Some have recently called Lake Lanier a “death trap.” Others maintain it’s a safe place.

Some say more regulations are needed. Others shudder at the thought.

But for those who have had Lanier water running through their veins for decades, the issue is more than just talking heads and newsprint — it’s their life.

And their lives have changed over the years as the lake became more popular.

Dan Hubard grew up on the lake and for more than four decades has fished and boated on the murky waters.

Over the past few years, he has seen some changes.

“I grew up here,” he said. “There’s always been people on the lake that didn’t know what to do ... but lately, the past few years, it’s definitely been getting worse. It’s probably because there’s just so many more people up here now.”

Hubard, who lives above Browns Bridge Road on the north end of the lake, is a big fisherman. He takes his boat out trolling for striper frequently.

This year, he said he’s had his fishing lines cut by passing boats four times.

That’s only happened three other times in the last 40 years, he said.

“It seems like (other boats) are getting more and more bold and coming closer and closer to you,” said Hubard. “People just don’t care. They get in their own little world and only care about what’s right there at the front of their boat. Everybody else they don’t care about.”

Tim Rademacher owns lake property in Flowery Branch. He’s been on the lake for years and makes a living from the visitors.

He’s seen an influx of lake-goers. With that influx, he said, comes more ignorance.

“Ignorance is (the) No. 1 (problem),” said Rademacher. “I can tell you 10 times that the 130-horsepower, 75-miles-an-hour Jet Ski won’t turn without acceleration, but you’re not going to get it.”

Rademacher’s not alone in his way of thinking.

“I think (boaters are) more ignorant,” said Cheryl Anthony, who has lived near the lake for almost two decades. “I think that because you live here, you think it’s your bathtub.”

Lanier gets almost 8 million visitors per year and has more than 500 miles of shoreline.

It’s always been fairly busy, longtime residents say, but some think it’s gotten worse.

“Years ago we didn’t have the big speed boats; we didn’t have the Sea Doos, the Jet Skis, you know,” said Donna Loving, who has been around Lanier for almost 50 years. “We didn’t have any of that lake traffic back then. It’s changed a lot.

“The traffic on the lake now ... is just unreal.”

All four agree that it may be time to start requiring safety courses for boaters. A few say it may even be time to start licensing boaters the same way drivers are for automobiles.

“Boating is a 360-degree gig ... you need to have a little bit of experience,” said Rademacher. “I think hands-on experience would be the best. I mean, you have to do it for a driver’s license. Why can’t we do that for boats?”

But some residents don’t really see the need for more legislation.

Thomas Vivelo, a lake resident in Flowery Branch for 15 years, said he’s boated on Lanier for more than two decades.

Over that time, he said, the traffic has increased, but the safety level remains the same.

“I wouldn’t say it’s overcrowded, but there are too many people doing stupid things. But what can you do about that?” he said.

He said it can’t be legislated.

“People have been doing stupid things for thousands of years,” said Vivelo. “It’s hard to legislate against that.”

He said knee-jerk reactions to incidents on the lake — however tragic — are not the way to go and just make life harder for those who operate boats responsibly.

“It’s the operator’s responsibility to learn how to use the equipment,” said Vivelo. “I’m just not one who wants more rules, more legislation, more ways to make people ‘safe.’ It just makes it harder for everyone when you legislate to the lowest common denominator.”

But legislators, both at the local and state level, are putting the wheels in motion to do just that.

On Thursday, the Hall County Board of Commissioners established a Lake Lanier safety panel to look at some of those issues.

State House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said he will introduce legislation to lower the legal alcohol limit for boaters.

Ralston said he has the support of Gov. Nathan Deal in the effort to lower the limit from 0.10 percent to 0.08 to parallel the automobile limit.

But the lake residents do not seem too concerned with the alcohol factor. Yes, it is an issue, they said, but there is a bigger issue: knowledge.

“I don’t think it has to do that much with alcohol,” said Hubard. “I just think it’s pure stupidity. They just don’t know any better because nobody’s ever taught them.”

But Vivelo said even with more education and rules, there will still be incidents like the one that took the lives of the Prince brothers — Griffin, 13, and Jake, 9 — and the one that left a boy in the hospital after being struck with a personal watercraft.

“Do we need another law or another rule?” Vivelo said. “I don’t think so. You can’t prevent stupidity.

“Life’s a risk. If you’re just going to stay under your bed all day, every day, then you’ll probably be safer, but what good is that?”