§33-5-26. Water skis and aquaplanes.

(a) No person shall operate a vessel on any waters of this state for towing a person or persons, on water skis, or an aquaplane or any other recreational device, unless there is in the vessel a person, in addition to the operator, who is at least 12 years of age and is observing and is capable of communicating to the operator of the vessel the progress and safety of the person or persons being towed, or the vessel is equipped with a wide angle mirror with a viewing surface of at least 78 square inches and a field of vision of at least 170 degrees.

(b) No person shall operate a vessel on any waters of this state towing a person or persons on water skis, aquaplane or any other recreational device, nor shall any person engage in water skiing, aquaplaning, or similar activity, at any time between the hours from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.

(c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or a person or persons participating in an official regatta, motorboat race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition.

(d) No person except in jump buoys and like objects used normally in competitive and recreational skiing shall operate or manipulate any vessel, tow rope, or other device by which the direction or location of water skis, aquaplane, or any other recreational device may be affected or controlled in a manner to cause the water skis, aquaplane, or other recreational device, or any person thereon, to collide with or strike against any object or person.

(e) Subsection (a) shall not apply to personal watercraft as defined in Section 33-5-51.

(f) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, punishable upon conviction as provided in Sections 13A-5-7 and 13A-5-12. Any person so convicted shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100).

(Acts 1959, No. 576, p. 1442, §24; Acts 1994, No. 94-652, p. 1243, §23.)