The saddest day in a water skier’s year...

[Cnewbert]

The saddest day in a water skier’s year is the day they winterize their ski boat. Our lake water has plunged down to the low 80s and old man winter has begun to rear his ugly head. In anticipation of the coming cold, here is Melanie and I winterizing our boat today... Florida style! A moment of silence in sympathy for us please.

 

 

[Wish]

??????.

[Rednucleus]

Like you, we never winterize our boats, just our bodies.

[robmollysilverlake]

Thankfully I didn't fully winterize my boat yet, our snow is finally melting after 2 weeks and we will be up to the 50s on Tuesday so we get to ski again!

 

[ScottScott]

Let the off topics come.....but I'd say its more than coincidence that that beautiful Carolina blue prostar came from Cobles. Go Heels!!!

[PatM]

@Cnewbert you are just mean.

[skimtb]

There is being mean to your northern friends, and then there is that. Ouch. Nice boat, love the flake.

[Kimbymon]

@Cnewbert , what’s the water temp? I am headed to Florida next week. Thanks

[MitchellM]

@Cnewbert why are you wrapping up your season so early? Still some warm weather on the horizon and very pleasant with wet suits. We are planning on skiing the next 3 weekends.

[Cnewbert]

@ScottScott officially MC calls it Kahuna Blue. But what do they know? ??

 

@Pat M I suppose I am. It’s how I make up for being such a wimp. But Melanie’s even more of a cold water wussie than I am, so at least I have company.

 

@skimtb thanks! Not flake though. Just straight Kahuna Blue gel coat.

 

@Kimbymon it was a hair under 82° yesterday. But we have some cooler air coming Monday and with the wind, I expect it will drop on our lake into the mid to upper 70s pretty quick. Bath water for many, but Camaro time for us!

[Cnewbert]

@MitchellM the only thing we’ll be wrapping up is our bodies! We’ll ski through the winter as weather permits. You missed the joke... we’re winterizing our boat Florida style... by putting our shorties on board! ??

[MitchellM]

@Cnewbert thanks for the clarification. You had me concerned!! Our shorties have also been dusted off.

[Kimbymon]

@Cnewbert that sounds like bath water to me. Monday was maybe 50 degrees here. Couldn’t feel my fingers and toes.

 

[Sethro]

 

 

Last evening after tearing up the 46 degree glass. One of my son’s friends wanted to try cold water skiing with us, but he only made it about 1/2 mile before his forehead got too cold. LOL That’s the moon rising by the way.

[lpskier]

@Kimbymon Being it, Kim. We’re looking forward to seeing you in OTown and at LaPoint Ski Park.

[braindamage]

Here she is under the blue tarp of sadness. Got her winterized and wrapped up this week. ?

 

[Kimbymon]

@lpskier thanks. I can’t wait to ski with you guys and hopefully I don’t embarrass myself in the tournament . ?

[Cnewbert]

@braindamage blue tarp of sadness... indeed! There but for the grace of God go we. Just remember though, a mid winter water ski trip to Florida is only a plane ticket away. My sanity would demand it.

 

@Sethro that looks spectacular! But 46°? I don’t even drink beer that cold

 

@Kimbymon 50°... you’re as tough as @Sethro. I admire all your dedication! I lived in Hawaii for 25 years and I think it permanently affected my body’s thermostat. I just can’t handle anything approaching cold any more.

[braindamage]

@Cnewbert yep! I just reserved my first ever trip to a ski school. My son and I are going to McCormick’s the week after thanksgiving. I’m also planning a week in Phoenix in early February so am hoping to get in some sets with @UWSkier My ‘bu is just always so sad when she has to put on the blue tarp of sadness and sit beside the garage in the cold.

[MDB1056]

If you live in Florida, anywhere, why would you ever put everything away? Ok maybe a hurricane, but Winter? I don’t get it.......

[Cnewbert]

@braindamage somehow I knew you were a smart guy! Have a great time at McCormick’s!

[Cnewbert]

@MDB1056 you hit the nail on the head... you didn’t get it. The joke I mean. I said we are winterizing our boat... Florida style. Winterizing Florida style consists of nothing more than putting shorty suits on board our boat. See? That’s what we’re doing in the photo. It’s just a visual gag, that’s all. ?? So rest assured, we are not putting the boat away and plan to ski through the winter, though no doubt graduating to Camaro Blacktec 2.0s at some point.

[6balls]

Nice boat, man. I see the cooler temps has you in a t-shirt and Melanie going one-piece instead of bikini as well. You need a nice new Stokes long-sleeve shorty...though have to admit it's beyond that around here...had my drysuit on Thursday evening. I know I know..what the hell is a drysuit?

[Cnewbert]

@6balls yup, we’re bundled up alright, Melanie in her one piece and me in shorts instead of a thong. ??? Stokes makes great stuff! I have a Stokes vest I love and Tom and June are so delightful to deal with! Actually, I own a dry suit... for diving though, not skiing. A DUI CF200 crushed neoprene. Far too bulky for skiing. I don’t know a thing about dry suits designed for skiing. What make/model is best and how restrictive are they?

[MDB1056]

@Cnewbert - Thank you! You’ve restored my faith....

[Cnewbert]

@MDB1056 whew! Didn’t want you to worry! ??

[S1Pitts]

The newer generation of drysuits are fantastic. I actually feel better skiing in it than without it in summer.

Makes me feel super human.....kinda like Superman when I am flying out there across the water in almost freezing temps.

[OldboyII]

@S1Pitts Agree. 42/42 here and we ski w/o issues.

If it would be no ice (fairy tail) I think we could ski around the year ))

[Cnewbert]

@S1Pitts that must be some suit!! What are you using?

[S1Pitts]

@Cnewbert - Oneil Fluid Neo 3mm. Last ski water was 6 deg C or 42 deg F. Actually floated for 10 min to cool down when done.

[Cnewbert]

@S1Pitts, wow! Thanks for that great recommendation. I checked it out and it really looks perfect. Now I know y’all will think I’m hopeless, crazy or both. But I’m going to consider one for Florida for both Melanie and me. Certainly not for everyday winter skiing. Our Camaro Blacktecs should be fine. But the fact is we do get some genuinely cold weather, not often and not for long, but cold enough so nobody I know skis when it gets that cold. So why not a well designed, well thought out water ski specific drysuit? Why stop skiing when you could be 100% comfortable? 42° for you is like maybe 60° for us. That’s just a fact of our lives. There’s nothing more I’d like than to have better cold water resistance, but I don’t and you either have it or you don’t. It’s nothing you can train for or practice to get better at. But if these O’Neils are as good as you say and as good as they sound in the product description, we’ll be able to ski in total comfort through the limited but very real coldest days of central Florida winter.

[ghutch]

I hope this is a joke. Id kill for some 80 deg water. Skied yesterday and pulled the course in low 60 water wearing a Stokes 3/4 suit. Not bad. But a sad sad day indeed.

[Cnewbert]

@S1Pitts one further question: are you wearing some thermal insulation under the looser fitting top? If so, does your regular ski vest fit okay over it? Or does the trapped air in the drysuit provide adequate floatation without a vest? Thanks.

[UWSkier]

always wear a life jacket inside a drysuit (or over the top). If it fills with water, you're in a world of hurt if you aren't wearing flotation.

[sixball]

I only wish I could have the saddest day this year or for the next 5 years! Our dam breached May 19 this spring. The only good thing was because of family medical issues I did not have my boat in yet. I have never been that late. So my boat never left my garage And I don't see it doing so for some time. Hope all of you have had a good year!.

[Cnewbert]

@sixball sorry to hear about your dam and family medical issues that have prevented you from skiing. Does the breached dam mean your lake drained? Hope the medical things you spoke of have a good resolution.

[Cnewbert]

@UWSkier thanks for the drysuit advice. Never considered wearing a vest inside.

[MISkier]

@Cnewbert, two dams failed and drained two lakes. A third lake was also drained to prevent another breach and to inspect the dam. That area lost 3 lakes.

[Cnewbert]

@MISkier are the dams repaired and if so how long will take the lakes to refill? Maybe they’ll be good to go by spring.

[S1Pitts]

@Cnewbert as @UWSkier recommended wear flotation with a drysuit. I personally use a larger vest over top. There is not as much room under the suit as you think. Maybe one of the thin pullover types would be ok. Many years ago with my first baggy suit on the first ski of the season I went without a vest and just left a little more air trapped inside for flotation. This poor decision resulted in 3 broken ribs and a very painful ski season. Vests do more than float.

[MISkier]

@Cnewbert, I don't believe any work has been done on the dams. I'm guessing it will be years before the lakes are restored. @sixball will likely know more. If I recall correctly, the dams were all about 100 years old and were not sufficiently built to handle the actual capacity. They all needed repair/renovation/restructuring that didn't get done.

[Cnewbert]

@S1Pitts I agree completely on the rib protection aspect of vests, though the comp vests don’t offer much. Inside or out, it may be a moot point for me however, looking at the size chart for these suits. Even the small might be too big for me and certainly too big for my wife. And we’re not interested in the baggy trilaminate suits.

[Cnewbert]

@MISkier that is really a bummer. Hope everyone who skied these lakes can find a good alternative close by.

[A_B]

@Cnewbert low80's is mid-summer bare back skiing here in NW Ohio, and I am old! I was always amazed when I skied in Fort Myers in winter that locals were skiing with a full wetsuit and I just jumped in with just my Straightline Ultra jacket on. Mid-60's with Florida sun is a heatwave!

[sixball]

The two big lakes Wixom and Sanford are gone. It will take four to five years to rebuild. We are working on the start. No earth being moved just trying to get the land out of the hands of the owner who neglected to do the maintenance. Engineering, all the hoops to get to the ability to start reconstruction. And the big one finding the money to take on the work. Looking at three hundred million for the repairs to all the dams. And its four lakes and dams. If someone wants to see more of the dam breaching just Google Central Michigan dams breach . One good thing No lives lost! Many homes and business lost. Just so much work to do. I have been working on this for over 13 years before the dams broke.The owner was something else to work with I would tell you what I truly think of him but I may get thrown off the site. Ya other lakes around but I have been spoiled. Up at sun up walk down to the boats ski two three hours and start the day. I live on one end of a narrow section one of the other ski partners lives on the other end 2 1/2 miles up the lake and two others between. Very often glass in the morning. The lakes around are hard to get good skiing. Very open and one very corked and narrow. 2020 has been a bad year in so many ways!

[Cnewbert]

@A_B did you know some people are actually allergic to cold? True story, just in the news two days ago: Some guy stepped out of a hot shower into the cold and went into anaphylactic shock. Doctors determined he was allergic to cold. That’s me too! Now I’m not saying I go into anaphylactic shock when I jump into cold water. Cardiac arrest is about all I suffer. But now I realize I am probably allergic to cold as well. And all these years I thought I was just a wimp. If nothing else, at least now I have an excuse.

[A_B]

I’d take Benadryl first!

[OldboyII]

Oh Yes! Proper amount of this can make you thinking that you are on the tropical beach ))))

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/benadryl-challenge-on-tiktok-is-dangerous-experts-say

 

[Oldkier]

 

[DaveD]

@Oldkier Hopefully, that's one of your ski buddies' boat and not yours. :smile: