Then she pulled the two 14-year-old middle schoolers behind her Sea Ray for a half hour, with their tube bouncing wildly over the wake and waves as they held on for dear life.

Scott, an avid water-skier, has a passion for boating and is glad the water levels at Jordanelle are so high this year. All around Utah, after the heavy snows of winter and a wet spring, boating is back and better than in the past five drought-stricken years.

"Last year I didn't try to go anywhere that wasn't as big as Jordanelle because you couldn't launch because the water level was so low," Scott said Saturday.

As she, her friend Debie McGarry and the boys ate lunch and listened to rapper 50 Cent, she pointed out trees on the shoreline that were submerged in water.

"That was dry land last year," she said.

By 11 a.m. Saturday, boaters had arrived at Jordanelle, with two lines forming five cars deep each at the entrance to the state park. Some people hurried off in the afternoon as thunder clouds gathered, but Scott and others stayed.

Nick Mast of Salt Lake City knows the dangers of low waters all too well.

"Last year we wrecked the bottom of our boat on Willard Bay," he said. "Everywhere is much fuller this year."

Eric Vogel of Provo brought his wife and eight children to ski and tube at Jordanelle. Earlier in the month, they went boating closer to home at Utah Lake.

"Last year they closed off the ramps at Utah Lake," he said. "It's much better this year."

Deena Loyola, spokeswoman for the State Parks Department, said boater registrations are much higher this year.

"Most of our reservoirs are at water level capacity," Loyola said. "We've seen a good return of boating. People who hadn't bothered registering their boats in years are renewing them. They're getting on the water again."

Though boating season typically extends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, some reservoirs were closed to boaters last year in early August because the boat ramps no longer reached the receding water. They included Willard Bay, Yuba Lake and Utah Lake. That won't be a problem this year.

Gordon Springer and his family love water sports and have been getting together often this year with the improved conditions.

"There are fewer obstacles sticking out to grab your boat," he said. "It's not as dangerous as last year."

While the danger of exposed tree stumps is lower this year, boaters still need to be careful.

In light of recent boating fatalities, Utah State Parks and Recreation officials strongly encourage the use of life jackets.

"Of the five boating accident drowning victims in Utah this year, all were over age 13 and were not wearing life jackets. A life jacket could have made a difference," said Richard Droesbeke, a boating education specialist with Utah State Parks.

All boats on Utah's lakes, reservoirs and rivers must carry a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for each person on board. Anyone under age 13, on a river, a personal watercraft or being towed behind a boat must wear a life jacket.

"While Utah law requires children under 13 to wear a properly sized life jacket when on a boat, it is a safe and smart practice for everyone to wear a life jacket," added Droesbeke.

chamilton@sltrib.com