That's what we (my brothers and I) did when we were kids growing up around here, but then somebody else (Dad) was paying for repairs at the time.
Seriously though, probably the best thing I can think of to suggest is share trips with some of the folks on here that know the waters.
Awhile back I was fishin' with somebody, who shall remain nameless, in his boat. We're planed off, changing locations and coming up on an oyster bar. It's one of the bars that's kind of off by itself, no other ones around very close. I'm thinking he must know it's there. We're getting closer. Now I'm thinking he must want to fish it. We're getting closer. I start wondering, "If he wants to fish it, why is he not slowing down?".
I finally said something in time to commence evasive maneuvering.Now I'll tell one on myself. Years ago, I was with a close friend, we've known each other many years, in a 14' fiberglass skiff powered by a 15 horse 'Rude. We're running up the Ochlockonee Bay Channel. He's sitting on the middle, bench seat. I'm driving. Middle of a cloudless, no wind, summer day. All of a sudden one of the big channel marker posts flies by, inches from the port side.
I asked him why he didn't warn me. He said he thought I saw it and was trying to scare him. 
The scary thing was I really didn't see it. We figured out, on the angle of our approach, he was directly in my view of that one channel marker.That was a close call. Mere inches from being real embarrassing for both of us.
