If the people in the boat creating the wake haven't learned the concept of personal responsibility by the time they are old enough to operate a boat, what exactly makes anyone think that it would be their responsibility to try to instill a concept that should have been taught by their parents.
I just don't see the learning experience for the wake maker being approached by a pi$$ed off boater. That is the concoction for a confrontation that sometimes isn't needed. It isn't my job, or anyone else's to teach what these adults should already have instilled into them.
Sometimes, you just have to choose your battles. Boat happy guys!
Several years ago I was at dinner with my mother, my wife, and my two (small, at the time) children. In the booth next to us, there were 4 or 5 late teens/ early twenties who were acting fairly rowdy, speaking loudly, and using profanity of the type that is not acceptable in a public setting, no matter how you view profanity. After several minutes, I got up and approached their table. I quietly, and respectfully, stated that I was glad they were having a good time together and didn't want to suggest they not, but explained that my mother, wife, and small children didn't really need to be hearing such language and asked if they could tone it down a bit. To their credit, they were very apologetic and responded to my respectful attitude toward them. Afterward, the language was noticeably cleaner and when the volume would start to climb, one of them would always tell the rest to quiet down. On their way out, they apologized to my wife and mother.
I wouldn't automatically assume appropriate behavior has not been taught to the surf boat drivers who are not being courteous. I know I was taught to be respectful of others (and my parents had no issues with tactile education, if you know what I mean), but sometimes when I got around all of my friends, the rest of the world seemed to blur into the background and we could become obnoxious. Sometimes all it took was someone to say something to bring us back to our senses.
Although I am not deluded enough to think simply asking someone to change their behavior will always bring about the desired response, I think a brash response to these situations is more than likely to make the situation escalate into something ugly. Perhaps if enough of us ask them to be more considerate in a non-threatening manner, more of them will be reminded of something they've been taught and they will start to think about how their actions affect others.
