Cases where people have been bitten are very rare, he said. We've never had a water skier part. And that's for literally hundreds of thousands of skiers. Their concerns are understandable and I hope to allay some of the fears that water skiers may have.
For starters, having an accident while driving to the ski area or being bitten by a dog are thousands of times more likely than being attacked by an alligator. On the contrary, when water skiing is practiced in saltwater, where there are always higher levels of natural buoyancy because it is lighter than freshwater. You don't need to drive or “fly” over water so aggressively in salt water, which increases the time you can stay in the air and makes it easier to get up and out of the water. Ask any deep-sea runner which water is “faster” and most will say it's salt.
The difference between the two is due to buoyancy: salt makes the water a little heavier, which means that anything submerged in it becomes lighter. A light ship will fly faster and run faster. Every time someone does something in the ocean, they always ask “What about sharks? It doesn't matter if you're swimming, surfing or water skiing. People have a natural fear of being attacked by a shark.
There are many threats that can arise when water skiing, such as hitting a boat or other object and hitting rocks below the surface of the water. They can also be found occasionally in brackish water, but are very sensitive to salinity due to the lack of particular glands. Alligators aren't pets, so don't try to interact, no matter how placid they appear on land or in the water. Although the odd thing is always possible with wild animals, I wouldn't hesitate to water ski simply because alligators were present.
When you water ski in freshwater, there are fewer buoyant forces that help lift you out of the water compared to saltwater. They are ectothermic, meaning that their body temperature is regulated by external sources of cooling and heating, so they are predominantly found in shallow water and on the coasts to maintain a comfortable temperature range. If you live near any body of water or swampy area, it is recommended to place a fence of four and a half feet or more to protect small pets, since alligators are very skilled climbers. If you think about what could be wrong with the hull of a typical boat, ocean waves make the boat work much differently than it would on a lake.
Since it's natural to cycle higher, you don't need to ski as fast in saltwater as you would in freshwater. Water skiing is a sport that is easy for many beginners to master, but it also gives experienced skiers the chance to try new tricks and acrobatics. Alligators have a palatine valve in the back of their mouth to prevent water from filling their lungs while they are submerged. The scene ends with the handle of the ski touching the surface of the water while the captain goes around the ship.
Waves can also pose a danger to skiers, as they can cause falls or injuries. Aquaplaning (any towed water sport, such as barefoot walking, water skiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, or tubing behind the boat) is legal half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.
