Ridin' with the boys...

So, are there any ladies that ride frequently with their boyfriend on his boat?

If so, do you pay him every time you ride for gas? If yes, how much?

i ride with my boyfriend...but he doesn't own the boat. he normally pays the guy like 10, 20 bucks each time. and gives him any gas cards he gets.

if it was my boyfriend who owned it, it'd probably be like food... he pays most of the time but i'd definitely pitch in some every once in a while and offer occasionally to fill the boat myself. it depends on how the boyfriend feels about it, how you deal with it with other money issues with him, and your own income and budget.

just my personal opinion...

it's simple, if he wants you to pay, then pay! if you want to be a wakeboarder in your own right, and plan on having long sets, then you should at least be offering to pay, then it's up to him if he wants to take you up on it. it's more money in his pocket he can use to take you out for dinner or something
I ride with friends and pay $20/set.

(Message edited by aliwake on April 19, 2009)

so should the girlfriend ever get a deal/discount over the guy friends in your opinion?

only if he wants to give you a deal or discount. the fact is, when he has mates ride with him, he's probably not profiting off them. your bf is probably just getting enough money to cover fuel. if he gave you a discount then he probably wouldn't be covering costs!
it's an expensive sport unfortunately...
it sounds like you think he's being unreasonable asking for cash?
i think if you want to wakeboard regularly, then you should be willing to pay your own way, regardless of who owns the boat.

my boyfriend never makes me pay because he just wants me to drive him! but everyone elses rate is $20 a day.

well i drive every time we go out. we had had a deal that i would help pay, but at a discount and then i would clean the boat and stuff, but he wants things different this year so i was curious what other ladies do when they ride frequently.

I don't wanna be a mooch, so I want to contribute my share, but we don't really go out at all to dinner and stuff. We half everything when we have gone out to dinner in the past so I have been contributing by spending more on food for the past year and a half, cleaning and other maintenance, but now I am trying to pay around $5 or so for one set since the other riders ride with way more ballast, do two sets instead of my one and ride for prob twenty minutes longer and he is fine with their $10 for the day. I suppose in a month for two I will contribute more when I start riding for longer. Last summer I just paid $250 at the beginning of the summer and then helped out every now and then.

Thanks for the opinions ladies...I appreciate it!

Don't know what the protocol is for guys posting in this section but I'm going to give my opinion anyway which is that if a guy is charging his girlfriend to ride on his boat something is wrong.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned (24) country but a guy is supposed to take care of his girl. When my girlfriend and I go out to dinner I don't expect her to pick up any part of the check and the same applies when we go out on the boat.

The biggest thing to me is that she is always genuinely appreciative and never "EXPECTS" to be taken to dinner or to the lake. It is nice of her to offer to pay now and again but it's just not the way I was raised.

I think its great that you help him keep the boat clean and that should be more than enough as long as you don't have the "I your girlfriend, you owe me something" attitude which would get you a quick boot to the dock.

Just one mans opinion.

Thanks for your input dustin.
I don't think I could expect him to pay for everything or even most of it unless he had LOTS of money, but I do like the way you think. Lol

I don't make lot's of money either but I spend what I do make wisely and don't mind working hard in order to play hard. It helps that she thinks the way I do and it's not gonna work to spend $100 on dinner Friday night if we are going to the lake Saturday/Sunday.

My whole point is that your Man should not expect anything from you except appreciation and if you insist on contributing and he accepts then that's fine too.

maybe i was being harsh, but it also sounds like this could be about more than just paying for boat riding.
i reckon you need to have a big D&M about money issues and find a compromise that suits you both.
arguing about money or feeling like you're getting a raw deal could ruin any relationship - even if it's great in every other respect!
it does sound like his friends are getting a better deal than you which sux.

p.s. dinner was just an example

Lol, I figured on the dinner comment. No worries though. I was just curious if there were any ladies in the same situation. It's nice to get a few opinions on stuff like this especially since I am so new to the sport still and may not have the etiquette down! ;)

I agree with Dustin about your man not expecting you to pay...I do not have a boyfriend, but I do have a husband that too agrees. We spend nearly $150+ per week on boat gas for just the two of us (3-4 sets per night, each). If there are more guys weighing the boat down and riding 20+ minute sets...then a contribution from them is GREAT! If you are doing one set (as you stated on 4/22) then it should be a freebie! Relationships are about compromise...and pitching in on the washing, waxing, conditioning of seats, carpet cleaning, etc... of the boat. PERIOD.

Wow 3-4 sets is a lot. I guess I do have to clarify that the friends only take one set also, but still with full ballast and riding for definitely 20 plus minutes.

Thanks for the input Amy.

I think Alice got it right the whole way along. You to should talk about it and it sounds like this may be about more then boat gas. Good luck and try to keep the boat a fun place to be

Well I ride with my boyfriend all the time. He doesn't ask me to pay and I do offer but he won't take it. But if he did ask me to pay I would for sure pay up. It is expensive. What my bf does is he tells his friends that are coming to wakeboard to pay and if your just along for the ride he don't make them pay. You use slot of gas to pull someone. But don't get mad at him he just needs a little help on the gas.

i think i may have made him sound like a bad guy. my whole point was just to see how much others pay if they ride with a significant other. my boyfriend and i arent fighting over the money thing...but just havent come up with the right deal since i pay more for other things.
ps. the $250 up front last summer was to help pay for getting new vinyl on the seats and i think that may have covered about a third of my riding from last summer (since the gas was so dang expensive) so i actually got a pretty good deal!

Yeah it was a good deal but if his friends are riding a lot more than you and your paying just as much as them then that isn't really fair either. But good luck with the situation I'm sure yal will figure something out.

Your boyfriend sounds like a cheap bastard.

well lets not start putting anyone down. my boyfriend is not a cheap bastard. obviously, as this thread has shown, everyone has a different opinion about the subject. again, i was just lookin for others' opinions.

Hey becca.

I ride with my bf once to twice weekly. We wakeskate so it's only on the back of a seadoo... I always buy lunch and make sure to help load/unload, which seems to work out well.

If it was on the back of a boat, it would definitely be lunch and dinner (which amounts to like $40+ or so) and help with anything else he needs - cleaning, loading, etc.

Your bf doesn't sound cheap to me and even though Dustin's set up for his gf is sweet... I don't think men paying for everything is the norm anymore or at least not later in the relationship - it turns into more of an even give and take.

If he's not making you pay for anything now and you guys don't do the dinner thing... maybe suprise him one day with a new board or rope or something.

(Message edited by flwakecat on May 05, 2009)

I don't ride with a "boyfriend" but ride with guys frequently... Its best to give the owner of the boat $10 per set. I'd say that's pretty fair. If gas prices get any higher I'd move it to $15 or $20 a set.

Even if I did ride with a boyfriend, I'd still pay. Its courteous to contribute when you know you'll be riding. Wakeboarding can be a rather expensive sport at times especially when filling up the gas tank to go out and play all day!

I sure don't want anyone thinking that I'm "free loading" especially if I want to be invited out for future sessions again.

My bf owns his boat, but I pay for gas. If others ride, they must bring drinks/food.

I'd say $10 per set is fair. My husband and I own a boat and that is what people usually give us and we give others if we are on someone else's boat...

thanks ladies. I have been paying around 5-10 bucks a set since i'm only riding for about 10 minutes or so, but I know by the end of the summer that'll change, as will the rate I pay him.

Good deal, Becca. Have fun shredding

Wow I am just happy to have a girl or girls on the boat. I have never turned down a donation, except if the person helped out. I really can not imagine standing at the dock with a punch card "ticket please". Whatever it takes for you to ride go for it, but if in NH give me a shout you can ride for free. Your "boyfriends" as well.

ha ha. well dan, this girl is lucky enough to be able to ride three-four nights a week (in between classes, clinical and work)and am always thankful for the pull. i'll for sure contact you if ever in NH!

I ride with my man every time he goes out. I never give him gas money. I am the "awesome girlfriend" who brings the sandwich stuff/drinks. Also, I am the only reliable one who is there from hooking up the trailer to backing down the boat ramp, and parking the truck...Also, I am the one who drives half of the day while he drives the other half. At the end of the day I get the truck back down the boat ramp, pull the boat out...Wipe it down, clean up the inside...Heck my boyfriend would never get the boat in the water if it weren't for me!!! LOL! He would never expect or accept money from me!
There are other ways to contribute that 10$-20$ can't buy!
It's about getting on the lake and having a great time and that includes doing the things that insure that your boyfriend also has a great time!

Love to Ride - same here except with my now ex (rather call him a friend however)... I'm always there with food, he does the ramp stuff but i'll put it in the water and put it back on the trailer, drive during his sets.
There are other people that show up sometimes but normally whenever they decide to wake up, never bring anything, and don't even bother asking to help.
I think if you help out in any way for your bf he'll probably be appreciative.

Yeah, I am always the one backing up the trailer, parking, bringing food, etc. I usually am the one driving for my boyfriend and sometimes for others. Then when we're done I clean the outside of the boat or the inside depending on which part he starts on. I try helping while he winterizes and does spring maintenance as best I can. I love doing all of the above, though. I have a blast driving, riding, etc!

My GF doesnt make much money so I pay for most everything. It influences my decisions on inviting her out with me or my friends.

College life is hard

Love to Ride nailed it. Be the "Awesome girldfriend/ or even friend" and bring the sandwiches and stuff. You contribute A LOT which is more then anyone else!

We have a lot of people who ride on our boat consistently.
Everyone on the boat, girl friends, boy friends, cousins, doesn't really matter. Everyone pitches in gas, 5 gallons per session.
Most people take two sessions. Seems like a lot but its really not.
We run about 2000 lbs and four or five people, full gas tank, sucks down about 40 gallons per day. I'm still spending more on gas than anyone else

The gas station on the lake has been out for a long time.

At the end of the day you need to pitch in whether or not you are not firlfriend or not you HAVE to pitch on. I don't care if it is gas food or alcohol you need to pitch in because my boyfriend now husband pays $500 a month boat payment plus insurance and gas and food and booze so help out I don't care WHO YOU ARE!!!! Give money to whoo ever owns the boat and for once tell your fiends to pitch in even if it is only $10

By the way that is not to sound mean so please do not take it that way no matter who you are though guys have manners and never want to ask girls for anything but like I said just pitch in no matter what because at the end of the day they will respect you more and know that you are willing to help out at the end of the day!!!!!

devin-

lol, i think i get what you're trying to say...some of your sentences are written a little funny, but that's exactly what i've been doing my boyfriend let me off pretty easy last year since i was in nursing school with 21 credits each quarter, but i still contributed over $300.00. this year i pitch in 5-10 bucks every set; i bring food every time we go out, and at the end of the day i help remove all the ballast sacs, all the equipment, hang it up and about once a week i clean the seats. then i usually make dinner and do his laundry to help out as well.

Ha ha sorry we had been drinking a little yesterday and people were messing with me. If you are doing all of that stuff then you are golden. Stuff like what you are doing helps out tons.

my bf told me that i didn't have to pay cus all the extra stuff i do to help out... like getting the boat all ready to go and even cleaning his whole house and helping him with his landscaping lol. but i def still feel as if i need to pitch in cus gas is so dang expensive. i give him 20$ about every other time we go out and ride. just feels wrong not to help out with cash when he takes me to dinner all the time. i dont want to be one of those girls that just expects their bf to pay for everything just cus theyre dating the guy.

For sure Michelle. The other day we went out, but filled the tank first. I did two sets (probably a little more riding than I usually do), but then we re-filled the tank and it was $20. This sport is definitely spendy!!!

Now, all I want to do is board cuz I am finally starting to advance. I am finally able to do some 180's so looks like I will be spending lots of $$$ this summer. lol. I've already spent $250 solely on gas money for boarding behind his boat!! (That does not even include other boats I have ridden on!) And it's not even July yet! EEK!!

I always give my boyfriend $40 for gas and buy beer, sodas, and sometimes lunch. I usually only get a couple sets in cuz they like to just hang out and relax a lot, but I figure he has the expense of owning/maintaining the boat plus the expense of towing it to the lake, so it seems a small price to pay.

Dang, that's a lotta dough! Wakeboarding would have to replace eating for me if I gave that much! Lol. That'ss nice you're that generous.

Haha - I know - I love this sport and would give up a lot for it, but unfortunately only get to ride 2-3 times a month at the most . Also don't get to practice driving much so haven't been able to contribute in that way.

Yeah, for some reason i have come to LOVE driving as well as boarding! My boyfriend had taught me how to drive his boat without perfect pass and with four thousand pounds of ballast in it about a year and a half ago. I LOVE driving it!!

We usually ride at least three days week from April until maybe the end of October so we definitely get our fair share of shreddin' up the water. I don't think I could ever stop boarding unless my body physically wouldn't let me anymore. lol

Haha, you have a lotta yrs left before you will have to give it up for physical reasons Becca - I'm turning 52 on Thursday and still have lots of energy feel like I'll be able to ride for many more yrs, barring any major injuries! Might not be doing flippy things, but will always be trying to improve my skills and try new things.

I'm envious that you get to ride so much! I also really wanna become good at driving and learn how to launch the boat, etc. Lots to learn!! Anyway, sounds like you are havin a blast on the water - enjoy!!

Gotta cost mucho dinero to move that water bed through the water. "four thousand pounds of ballast" in a 2000 X -Star

I still stand by what I said earlier. Just because we're girls doesn't mean we should be treated any different when wakeboarding. If you want to ride and be respected as a rider than you do your part. You pay gas money for the sets you take, you help clean the boat out and wipe it down, you offer to drive, anything to help. It takes a lot more than gas money to operate a boat. Boat owners are appreciative of any extra help you offer. I know a lot of guys who will bring out food and drinks, but they also contribute for the gas as well. I get very frustrated sometimes when girls expect to be treated different. If you're not really into wakeboarding and enjoy spending time out in the sun on the boat with your friends than you shouldn't have to pay gas money. On the other hand, if you're riding as much as the boys, you should definitely contribute as much gas money as they do.

buying ice, drinks, packing food, cleaning the boat before we store it, that's my contribution....I don't chip in for gas. My Boyfriend made it clear that entertainment outside of boarding/boating is out unless I want to pay for it...so I pay for concert tix, events, even dinner when we go out. It's because of this that I don't offer money when we are on the boat...If he took me out and paid..then I would chip in for gas..happy to do so....he just made it clear to me where he wants to spend his money....and boating is sooooo expensive plus I love being on the water with him!...never seen him so happy!

there is an old bumper sticker that comes to mind. it rhymes.

"A$$, Gas or Grass. Nobody Rides For Free"

When we go out on our friends boats the owner never pays for anything. My buddy and I split the costs of a full tank of gas, food and drinks. That way the boat owner doesn't have to worry about anything. Oh yeah and they don't even have to drive if they don't want to as one of us will...