Safety
Carbon monoxide
The odorless, colorless gas in boat exhaust that accumulates behind the transom and poses a serious poisoning and drowning risk to riders close to the boat.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, odorless, colorless gas in the exhaust of gasoline engines. Behind a moving boat the airflow forms a low-pressure burble where CO accumulates in a pocket, exactly where a wakesurfer's head sits when riding close to the transom. Symptoms, nausea, dizziness, headache, confusion, fainting, are easily mistaken for sun, motion, or exhaustion, and victims can be overcome within minutes and drown.
The deadliest version is teak surfing, dragging behind the swim platform. To reduce risk, riders should stay out of the exhaust stream, never linger in the water close behind a running boat, and many use fresh-air-exhaust systems that route fumes into the prop wash and away from the rider.