A Wake of Destruction

True stories about the true cost of enhanced wakes on property.

“When the wake boats are out, we can see the waves splashing over our seawall. We spent $25,000 to repair this. The workers had to stop at any point a wake boat was out for fear of getting knocked into the water.”

-Jeff N.

“We can see the waves from wake boats bashing up against this floating pier. The waves are breaking the pier from its supports. Never had this problem before the wake boats came on the lake. “

-Ken H.

“A few years ago we spent just under $9,000 to help stop the erosion of the shoreline, but the waves that come crashing in are strong enough to move the rocks into the water.”

-Resident, Chain O Lakes, WI

“Prior to wake surfing, our beach had hard packed sand. This sand is now covered with an inch of silt. The huge wakes lift up and displace our pier boards. Our lakes are simply too small for this type of activity!”

-Resident, Chain O Lakes, WI

“I was driving our boat when we had an accident involving enormous waves generated by a wake boat. This occurred in August 2022.

When we hit the waves, it jolted our boat, causing a windshield to fly and glass to shatter. My passengers were covered in glass and my wife injured her back. It took her about 8 weeks to recover.

The boat repairs still are not complete and will cost in excess of $5000. We feel fortunate that no one was seriously injured.

This was an eye-opening experience because of the potential severity. It is clear to us that the lakes on Chain can not accommodate the waves generated by wake boats. This is a public safety issue. It is only a matter of “when” a serious injury will occur. I am concerned about canoes, kayaks, sailboats and small boats that are especially unable to withstand the large wakes.”

-Brian Fielkow, Long Lake, WI