There are two kinds of people in this world, those that like to go boating and those that are liars. If you’re wondering where fishermen fit into those two categories, they are both. My point is, when a boater asks you to join him/her out for a day on the water, they aren’t lying. People that go boating have a passion for being out on the water, and they genuinely want to share that passion with the people around them.
I remember when Jake came into my office and told me about his new purchase. He had traded in his 2001 Bayliner Capri 175 for a 2005 Nautique SV-211 Team Edition. Jake had some great memories on the Bayliner but he and his wife had been looking pretty hard for a wakeboard boat. That was about 13 months ago. Pretty soon after Jake and his wife Michelle got the boat, Jake invited us out for some time on the water. But it wasn’t until a couple weekends ago we actually made it out onto their boat.
I haven’t spent a large amount of time aboard wakeboard boats but they never cease to amaze me by the amount of storage and seating options available. When we (myself, my wife, and my two girls) climbed aboard with all our gear (there is always gear with kids) there were already several people aboard. I was impressed how quickly we were all aboard, our gear was stowed, and we were on our way to some serious lake fun. Standing on the dock I half expected to need to walk something back to the jeep.
So far the only addition Jake and Michelle have made to their Nautique was a fat sac ballast. On days all their friends are too busy, the couple needed an option to optimize the boats wake for wakesurfing. Their boat is very well appointed as she currently sits. When I asked Jake if they had any future modifications planned for the boat, he told me the plan on adding four Titan Alpha 1 tower speakers with a Roswell amplifier. Some serious wake tower candy, for a seriously fun boat.
In my excitement to try my hand at wakesurfing, I almost overlooked the fact that this was our little girls first motorized boating experience. Until now they have been relegated to the floor of our little canoe. With new people around and a new experience they were a little nervous at first. But once we bribed them with a snack and got them in the water for a little swim they seemed to loosen up and let some smiles show. The girls are not big fans of having to wear their life jackets while underway, but they had a blast on the “big boat”. A little tip for all you boatless parents: Nothing puts a kid to sleep better than a motor boat (just in case you needed another excuse to convince your spouse). A little sun, and a little white noise from the engine and we had one tired little girl.
So how did I do wakesurfing? I fell down, a lot! I’ve seen plenty of videos of people wakesurfing behind boats, I am even a surfer myself, but it took me a lot of falls before I could toss away the rope and keep myself on the wake. By the end of the day my legs were burning, but I still walked a little taller knowing I had done it. I compiled a video of my best falls; well, pretty much all my falls and my one good run. My wife was kind enough to suffer through film me wakesurfing. I find that watching yourself on film is just as awkward as hearing yourself on tape; next time I’ll try to film the more professional looking athletes.
Thank you Jake and Michelle for such a great experience out on the water. We had a great time getting to know you, your friends, and your passion for the water.
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