So this summer wasn’t a great one for frequency on the lake–at least not for me. I plan to make up for it this fall. But I’m kind of wimpy and it’s currently 61 degrees outside. Yeah, I have a drysuit and I’ll wear sweats underneath it and stuff, but I’m wondering: what’s the coldest weather you’ve ever skied or boarded in?

Come on people, add your comments. I need the motivation.

Mwa ha ha ha! I sent my parents and brother to Marine Products and then asked for their feedback. For the record: they were shopping for a surf board and no one in my family had every tried wake surfing before so they were true neophytes.

The store was busy (a good sign). The sales guy who was helping them (I didn’t get a name, sorry) was helping several different people at the same time, but my family still felt taken care of. It’s an admirable salesman who can juggle multiple customers without making them feel unimportant. The guy helping them suggested a board he felt beginners could use but that we wouldn’t outgrow too quickly.

[Ha! We'll never outgrow this board seeing as how my dad was the only one who managed to get up on it. But I'll get to that in a bit.]

There is a possibility that perhaps the guy steered my family away from the dirt-cheapest option. Perhaps to increase his commission, perhaps because dirt-cheap is never the highest quality. We really don’t know and we really don’t care. Bottom line: we felt like we got good advice and a good product at a good price.

*To those of you considering making a how-to DVD: it is not helpful to watch a professional get up effortlessly. Inspiring, yes. But not helpful. What would be helpful would be watching a professional teach a beginner. A brand-spanking new beginner. I would like to see a more realistic version of what learning entails. Also, there are probably some details to getting up that you seasoned athletes are forgetting. Showing a beginner would help cover those.

[Remember how I said my dad was the only one who got up? Yeah, wake surfing is harder than the 3-minute DVD made it look. And I think my dad got up because he's an athlete. They guy did 3 triathlons last summer. As a regular gal, I struggled.]

Also, I would appreciate a section in how-to DVDs where the seasoned professional coaches a driver who is new to driving for the sport with and without someone behind the boat. That would be a helpful detail that would put your instructional DVD above and beyond the competition.

If you need a beginner for your DVD I hereby volunteer myself. And I may have family (spies) interested as well.

Now that we’ve passed to this side of Memorial Day, I don’t think that anyone would disagree that boating season is officially here. Whether you’re into skiing, boarding or just hanging out on the lake, there are some things to remember to make sure everyone has a good time. Even aside from all the stuff that’s required.

First one is sunscreen. I fully agree that getting a tan is one of the perks of playing on the boat, but with all the time you’ll be spending out there, it’s best to take some precautions to reduce your exposure. You remember that day last summer that you forgot to put sunscreen on and got burned really badly? Good times, right? Also, skin cancer isn’t fun. I’ll leave it to you what kind and how strong your sunscreen is, but you definitely need some. Last summer, we tried out some Bullfrog gel that was pretty cool because it rubbed right in, but it flaked off later in kind of a strange way that made me a little nervous. This summer, we’ll be trying a Coppertone spray.

Second is snacks. You’re going to need something to fuel your time on the water, and I’m not talking the gas in the boat. I’m a big fan of dry roasted peanuts, juice, and a ham sandwich or two. If you ski anything like I do, you’ll end up drinking a lot of lake water, but you’ll want to have some on the boat, say, in a container of some kind. It would be ironic and sad if you got dehydrated at the lake.

Third, you’ll need something to cover up with. The shade on the boat does a good job of keeping the sun from beating down on you, but the light also reflects off the water. It’s a good idea to take a shirt or a towel to throw over you or something else to keep yourself from getting all tired out by just being exposed to the elements. It’s also nice to have in case you’re out longer than you’d planned and it gets a little chilly. I like to keep a few sweatshirts around for this very reason.

I’m sure there are more that I’m not coming up with at the moment, so what kinds of things do you not launch without? Let us know in the comments!

Just want to let everyone know when the Utah Boat Show is.

The dates are:

Thursday, February 4th 2:00 – 10:00 pm

Friday, February 5th 2:00 – 10:00 pm

Saturday, February 6th 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Sunday, February 7th 12:00 – 6:00 pm

Hope to see you all there, and make sure you stop by the Marine Products space to get the best deals on everything you need for your water sports!

Also, at the Boat Show this year, there will be a full wake park designed and built by Industry Legend and Marine Products Pro Rider Pat Panakos, and ridden by other pro’s. Show times for that are:

Wednesday, Feb. 4…………3pm, 6pm, 8pm
Thursday, Feb. 5…………….3pm, 6pm, 8pm
Friday, Feb. 6………………..1pm, 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
Sat., Feb. 7……………………Noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm
Sunday, Feb. 8……………..1pm, 4pm

Check out the Utah Boat Show Homepage for discount tickets and more information.

The boat show is a great time to update your gear.  Marine Products will have great deals on all of their current product.  Now is the time to research the gear you want, and you can come on into Marine Products for any questions on Wakeboards, Wakeskates, WakeSurfs, and other gear.

Make sure you stop by to check out all of our wetsuits, rash guards, and life jackets.  Their prices will be marked down for the duration of the boat show only.

Hope to see you all at the Utah Boat Show!