Memorial Day is this weekend and families will be out enjoying the beaches and boating in Lake Holiday. Now is a great time to reeducate yourself on the procedures and rules while swimming and boating so we can avoid any accidents. Lake Holiday residents are lucky to have 2 sand beaches with buoys marking off designated swim at your own risk areas. Waterfront residents also enjoy swim areas around their docks. If you are new to the lake or just aren’t clear, here at the main things you need to be aware of while boating and swimming at Lake Holiday. You are also encouraged to download and read the full boating and lake rules here.
No Wake Areas
The west end of the lake from the beginning of Beach 1 all the way to Issac’s Creek is designated as a no wake zone. All fingers of the lake are also no wake, as well as 100 ft from the waters edge. This gives swimmers and waterfront owners space to swim and enter the wake areas safely from their private docks, as well as designating a quieter area for fishermen to enjoy their sport. Canoes and kayaks often use these areas as well. While it can be difficult to determine how far out 100 ft is, please use common sense and stay away from any canoes, kayaks and swimmers if you are in a larger boat. They may be further out that intended, but there is plenty of room on the lake for everyone.
Tubing is allowed in the no wake area, as long as no wake is created!
High Speed Area
The high speed boating area is located on the east end of the lake, designated by the buoys at the beginning of Beach 1. The speed limit in the high speed area is 36mph, until 30 minutes after sunset and before sunrise when the speed limit is only 15mph. Lake Patrol monitors lake activities during the summer and will display a RED flag if there are hazardous conditions. If the red flag is displayed, the speed limit is lowered to 20mph.
The 100 ft no wake shoreline rule still applies in this area! Water skiing, tubing, wake boarding, knee boarding, and air chairing are limited to the high speed area, except for water skiing which can also be done on the slalom course across from Beach 1. If you see a person in the water holding up a board or other object after falling from a tube or ski, please give them at least 75 feet of room for their boat to come rescue them.
Towing more than one skiier, tuber, etc is not permitted from 12-6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The direction of travel in the high speed area is counter clockwise around the outside of the lake, not in the center. All residents in the high speed area must have a personal flotation device approved by the US Coast Guard.
Slalom Course
The ski course is located in the no wake area across from Beach 1, however, boaters using the course may travel at normal boat speeds up to 36mph. Skiers can go through the course in either direction without stopping, except from 12-6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays where they must stop at each end before turning and going back through the other direction due to increased traffic.
Swimming
All areas of the lake are swim at your own risk. Swimmers must stay within 50 ft from the shoreline in the high speed area. Distance swimmers, even in the no wake area within 50 ft from the shoreline are required to tow a visible flow device so boaters can see them. A bright color tube or similar object works well.