Why New Jersey "boaters" SUCK.

[Skunk City]

Please excuse the rant, but this incident really pissed me off and ruined a great night out on the water for me.

Last night, a female friend and I decided to do a short kayak paddle trip from Two Bridges to Suchorsky Park in Little Falls. As it was my friend's 2nd time in a kayak, I chose this area because it is low and slow and boat "traffic" is usually limited to some paddlers, a jon boat with an electric and the occasional 9.9'er. I am always on my toes out on the water, but this is a section of river I don't usually worry about getting run over. Last night was a bit different.

Around 6:45-7:00 last night, we were paddling towards our destination when a side-console boat with 3 men in it came ripping up the river. I gave my friend a heads up and had her move between the shore and myself. At this point we were no more than 10-15ft off the shoreline, by no means in the center of the river. As this boat gets closer, I realize that the bow of his boat is aimed right at us. Not trying to end up in the water with an inexperienced kayaker, or even knowing if this guy or his passengers saw us, I put both arms up in the air and gave a very loud "YOOOO!!!". They must have heard me, because they altered their direction slightly. In the 15 seconds after this, these drunken, white trash LOSERS felt the need to get closer to us and hammer down the throttle. I gave a polite but stern "slow it down" hand signal with both hands, hoping for some BOATER ETIQUETTE, but these idiots began yelling, cursing, flipping us the middle finger and waking the sh*t out of us before continuing on their merry way.

Being as experienced as I am in the kayak on some of the busier lakes, I have dealt with the wake of a 25+hp motor in close proximity to me. Obviously my female friend has not, which is immediately where my concern went. I yelled to her to plant her feet properly, center her weight and hold on. She handled it like a champ luckily. After this, you could imagine my blood was boiling. We didn't see these idiots again for the rest of the night. Picking fight from my kayak with 3 men in a boat would not have been a smart decision.

Do people really not understand what it means to be courteous to other boaters, especially those in smaller crafts? This river is not wide, so paddling away is not an option. A 25+hp boat makes a great deal of wake, especially when the throttle is down. Besides the fact, was it necessary to throttle down, veer closer to us, and curse us out and flip us off? Every time (weekly) I am out on the water controlling the motor of my best friend's 14' 9.9hp V-Hull, I will slow down for fellow boaters, kayakers, canoes, and even guys fishing from shore with their kids. Getting tossed around is not fun nor is it comforting.

Being on the river as much as I am, I am pretty sure I have seen these low-class morons on their drunken river travels. They were probably between the ages of 40-50. I'd love to get the hull ID and call it in to the authorities. There are other things I'd love to do, but this is an internet forum and I do not come from the low class gutter these jerks did. This river is just as much mine as it is anyone else's. Just doesn't surprise me one bit how belligerent and inconsiderate people can be in this state. End rant.