Section 8: Safety Considerations
All competitors are required to wear a properly fitted buoyancy vest while competing, and a helmet is mandatory in the Jump event given the speeds involved and the risk of hard falls on landing. A boat observer/spotter and the boat driver are responsible for monitoring the skier's safety throughout a pass or jump attempt, and tournaments must have a rescue/safety boat or swimmer available to respond quickly to falls, particularly in the Jump event.
Any competitor who sustains a head injury or suspicious fall is subject to assessment under the IWWF On-Water Concussion Recognition Tool (OWCRT) before being permitted to continue competing, reflecting the federation's head-injury management protocol for high-speed disciplines such as Jump.
Course and ramp equipment, including the jump ramp's side aprons and boat guides, must be inspected and approved before competition to ensure they meet the rulebook's construction and safety tolerances, and organizers are responsible for ensuring the body of water used is free of other traffic and hazards during active competition.