Old salts can stop reading now and skip this lesson, but if you're new to boating or new to powerboats, then these three handy tips from US boats.com editor Lenny Rudow are worth checking out.

1. Hit waves at a 45 degree angle


This is probably the most important of our three tips. When a big wave is coming, don't take it head on and don't take it on the side, take it on a 45 degree angle. This makes the blow as soft as possible and keeps the boat as stable as possible. If you take it on sideways, you won't bang into the wave, but your boat will start rocking and rolling.

2. Let people know what you're doing


Shout a warning before you make any sharp turns. It's really easy to throw your passengers to the deck because a boat is not like a car, your passengers are not belted and seated in. You make a really sharp turn all of a sudden and you can throw people around, so be careful about that and always shout a warning before you crank the wheel.

3. Beware of oversteering


Think about oversteering. This is something that a lot of new boaters have a problem with. They turn the wheel all the way over, they wait for the boat to point where they want it to go, then they start turning the wheel back. Well here's the problem, by the time they start turning the wheel back, the boat's already continued past the point they were headed for and continued turning. So, shortly before you reach that point, you need to turn the wheel back to straight and hopefully by the time it is straight you will be heading where you want to go. It will take a bit of getting used to and every boat is different, but keep it in mind when you are making that turn.

 

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Written by: Lenny Rudow
With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to publications including YachtWorld, boats.com, Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.
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