Safety
Fall zone
The area of water immediately behind the boat near the propeller where a fallen rider is at greatest risk, prompting an immediate engine shutdown.
The fall zone is the water close behind the transom where the rider operates and where a downed rider ends up. It is the most hazardous part of wakesurfing because the propeller and the engine exhaust are both there. When a rider falls, the spotter signals immediately and the driver takes the boat out of gear or shuts down the engine before circling back, never reversing toward the rider.
The fall zone is also where carbon monoxide concentrates behind the transom, which is why riders should not linger in the water close behind a running boat.