operate alone and jet skiers use wrist-strap ignition kill switches. It's not uncommon to be thrown by an unexpectedly large wake.
Wake size can�t be inferred from the size of an oncoming boat. Some large boats have manageable wakes. Some smaller boats put out surprisingly big wakes. It�s a good idea to observe different types of boats and their wakes. Over time you will get a feel which types cause the largest wakes. Watch the shoreline behind a boat where its wakes hit the beaches, docked boats and seawalls. Sometimes it�s quite a show!
The worst offenders are the large (30-50') sportfishing boats or express cruisers in the 28-38' range. These boats do not always plane well, thus creating a disproportionally large wakes. Some captains of large, expensive boats operate with a "watch out world, here I come" mentality. I frequently see these large boats stay on plane under bridges, while passing boats under tow and while passing small pontoon boats, runabouts and even water taxis/tour boats.
Tips For Handling Wakes: As a basic boating rule, it's best to approach wakes by having your boat on a 45-degee angle to the wake.
Here are my personal techniques for handling the large wakes:
1. It's generally easier to hit small- and moderately- sized wakes while on plane, but not accelerating.
2. As you approach a moderate wake, back off the throttle a little. This will cause your bow to rise on a steeper angle. The hull will then cut through the wake more easily.
3. Wake waves tend to travel in groups of three peaks. As your boast passes over the final peak, begin to accelerate again. This will lower your bow so that you are again cleanly on plane.
4. When crossing large wakes, get off plane. I know this is a pain and a waste of gas. However, wakes can be so big you that can damage or swamp your boat. Large wakes can also slam your passengers around.
When you see a large wake, slow down, get off plane and leave your boat in forward gear at idle speed (this allows you to maintain some steering control.)
Remember that wakes can be especially disturbing to your passengers. As captain, you have boating experience and are in control. Non-boat-expereinced passengers don't understand wakes and aren't in control of the boat. This may make them uncomfortable, even if they don't say anything about it.
South Jupiter Island
The worst wakes come from larger planing boats (express cruisers, sportfishers, sedan cruisers, etc. over 30 feet in length.) Because they�re big, they keep in the center channel. This better forces their wake on everyone else. These large boats are particularly bad if they�re not fully on plane. Watch for monster wakes if you are coming to the end of a fast speed zone and a big guy is trying to get on plane coming the other way.
Once I took a guided tour on the Manatee Queen in Jupiter, which operates on the Intercoastal around Jupiter Island. The captain/tour host spent nearly as much time complaining about wakes as he did presenting Jupiter Island information. He actually used his PA microphone to yell at boaters as they would pass our tour boat too close or too fast.
#1 South Jupiter Island: The two-mile section Intracoastal Waterway north of the Jupiter Lighthouse Bridge (Route 707 Bridge.) This is a narrow and crowded go-fast zone. It is complicated by jet skiers off the beach (east side) and sand bars (west side.) Weekend beach crowds and anchored boats to the west further compound the problem. The problems are worst during low tide. See photos.
#2 Lake Worth Lagoon: North of Peanut Island, the wide expanse of water north of the Blue Heron Bridge has only a narrow channel. This portion of the Intracoastal Waterway is heavily used by boats at maximum throttle. Wind, chop and current are also factors. Once I hit a wake here that here that knocked everyone to the floor. In a single instant my passengers hit their heads, strained their necks and deeply bruised muscles. The force ripped a cabinet off the cabin wall. Not exactly what I expected on my �fun day out boating.�
#3 Loxahatchee Sand Bar: Wakes here (just east of the Alternate A1A Bridge in Jupiter) are a problem when you stop. This is a very popular spot during low tide. Dozens of boats nose-up here. The narrow channel is immediately next to the tied-off boats. When boats plane through the go-fast zone, the resulting wakes are brutal for the boats stopped at the sand bar. This situation also makes swimming dangerous. Click here for more on the Loxahatchee Sand Bar in Jupiter.