Miami University

Waterski Team

Team Information

This page contains useful information for all waterski team members, as well as essentials for new recruits. In addition, if you are considering joining or already have, you should check out the Tournaments section of our website.

The Waterski Listserv

The List-Serv is a mass mailing program that allows E-Mail to be distributed to a large number of people. The ultimate email address for the water ski team is: waterski@listserv.muohio.edu. Sending an email to that address will distribute email to EVERYONE signed up for the water ski list-serv. WARNING: Be careful when replying to email from the list-serv. Clicking reply on the email message will reply to the WHOLE TEAM. To reply to ONLY the sender, one must re-enter the sender's email address on their own. To ADD or to REMOVE yourself from the water ski list serv, go to the Listserv Signup page. Just fill in the blanks with your NAME and E-MAIL, and then click "Join the List" or "Leave the List"... DO NOT mess with anything else.

If you have any questions or comments please contact

Christie Cohee

Important Forms

AWSA Insurance Form - Everyone must sign up for AWSA insurance in order to be able to ski. Sign up for under 25 active in the collegiate three event category.

Release Form - All students participating in any water skiing events must fill out this form.

Emergency Information Form - All students participating in any water skiing events must fill out this form.

Vehicle Owner Acceptance Form - Any student who plans to use their vehicle to drive to a water ski related event must fill out this form.

Forms for officers:

Travel Notification Form

Event Schedule Form

Annual Report Form

Accident Report Form

Boat Use and Care

Towing the Boat:

To qualify to tow the boat, you have to have been a dedicated member of the ski team for two years. Special exceptions can apply where deemed acceptable by the executive members. Another requirement is that you must have a vehicle you are comfortable driving capable of towing the boat. Once these two requirements at met, you must trailer the boat with an executive member of the team to and from the river, and launch the boat with that individual's supervision. This must be done twice to the supervising member's satisfaction. Once this has been accomplished, you name will be placed on the list at the OPC, allowing you to check out the boat.

Make sure the lights work with your vehicle. Check them each time you trailer the boat. Also, unplug the lights before backing the boat into the water to help prevent a blown fuse.

Make sure you have a Drop Hitch and/or the prop guard on the trailer does not come close to the ground when being towed…

Pay attention to where the boat is in relation to your vehicle, especially on turns, and as to how far out past the side of one's vehicle the boat sticks.

Make sure the Trailer Registration is up to date. It expires in August.

Driving The Boat:

To qualify to drive the boat, you have to have been a dedicated member of the ski team for two years. Special exceptions can apply where deemed acceptable by the executive members. Another requirement is five hours of supervised driving of the boat by an officer, spread over at least two different days. The officer(s) will then sign off for you if they feel you have done a decent job driving for five hours. If you mess up, you have to start your five hours over again, or if you are deemed incapable of driving the boat, you have to wait until the following year to try again.

Use and understand the purpose of the blower. It keeps volatile fumes from building up in the engine compartment, which could create a dangerous situation.

Make sure the the temperature gauge is operating in the correct range... If it is not, discontinue use, and make sure the water intake is not clogged. If it is, back-flush it with water, disconnecting the tube right after the transmission fluid cooling section.

Make sure the battery voltage is between 12 and 14 volts. Anything less than 12 volts means that the battery is draining, and is not being recharged as it should be.

If the boat is not turning responsively, it probably has too much water in it. Turn on the pump. Also, if the Speedometers are not working, make sure water is not coming in from where they connect to the back of the boat.

When another boat is coming towards you on the water, you should give the boat a quick turn to the right to indicate to the approaching boat that you intend to go to the right of their boat. The other boat should do the same thing, and both boats will turn to their right and everything will be ok. If you have to turn left, make an initial quick turn left to signal to the approaching boat that you need to turn left. Hopefully that will work, and they will respond by giving their boat a quick turn to their left, or just start traveling to the desired side of your boat. If neither of these methods work, slow down, and then decide. We don't want any crashes!

The boater's right of ways: Sailboats -> Boats with Skiers/Boarders -> Boats with tubers -> Power Boats -> Jet Skiers. In other words, boats with the least control over where they are going have the right away, while the water crafts that have easier maneuverability do not have the right of way.

Change the oil after every 50 hours of use, or at least once halfway through the season, and once at the end of the season.

Make sure the REGISTRATION STICKER is up to date…

Make sure the DRAIN PLUG is in...

Skiing Behind the Boat:

There must always be a minimum of three people out with the boat at one time. One driver, one spotter, and one skier.

Thumbs up: Speed up.

Thumbs down: Slow down.

Patting one's head: I am ready to let go of the rope, so I will turn to my right while the boat turns to the left, and after I cut out, the boat will turn the the right and meet me, so I do not have to let go of the rope.

Waving: After one falls, they should wave to the boat so that the spotter knows that you are ok. If you do not wave, the spotter will jump in to help you.

Wakeboarding can be done with a ridiculously slow start, while skiing almost always requires a fairly quick acceleration of the boat.

Storing the Boat:

Remove the battery, and keep it in a warm place so that it will not freeze and crack.

Drain all of the water from inside it, remove the drain plug.

Have the boat winterized by someone who knows what they are doing.