Writer / Deirdre Gengenbach

The skier down marker is bright orange flag (at least 12×12 inches) on a short handle. When raised from a boat, it indicates that there is a skier (or boarder or tuber) down in the water in the area. It is used when a skier is in the water separated from the boat because he or she is either preparing to take off, has fallen, or dropped.

Why is it important? Skiers (or boarders or tubers) floating in the water separated from a boat are hard to see—especially on a rough-water or cloudy day. With the flag, the spotter can alert other boaters that there is someone in the area in the water.

It is not a requirement of the Indiana DNR to use one. Some states, and some Indiana lakes, may require use of one (at least in the past, Lake Sweetwater and Heritage Lake have required the use of this flag). Geist does not. So why do we use one? My husband and I were passengers on a boat at Lake Monroe that accidently ran over a downed skier. The skier survived but was severely injured. With a skier down flag alert, that terrible accident may have been prevented.

As a parent of children who like to tube, ski, and board, I am very sensitive to the dangers to boaters and skiers on our lake. I have personally witnessed (and I am sure you have, too), boaters texting while driving, boaters pulling skiers without spotters, and boaters following very close in the wake of a boat pulling a skier.

I am not suggesting that everyone on Geist should use one, but I do want everyone who sees one to know what it means. If you see a bright orange flag held up on a boat, be alert for a skier down in the area.

If you are interested in using a skier down flag, you can purchase one almost anyplace that sells boating or skiing supplies. They run between $3 and $9.

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