I'm pretty uptight about the fact that I bought a boat last year, new board, bindings and all that stuff. New vests, stereo, speakers, and restored my Nautique 2001 to brand new condition. I work 5-6 days a week and only get to ride when my buddies, who by the way aren't into boarding like I am and have no desired to ride on Sundays, when the water is choppy as hell and can't find smooth water to save my soul. So I get a day off yesterday, the girlfriend skips work, and a few buddies say there going to go with us to the water. Well the only reason I want them to go is because I trust them to pull me even though I'm constantly yelling to adjust the speed and worrying about their driving to concentrate on riding, and there's no way I can teach the girlfriend to pull with out throwing her overboard in the process. The guys decide at the last minute to bail on us, so I had to sit at the house all day on my one day off and watch the sun shine and can picture the butter that I'm missing..that will truely ruin anyone's day off.

trust me, teach your girl how to drive. you will more than likely, be very pleasantly suprised. I taught my wife how to pull a rider, and she rocks! another couple we have been out with, the girl drives the majority of the time, and she is a great driver. you wont be sorry. you might be at first, but just have some patience, and it will be well worth it.

Sounds like you need some new riding buddies. Isn't there a site for your area where you can hook up with people who share your passion? I would think someone who has a boat would find no problem finding a new crew of dedicated riders who know what's up.

That just sucks. Get some new friends that like to ride as much as you do and you should have no problem.

got cable?

get some new friends and teach your gf to drive. oh, and get perfect pass. trust me, it'll save your relationship.

btw, here's a link to nc riders. <BR><a href="http://endofropegang.com/" target="_blank">http://endofropegang.com/</a>

Yeah, I definitly got cable, which was funny as hell by the way, but I get Thursdays off, and everyone I know who is into riding as much as I am usually works. I've been telling myself I need to teach the G/f, but after all the $ and time I put into the boat, my biggest fear is her screwing something up and damaging the prop, hull, or swamping it with some rollers. Anyone in the Lake Wylie Sc are who would want to ride Thursdays, give me a shout and end this misery..

Dont make the mistake i did and get overly frustrated at her while teaching her to drive. I MADE THAT MISTAKE!!!! It wasnt pretty.. Teach your girl but be patient.

You could have sat on your boat in the water and enjoyed the scenery. Just being on the water is a beautiful thing. Often you can find a third at the lake when you need one. It would have been a good opportunity to get some action in your boat too wiht your girl! <BR> <BR>Yep, teach the girl to drive. My wife rocks at driving.

Do you remember a few years ago someone created a small self propelled boat that you could ski and drive at the same time with hand held controls...where's that guy when I need him?...then I wouldn't have to worry about Perfect Pass, or the G/F...

Dont make the mistake i did and get overly frustrated at her while teaching her to drive. I MADE THAT MISTAKE!!!! It wasnt pretty.. Teach your girl but be patient.

Teaching your girl to pull is a great investment. My wife is get'n damn good at it...When we run into the flake issues we still head to the lake and can usually always find a friendly fisherman or boat with a stand up crew that will jump on and hold the flag for a few pulls and a couple a cold ones. Met some pretty cool folks that way. Wait till the weather sickens up and your "buddies" wonder why there's another ass in their seat.

The key is to find people that are as addicted as you are. I used to have the same problem, but have met a ton of cool people lately, especially on Wake World that are always down to ride. <BR> <BR>That said.... Good luck with the G/F. Mine wont touch the controls of the boat. She is just really nervous. I guess the Delta isn't the best place to learn to drive, but if you could drive there I'm pretty sure you could drive anywhere.

"it no longer takes two to tango" <BR>I solved your problem for you. Just hawk the nautique and set yourself up with one of these bad boys... <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.solowatersports.com/home.html" target="_blank">http://www.solowatersports.com/home.html</a> <BR> <BR>You will only be able to do flatwater trick variations but you will become one hell of a jibber. ;)

PERFECT PASS!<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/talker.gif" border=0>

I drive for my husband all the time. My dad taught me when I was younger, so I didn't have to be taught by my man. We always go out by ourselves.

See if you have a local wakeboard website. Thats how I found all the guys I ride with. They all know how to drive inboards and they all have love for the sport, so they will go any time of day for the smallest ride possible. They just want to ride. I have friends who ride, but dont have the same desire. Getting them to ride more then 2 times a month is difficult. But I also found a friend who only works 3 days a week. he doesnt wakeboard, but he drives my boat. He wants to go everyday this summer he doesnt have work. Things are picking up. But keep looking, there are hardcore guys out there.

Get the gf to drive...just dont be an a*&amp;hole about it and let her make some mistakes. Nobody starts off perfect, and a dinged prop isn't the end of the world. Get some insurance, and have faith in the girl! Plus, having a girl who is truly involved in your riding is like killing two birds with one boat. You get to ride, and she enjoys her time on the water with you more!! Yep, just call me Dr. Phil....

Anyways, I would trust more girls driving my boat then some of my idiot friends. No offense, but some of my friends have no respect or coordination.

I showed my wife how to drive our boat last summer. Now I dont get to drive much anymore=she loves it. Just remember one important thing....no power turns!!

Teaching people to not power turn is so frustrating. I make sure that everyone whom I let drive my boat knows how I and many other people feel about power turns. But still half the time they do it anyway. Pisses me off.

What exactly is a power turn? Is that where the rider falls and you make a quick turn to go pick him up? Because I always teach new drivers to come to a complete stop when the rider falls and to idle back to the rider.

my wife pulls me better than most contest drivers have.

If you want to find new people to ride with go to wakeboarder.com and go to the Find A Pull section.

Hell, I taught my girl to back the trailer in. teaching her pull me shouldn't be too hard...

Yeah, that's another thing I need to do...teach her how to back the trailer down, that sure would save some energy of getting out of the boat, running up to the truck, backing it down, going back to the boat and loading it up. She can pull it out of the water, but really, how hard it that...Looks like I have my hands full. This should be a real test of the relationship...and my patience.

I cant believe fifi is the only one so far recommending PERFECT PASS, dude get perfect pass then teach her how to drive. All she will have to do is push the throttle down and go in a straight line. I would never get a good pull if it werent for PP. It may sound like alot of money but look at how much you already have invested and youll see when you get it how much you appreciate it. Oh install it yourself, its a piece of cake.

Cam, <BR> <BR>coming from a female who can back the trailer, drive the boat on the trailer and pull a rider no problem ..... teach your girlfriend how to drive! <BR>Try not yelling at her, have some patience, and you won't be complaining about missing the butter again.

Isnt there a site just for NC boarders also?

I taught my wife how to drive and wakeboard and she did a great job. Then she got tired of wakeboarding and pulling me and well... now she's my ex. <BR> <BR>I haven't taught my fiance how to drive the boat yet, but she is currently learning to board on the cable and doing a good job. Driving the boat will be next. <BR> <BR>

I third the PERFECT PASS recommendation. Not to be an a$$, but riding friends don't like to be yelled at, as well as girlfriends/wives. I know because I vented speed frustrations and felt the backlash. Get PP and teach the girlfriend to drive.

It's rather funny that on Wakeboarder.com yesterday there was a woman complaining about kind of the same thing, that she has the boat and no one wants to go out with her. Maybe we should get together...at least misery loves company. I have always thought about PP, but thought it wasn't worth it, but now I know better...thanks for the encouragement...we'll see how it goes...

HEY MAN I LIVE IN GASTONIA AND MY COUSIN AND I ARE RIDING ON WYLIE TODAY ABOUT 6:30-7:00. WE WILL RIDE TILL DARK. WE LAUNCH AT THE HWY 27 BRIDGE IN MT HOLLY. LOOK FOR JEEP AND 76 SKI TIQUE

BRING YOURE BOAT 2!!!