What does owning a Wakeboarding boat mean to you?

So what does it mean to you? I like the fact that it is there to use anytime we feel like going to the lake either in the summer or in the winter. I don't feel like I need to go wakeboard everytime we are in the water to have a good time. To me it's all about being with your family and friends and doing the things you like to do, hanging out and having a blast,watching your kids play with their friends in the water and not feel pressured into riding all the time.

Before I bought a house on the lake we would be there from sun up to sun down, riding in the morning and hanging out the rest of the time listening to music, jumping off the tower and just swimming around, since I bought the house we don't go out as early as we used to but we still stay out on the water till sun down.

So to me I guess you could say that having your own boat is to do whatever you want to do with it whenever you want to do it. So for all you people out there that say why does he do this or why doesn't he do that with his boat, worry about your own self and do what you want with your own boat!

I couldnt agree more. As long as your having fun, who cares what anyone else even thinks. I see people out all the time in "fishing boats" that arnt fishing. Does that make them not "core fishermen?"

I love owning a boat. I don;t like the payment in the winter but come summer it gets used alot. i think last summer I skipped only 1 weekend where I did not go out.

I just got my boat back after having it at the dealer for 2 weeks straight. Even though it was too windy and cold during those two weeks to where I couldn't have gone riding anayway, I was going through complete withdrawl just by not having my boat at home. It's become more or less my adult security blanket

Cool post. I grew up vacationing on my parents boat and was lucky enough to live on it during summers in high school. I only hope to give that back to my family one day. After a two year break from owning, I've only had the most recent boat for a month now but just as each in the past, it's about doing what you want, when and where you want. Structure is for work.

Great thread topic, CAR! I couldn't agree with you more on all that you listed. To me it's a freedom. Freedom away from the usual grind of life. It makes working everyday worth it. A boat to me represents alot of what I have been working for.

Now, on top of all that there is something else it represents. I had a friend once ask me "Kraig, why are you so into boating?" due to the fact that I am on the water every weekend of every summer. Well, I thought about that question for a moment and here is what my answer was:

"I grew up boating. Our family spent every weekend of every summer at the lake camping and boating. I was on our boat for the first time when I was three months old and I got addicted at that moment. Boating is not just something I do, it's a part of who I am. So everytime I'm out on the water I am reliving my childhood all over again!"

I can't wait to someday have kids and pass on the blessing of being on the water and all the joy it gives a kid!

(Message edited by Kraig on March 05, 2007)

I gotta make a prediction here. Even at this early in this thread I can see this thread getting huge and being nominated for thread of the year. This topic is going to strike a chord in alot of people. It's early, but let's see what happens...

3 to 5 hours away from the wife......

I am different than some in that I never had the chance to be on the water as a kid(sheltered childhood). It wasn't until I was about 20 that my uncle asked me to come out on his boat. I can say our lives have never been the same. He introduced me to some of the greatest times in my life and I converted him from one of those slalom guys into a wakeboarder, to the point he brought home his X-45 yesterday. He owns a house on the water and every free moment we have we spend it on the water. It has brought us closer than I ever imagined. I am going to be his daughters god-father and he will be the best man at my wedding. If boating wasn't a part of his life, I probably wouldn't be on this site and i can't think of anything better to share with my friends and one day my own family than the times that I have one the water.

(Message edited by uppledup17 on March 05, 2007)

Not just a wakeboard boat, but just owning a boat has given me the best memories of my life. Considering all the good times I've had on the water with family and friends since I was a youngster up until now has been very rewarding. Being involved in watersports has yielded me some of the best friendships along with great family memories.
When my dad passed away 6 years ago, the most common thing mentioned at the funeral was how he loved boating and teaching people how to ski. (No wakeboards back then) I guess alot of that has rubbed off on yours truly.

Now that I have kids, I value that special water time more than ever.

I found it was cheaper to buy a boat then to get therapy. But my time on my boat is my relaxation. When you're out there nothing else really matters.

Man just reading your post here brings back tons of memories. We had a "lake-house" since I was born 1955, it was just basically a 'camp house'(no heat&air) super hot summers and ice cold winters, but as kids we didnt notice we would go down on fridays after work for the wk.end I had an old jon boat with a 18 hp evinrude. it with 6 gal. gas fishing rod and pellet gun i was in heaven! had an old larson with a 35 evinrude learned to ski with many awesome memories. always wanted to be able to live there, well 3 yrs. ago my wish came true, we sold our house in town and I was able to make it livable enough for my bride and we moved to the lake with my son and daughter, it has been an AWESOME place to raise my kids, son just turned 15, and daughter will be 10 in 3 wks. they love the water,ski,wk brd fish, and just swim. I get to relive it all again thru my kids. we were finally able to get a "real" ski/wk.brd boat at Christmas this yr. '98 mobius, a big jump from our 1978 16'ck. mate w/ 150 yamaha. sorry to ramble on heres a pick of our "front yard"...oops said i had to shrink the dimensions, dont know how...

3-5 more hours with the wife!

we love to get out on the water and enjoy the serenity of getting away from the busy-ness, as well as the fun of riding. (or tubing, or skiing, etc.)

that ill be on the river a couple of times a week

My Supra 21v is the second boat I've owned in the past 5 years and I just can't get enough of going to the lake. As a child I probably only saw the water a handful of times on a boat but I did grow up on the west coast and went to the beach often. There is no place I'd rather be than out on the water. I love spending time with my friends and family and building these bonds. No words can quite explain the friendship you build with people when you're out on the water. It just happens, it's unique, it's strong, it's ever lasting, and I thank god every time I get to spend a day on the lake. When I run into people I haven't seen in awhile, it's always stories of the lake that I hear about and they remind me of much fun they had, and it's always refreshing. Most the time they always ask when do they get to go again and that always puts a smirk on my face. I just love being able to share something like this with the people I love and my friends.

Owning a boat for me is mostly about a bond that me and my family share. It is sometimes hard to get everyone together but it seems like on a nice summer afternoon if I call everyone and say I am going to the lake they make time to join us.

Sunrise and occasionally sunset is for riding hard. All of the time in between is all about having fun with friends and family.

Not to mention you don't see bikinis on the golf course. Everytime I'm on the water with my buds or family, I say to myself.. "This is why I go to work"

I am married to the hardest working man in america, the man never stops. We kid he has two modes working and sleeping. His idea of a relaxing day at home with his family is chopping, collecting and stacking firewood. Being on the water is the only time my husband truely decompresses. There is nothing on his list to do at the lake. He laughs with his kids, enjoys his family, and really relaxes(as much as his type does, he is cracking the whip for that early morning set!) I MADE him buy the boat! That way we controlled with who and when we went out. It made for even more relaxation and awesome memories!

It's like that commercial:

Wake Boat = $60,000

Tow Vehicle = $30,000

Enough beer/drinks/food to last the day = $75.00

Watching your husband laugh and bond with your kids at the lake = PRICELESS!

Hey Jessica, I like you already. We have owned a boat since before my kids were born. My eighteen year old, we strapped into his car seat with bouys attached. They all would crawl under my legs when I was driving (and I was ALWAYS driving)
We knew we had to buy an official tow boat when the kids started going upside down at age 7. We wouldn't change a thing looking back. ahhhh, good times, good times Oh yea, my husband and I are in our 26th year. that says something!

Reliving memories past and making new ones at the same time.

I can't think of a better way to get friends together to just hang out than to spend a day on the boat. Everyone's schedules are so hectic even if you plan something on land, people are coming and going at different times or will get pulled out to hit on girls or whatever. With the boat it is everyone pile in, bring enough food and snacks and spend a few really quality hours together out in the sun swimming, riding, tubing, playing cards....generally just enjoying each others company.

My tip for other boat owners, if you don't already have it, put a couple decks of cards, a crib board and some scratch paper in your glove box, there are all kinds of games you can play.

Everything.

Owning a boat is making enjoyable child hood memories for my two girls. Having fun and bonding with friends and family. Being out there on the water, good water or bad. Enjoying the outdoors and the elements.

Get out and away from the normal fast pace of life and slowing down to enjoy it.

It is all about the smiles and good times.

Its worth every payment I make.

Team Valdez Thanks! I hear ya! I wish we could have pulled off buying a boat sooner. Mine are teens and the boat brings 'em in instead of pushes them away. My son just chose his college based on the closeness to the boat! My husband and I are working on 27 years together! Lets hear it for us Lifers!

Payments. J/K. My son has been in the boat since he was 6 mounts old, we have a lifetime of family times, memories & photos. Priceless. And you always know where your kids are on the weekend, bonus.

Being on our boat is a time when nothing else matters. Everything takes a back seat for those few hours. You just get to hang out and enjoy the family and friends - NO WORRIES - well maybe a few, who gets the first set, how cold is the water - really, did you bring the right color lollipops and oh yeah, can't forget about the cinnamon rolls with extra icing! GOOD TIMES!!!

owning a boat means i can get away from the wife

"Captain" Jack Sparrow said it best.

"What a boat IS. is Freedom"

Freedom to do what you want; go where you want. For me thats spending time with my wife and family.

well i don't own a wakeboarding boat, and probably won't until maybe next year...

but owning a boat really keeps me up while i'm at school... i'm serious, when i'm board as heck in geometry, algebra 2, or world history, i just think of the lake and feel better and all the stuff i'll be doing this summer on the lake

the 8 day trip to the lake this summer is really the only big thing i got going on (except maybe out to california to see my cousins/uncle) but i would put that 8 day stay over any trip around the world...

being with 20 of my other family members, in this big house, when whenever there is something wrong you just gotta step outside and smell the water, its a blast

Brett. I constantly think of the lake when I'm at work. It keeps me from throwing people out the window.

"Captain" Jack Sparrow said it best.

"What a boat IS. is Freedom"

Freedom to do what you want; go where you want. For me thats spending time with my wife and family.

Gas.

and my cell phone ringing off the hook on sunny days.

Owning a Towboat...errr WBing boat, is the centerpiece of the our lifestyle. It speaks without saying a word.

A wakeboarding boat means a hole in the water, that You throw money into.
But I've never found a better hole to throw money in.

I grew up on a boat and my parents had me in my carseat on the lake as an infant. I was on my first pair of skis at 2 years old. As a child and teenager, there was nothing better than bringing my friends out on my parents' boat and teaching them to ski. My parents were always so supportive and welcoming. I never saw them happier and more relaxed than when we were out on our 16ft outboard Invader, from sunrise to sunset. And it was these times that I felt we were the most connected.

A couple years ago, my boyfriend and I learned to wakeboard on that 16ft Invader. My father, in his 50s now, also made the transition to wakeboarding (although he still enjoys his slalom runs). We have met the most amazing friends on this site and on the water. Friendships that will last a lifetime. My boyfriend and I still don't have our own boat, but we are always saving. We cherish all of our friends who welcome us (and sometimes my father) every weekend onto their wakeboarding boats. On the water it seems as though we are all family.

I look forward to the day when we have our boat, and eventually our own family so we may share this passion with our children as so many of you have. There is nothing better than being on the water with those you love!

The love we share and the lump in my throat when I read what my daughter Michele wrote:

PRICELESS

Being out on a boat is always a great time. We wakeboard when it calm and slalom ski and tube when its choppy. I have had so many good times out on the boat I would never give it up.

for me it's my opportunity to escape the real world and the stress of everyday life, and to make it even better I get to bring along my wife and 8 of my best friends. It's all about having fun when we are out there.

Michele and Jeff L.

Nicely said!

Hmmm, might sound kind of goofy, but it's what I do, it's the people I identify with. It's all I think about when I'm not doing it, and I can't think about anything else when I'm out on the water. I love waving at the fisherman and having them look at me like I'm some kind of idiot. It's all good stuff!

The bad stuff... it's why I have a job I hate, in order to afford this lifestyle!

This has to be one of the best threads ever. This is how and why wakeworld was created. Today was my first day out on the water with 5 friends and we each got one round of riding. I have made some of my closest friends out on the lake and being new in town you really realize who is using you and your boat and who truly cares. As for the boat being a money pit...It is and it a pit of everlasting happiness and memories. WE ALL will DIE someday and what really matters is the relationships and memories of our friends and family. Boaters in general care for one another and always are willing to give a helping hand. I have needed a tow in from a hour out(I ran out of gas) and I have helped others in need. Only if was the same in the rest of the world.

I spent 6 hours on the lake today and I have had more fun and am more relaxed than I have been in the past three months. I go snowboarding every weekend in the winter but it is no where close to day on the lake!

Werd to that, same kind of day for me... I thought my head was going to explode if I didn't get back out there soon.

This is a great thread. Its good to see other people loving this type of life and all the good that it brings to the family and friends. Nice to see other families, husbands and wives of 20+ years still loving each other, and having a boat with water activities helping bring that together? How can you put a price on that? My wife and I are on our 23rd year, with two kids that love to boat as well. My son, 19, is so addicted of his own doing. No plan by mom and dad, it just hurts him not to be out on the water, doing all those crazy flip and radical stuff on a board. Before reading stuff like this I thought boarding and boating was for young people, so it's nice to see all types of people involved.

When your out on the water early, with the steam coming off the glass water, the warm sun coming up and shinning on you as your strapping on your board, or ski, you slowly sink into the calm water not wanting to cause a ripple. As you wait till the line gets tight, you look around at the beautiful surroundings, forest, mountains or the like, thank the Lord, and yell hit it. Jesus walked on water. I'm just thankful to be able to ride on it! The boat takes off and the water glides under your board lifting you up on the soft cushion. As you ride along you hear this hissing sound coming from the board on the glass water that brings an urge for you to yell out and brings goose bumps to your skin. You now don't have a care in the world other than carving though the water, enjoying the ride, the day with the family and friends you love. This makes up your world at this time and space of your life.

Bio
44.5 years old
23.5 years married (to same wife)
20 year old son
15 year old son
11 year old son

I have seen a lot of smiles on my kids faces over the years but the pictures of their first time up - unbelievable.

Pictures of their first air - be it less than a foot - unbelievable.

Expressions when they land their first W2W - again, unbelievable.

Your kids actually wanting to spend time with their parents (OK, I know the boat is also there) and asking their friends and girl friends to come - unbelievable.

60 foot runs ALL DAY long getting your kids friends up and the memories that creates.

Over used word today but as stated - PRICELESS.

the american way, debt!

(and an endless supply of friends during the summer)

Overtime!

Yep, the experience is priceless. Especially if you've spent years on the water and look back at all of the expenses. They all seem insignificant to us compared to the family enjoyment experienced. And it doesn't have to be a wake boat, just a boat with the family and friends. The water can be the ultimate escape from reality.

my dad once told me
"if you can finance it, you can aford it"
i think owing a boat is more important then a house or nice truck. if times were tight i think the first to go would be the tahoe.. i mean i have even had a few girls leave me due to how much time i spend on the lake... wounder what there doing this summer..?

i like to think of myself as the poster child for "getting your priorities right"

Just getting away from everyday life. It is relaxing to get out on the water & just drive or ride around the lake. As soon as the temp gets to where I don't have to re-winterize the boat, I'll be on the water.

great thread guys..... love my boat.... getting away is the key

People can't understand why I'm willing to get in 42 degree water, ride in freezing rain every weekend, nine months out of the year.

The posts above mine some it up nicely.

(Message edited by SEATTLE on March 15, 2007)

It means I am broke.

Definitely a good thread -- I'll bite. Like many others, I had early experiences with my family boating & skiing and it made an impression. We weren't lucky enough to have a lake house and I don't have one now, but I'm only 15 minutes from the water right now (even during rush hour) which means we get out at least 2-3 times every week. Getting out on the water after work is like a mini vacation during the week!! It's awesome to have a great set and wave to your buds in another boat as they cruise by in the other direction.

Having my own boat serves two purposes. First is you're not tied to someone else's schedule. Second is I enjoy tinkering on the boat so it's a great hobby.

Hopefully I'll get to relive the experiences yet again if somehow kids come into the equation down the road, but for now I can barely fathom how things can get any better.

I grew up boating and camping. Family memories that cannot be put into words. Was a boat owner for years til I determined what boat ownership meant to me. When you live in a heavily populated area witha huge wake community, it means a waste of money. The best boat in the world is the one your friend owns!!!

Jason, you can't take your lady out for a night on the lake in a friends boat. just one of the more obvious reasons i love owning a boat.

Owning a boat to me means.....I never get a pull like the ones that I give to others!!!! lol Nobody drives a boat better than the owner...unless Travis shows up!

My boat is kinda like the three Harleys I've owned...I ALWAYS see more pimp stuff I want to add, and never stop spending money on it!

About $40K of Good Times!!!

Nacho, You need better friends, lol...

byrd, you're wrong! I don't need ballast or a boat!