Water Skiing and Wakeboarding Behind the Boat: Rules, Observer Duty, and Markings

A summer afternoon, flat water, and someone carving their first turns on a wakeboard behind the boat. Water skiing and wakeboarding are among the most popular activities behind a motorboat, but they’re not a legal free-for-all. Where you’re actually allowed to tow someone, why an observer on board is mandatory, and what else you need to keep in mind: this article covers it all.

Where Water Skiing and Wakeboarding Are Allowed

Water skiing isn’t permitted everywhere in Germany. It’s only allowed on areas that have been specifically released for it, and which rules apply depends on what kind of waterway you’re on.

Federal Inland Waterways: the E.17 Sign

On federal inland waterways, the Water Skiing Regulation (Wasserskiverordnung, WasSkiV) governs water skiing. Under this regulation, water skiing is only allowed on stretches and areas of water marked with shipping sign E.17. Supplementary signs at the marker can further restrict the permitted times. Outside a marked stretch, towing a water skier simply isn’t allowed, no matter how calm the water looks.

The regulation is written specifically for “water skiing”, but in practice its core principles (observer duty, marked areas, permitted times) are applied to wakeboarding as well, since it’s the same kind of towing behind a motorboat.

Coastal Waterways: Outside the Fairway

On coastal waterways (the seaward waters), Section 31 of the Sea Waterways Regulation (Seeschifffahrtsstraßen-Ordnung, SeeSchStrO) governs water skiing and towing water sports attachments. Within the fairway, both are generally prohibited, except on areas that have been specifically announced or released by visual signal. Outside the fairway, water skiing is permitted, unless the area has been explicitly closed for it.

State-Regulated Waters: Check the Local Rules

Many lakes and smaller waterways don’t fall under the WasSkiV at all, but under the shipping regulations of the individual German state or local rules set by the responsible water authority or water police. Whether and where water skiing is allowed there is best confirmed directly with the responsible authority or by checking the marked stretches on site. A route that’s approved on one lake doesn’t automatically apply on another.

The Observer Duty: Why a Second Person on Board Is Mandatory

One of the most important rules for towing water skiers concerns who’s on the towing boat. Under Section 3 of the WasSkiV, the skipper may only tow one or more water skiers if a second suitable person is aboard as an observer. This person must keep the water skier and the route ahead in view at all times, so they can inform the skipper promptly, for example if the skier falls or an obstacle appears.

For the observer to actually do this job, the boat has to offer enough space for that person to sit safely and keep the skier in view, usually facing backward relative to the boat’s direction of travel, toward the person being towed. The boat also has to be equipped so a skier who has fallen can be rescued on board in an emergency. A single skipper who’s steering and glancing over their shoulder at the same time doesn’t meet this requirement and isn’t allowed to tow a water skier alone.

Permitted Times: Daylight and Good Visibility Only

Water skiing on federal inland waterways is generally only allowed between sunrise and sunset, unless supplementary signs at the E.17 marker set different times. On coastal waterways, Section 31(3) of the SeeSchStrO is explicit: at night, in reduced visibility, and during specially announced closed periods, neither water skiing nor towing a water sports attachment is allowed. Both rules follow the same logic: the observer, the skipper, and other traffic all need to be able to see and recognize each other in good time.

Behavior on the Water: Giving Way and Staying in the Wake

On coastal waterways, a clear order of priority applies as well. Skippers of boats towing water skiers or water sports attachments must give way to all other vessels. When multiple towing boats meet each other, the general collision regulations apply, the same ones used elsewhere in boat traffic (our article on right-of-way and collision rules covers these in detail). Just as important for the water skier: when meeting other vessels, they must stay in the wake of their towing boat, in other words, right in its track rather than swinging out wide. The same duty applies to towed attachments like inflatable rings, which the skipper must keep in the boat’s wake during encounters with other traffic.

Equipment: Life Jackets and Roadworthy Gear

The WasSkiV requires that only safe, suitable water skiing equipment be used, meaning gear that’s fit for an orderly conduct of water skiing. That doesn’t translate into a blanket legal requirement for the skier to wear a life jacket or buoyancy aid. In practice, though, a buoyancy aid is standard equipment and is often required on top by local rules or the regulations of water sports clubs. Regardless of the legal situation, anyone being towed should wear a suitable flotation device, since falls while water skiing or wakeboarding happen often and frequently without warning.

Towed Attachments: Tubing, Donuts, and Banana Boats

Alongside classic water skiing and wakeboarding, inflatable towed attachments such as rings, donuts, or banana boats, commonly known as “tubing”, are hugely popular. On coastal waterways, Section 31 of the SeeSchStrO covers towing these attachments in the same section as water skiing, so the same rules on fairway, timing, and staying in the wake apply. On federal inland waterways and state-regulated lakes, it’s worth checking the local requirements, since similar restrictions to water skiing are common there too. When in doubt, ask the responsible water police or waterway authority in advance rather than relying on assumptions.

Special Events: Jumps, Slalom, and Shows

Anyone wanting to jump a ramp, use a slalom course, or put on a water ski show is operating outside normal in-the-wake towing. Under the WasSkiV, these activities aren’t automatically permitted; they require a separate permit from the responsible authority. If you’re planning an event or training session involving special maneuvers, sort out that permit early rather than improvising jumps on a regular water ski route.

Who’s Allowed to Drive the Towing Boat

There’s no separate license for towing a water skier. The same boating license you already need for the boat and waterway applies, either SBF Binnen or SBF See, depending on where you’re boating and how powerful the engine is. What matters is that the boat has enough engine power to pull a skier out of the water safely and get them up onto plane promptly, and that the full crew, including the observer, is aboard before you start.

Violations and Fines

Towing without an observer, operating outside approved areas, or ignoring the permitted times counts as an administrative offense (Ordnungswidrigkeit) in Germany. Violations like these are penalized under the fine schedule for inland and coastal shipping and can add up to a noticeable amount depending on severity. Our article on fines and violations on the water gives an overview of common violations and their consequences.

How This Topic Shows Up in the SBF Exam

Water skiing and how to behave toward water sports participants are practical topics that can come up in the theory portion of both the SBF Binnen and SBF See exams, for example in questions about give-way duties, signs like E.17, or the correct behavior when meeting a towing boat. The official ELWIS question catalog tests less about the exact wording of the WasSkiV and more about the underlying logic: who has to give way to whom, and where extra caution is needed. You can practice exactly these questions in exam mode with the Boatpass app and see right away where any gaps remain before it counts in the real SBF exam.

Conclusion

Water skiing and wakeboarding behind the boat aren’t a legal free-for-all; they’re clearly regulated. Towing is only allowed on marked or released areas, during daylight with good visibility, and only with an observer on board keeping constant watch over the skier. Anyone who knows these basic rules, stays in the towing boat’s wake, and uses suitable equipment helps keep the fun on the water safe, both for the skier and for everyone else out there.