Losing the stoke and selling the boat...Any regrets?

I've been at this sport for 10 years now and think that I have finally reached the end of my wakeboarding career. The last 2-3 years my desire to ride has dwindled more and more each year. It's not that I don't like to ride, it's more the hassle vs. reward ratio that keeps me from wanting to go to the lake as much as I used to. Meaning, the enjoyment I get from the sport is not outweighing the pain in the ass of getting the boat ready and all that it entails to clean it up afterwards. In years past I would ride 2-3 per week from March through October. This year I've been out maybe 15 times all year.

Last year I came within a hair of selling my boat, but backed out at the last minute. This year I've been going back and forth on whether or not I want to sell it or not. It's almost like dating a girl for 10 years knowing that you don't want to marry her, but wondering if you'll regret cutting her loose.

For those of you who have lost your stoke and sold your boat because of that, have you regretted that decision?

Sell it to a buddy and then give him gas money when you want to board

Sounds like you need to mix it up a bit to rekindle the fire. If your doin the same places, same lakes, same tricks, then it does get dull.

I figured out a long time ago that keeping the boat on the lake was the way to take all the PITA out of owning a boat. I'd rent a slip, store it at a friends, whatever. The last 15 yrs or so I have owned a house or condo in a shared waterfront neighborhood. Really takes all the work out of it.

We like to go camping with the boat too. We have a couple of favorite places to go. But then we try & go to some new places every year too. Really improves the whole experience.

Better yet, get on a SkySki. All your enthusiasm will come flooding back the first time you experience the sensation of flight.

Sounds like it's time to buy some waterfront property and keep it in the water. If it's the hassle of dealing with getting to/from the water I'd keep the boat. If it's just lack of enthusiasm for riding and being on the water, then maybe it is time to sell and get into another hobby. Personally I hate trailering and dealing with all that, especially after spending the past 3 weeks at relative's lake house with the boat in the water. Makes it so much easier, can go ride any time on a moments notice. I'm trying to relocate down south where I can afford to buy lakefront, so that's my solution. Your mileage may vary.

Oh, that and change it up like Bill says. I wakeboard, kneeboard, and learning to slalom. I'm sure I suck at everything compared to most guys here, but it's always fun. Try something different, be it a different sport, different body of water, or a different type of boat outing.

Richard
I sold mine about a month ago. The girls are so busy with volleyball that we would have only gone out once in the past month anyway. I never did mind the up keep, prep and "shut down", but the wife hated it (even when I was doing it all...). No regrets so far. I got 80% of my purchase price for it after almost 5 seasons. I sold all of the toys and accessories on craigs list and re-cooped a ton more!
Lake Arlington is about to close due to low water. It was only 10 minutes from driveway to in the water. With the extreme winds early in the season, and the drought now, I feel pretty good about my timing to sell.

My drive to improved died after several faceplants that resulted in my entire left side going numb (3 times).
I do love exploring new lakes in different states, but the past 2 years, the family begged to take a non boat vacation. I didn't know that was possible.

I will have another boat eventually. When the time comes, I'll get one to teach the grand kids all about boating and lake fun. I'm in no hurry for that.

I do miss taking my crew out. They were extremely upset with me selling it. The decision was more about family tho. They could always buy one and take me!!

I also sold the jet skis and the sail boat.....

I do think that going to the same lake every time has become old and dull, but I'm pretty much in the same boat as Cliff (no pun intended) with my wife and kids not really that enthused with going to the lake. My wife plain hates the water and might come out on the boat once a year. My son is 14 and to my dismay he'd rather play xbox than go wakeboarding.

Therefore, going to different lakes isn't much of an option unless I want to never see my family on the weekends. My regular spot is literally 2 minutes from my front door, so it would be hard to justify $200 a month for a slip when my backyard is free. Water front property or a slip would be nice, but there are only a handful of lakes in DFW that allow docks and those are an hour away. A slip would save some of the PITA, but the cleanup is still there.

Honestly, I think venting this whole thing out on this thread has helped me make my decision.... (insert BB King's voice here) "The stoke is gone baby,.... the stoke is gone....."

Now then, onto the next step.... selling my boat. I did a quick search online to see what my make and model boat are listing for and I'm shocked at how much these people want for their boats. One ad I saw on onlyinboards.com was literally asking for the same amount that I paid for my boat brand new 7 years ago. If people are actually paying that much then I may stand to make a little cash to start a new hobby

I sold mine on Craigs List to a guy from San Antonio. He drove up here and we took it for a drive. He was sold as soon as he saw it. I've kept in touch with him. The boat definitely found a good home. He has 2 daughters that are the same ages mine were when we bought it. It hasn't kept me from WakeWorld. Good Luck!

You can lose the boat but don't lose the stoke. I need someone that's close to drive my ass haha.....but seriously you're always welcome on mine

Yea, it's a shame to hear. Sounds like your convinced though. Good luck finding a new hobby.... and hangin out with the son on the xbox.

I don't think I'll ever get off the water. Goin on 32 yrs now with some kind of boat. First one on White Rock Lake near you. And the first time I packed up & moved to the lake was the best move ever. I don't need kids for it to be a good time.

To me I haven't lost the stoke on wakeboarding although my body doesn't like it as much anymore. My thing is I love the whole boating lifestyle and it really bugs me when you see what + $ 60K can buy you in the ocean world compared to a 21' wakeboat.

That sux Richard. Guy I bought my X2 from was in the same boat as you.
Bought a sweet wakeboat for his family to enjoy and never used it after the 1st year. Said his ife could have cared less about going out. His kids quit going once they got in their teens, video games, friends and driving! (Worthless little shats! I would have given both nutz to have a boat like that, or any boat at all when I was in high school!)

Fear not Jarrod, I'm only contemplating selling my boat, not my board. Catching a ride behind your boat, handing you some cash, and getting on with my day sounds very appealing. No worries there, I will be happy to drive your boat!

As long as we're talking about selling a boat, what are the expectations for the condition of a 7 year old boat? My boat is not perfect, but it is probably one of the cleanest 7 year old boats around. It's mechanically solid and well maintained. However, being 7 years old the upholstery is starting to show signs of wear. It's super clean, but has a couple tears here and there, the worst being on the drivers seat. There are also a couple of gel coat dings on the nose of the bow from hit hitting the trailer stop, but the rest of the gel looks showroom new. For those of you in the market, would these issue be a deal breaker if the rest of the boat was in top condition?

Obviously I would take these issues into consideration when pricing it, but I guess my real question is should I have these issues repaired or just take whatever is needed off of the asking price to offset the repair cost? Or, are these issues expected with most 7 year old boats and I shouldn't worry about it?

Rich, my family has no interest in wakeboarding either, but they sure like to surf, give it a try, but if you don't use it no reason to hold onto a depreciating asset.

I'm with with Bill, try something different. We kneeboarded in high school, had a Sunsport on Lake Austin during the week, lake house on LBJ for the weekends. Started wakeboarding the year the first compression molded boards came out in maybe 93 or so. Picked up a foil about 99 and moved to LBJ in 02. I've been burned out or beaten up on everything else, but the foil is truely different and I don't know anyone who doesn't get obsessed with it.

It's about being on the water for me...Friends n' family...It's a way of life...I regretted it....Until a few months ago....Nothing better than being on the water...You don't have to go out and beat yerself up?

I agree with jbird. We love just going for boat rides, floating down the river, swimming off the boat, going to sandbars, going to parties. As well as boarding and skiing.

i have thought about it, not as much the loss of boarding, but sometimes its so hard to make everyone happy, too much bs from friends, I.e this one wants to surf, this one wants to skate, the girls want to float, this one has to leave early, this one wants to come late and get picked up at the dock at noon. Someone overdose it, etc etc. i love just being on the water, but i end up baby sittiing my friends and putting up with all the ****, I have to threaten to sell it.lol

I got tired of babysitting too and trying to make everyone happy. Now I just do what I want and if you want to tag along, great. Its only a hassle when we let everyone else dictate our day. Sometimes you have to be a little selfish if you want to enjoy yourself. Drives me nuts when 5 different people are messing with my stereo. If they don't like it, let them buy a boat. I once took off for a week by myself, boat, and guitar. It was awsome, made friends, relaxed, just enjoyed the water. Find your happy place!

I sold my boat because I knew my job at the time was fading, I had lost interest in it and was wanting to start my own business. I found someone interested and sold out ... Also, in KY, it seemed like we had two bad summers (back to back) where it never was really *hot* and it rained on the weekends, so we didnt use it much....

10 months later ... these are my feelings...

If you sell it, youre selling everything. The lake culture, the friends you have at the lake, the cool feeling of the water hitting you on a sunny day. This summer has been the most horrid summer ever. I feel like I have worked non stop, am making less money, and have had zero vacation. I miss the cleaning the boat, tweaking stereo, and the occasional glass day out on the lake with buddies, my wife, and a few good tunes... This summer has more 100+ days - would have been perfect lake weather....

That being said, I plan on buying a new boat at some point, just financially doesn't make sense right now...

Originally Posted by clayton191

I sold my boat because I knew my job at the time was fading, I had lost interest in it and was wanting to start my own business. I found someone interested and sold out ... Also, in KY, it seemed like we had two bad summers (back to back) where it never was really *hot* and it rained on the weekends, so we didnt use it much....

10 months later ... these are my feelings...

If you sell it, youre selling everything. The lake culture, the friends you have at the lake, the cool feeling of the water hitting you on a sunny day. This summer has been the most horrid summer ever. I feel like I have worked non stop, am making less money, and have had zero vacation. I miss the cleaning the boat, tweaking stereo, and the occasional glass day out on the lake with buddies, my wife, and a few good tunes... This summer has more 100+ days - would have been perfect lake weather....

That being said, I plan on buying a new boat at some point, just financially doesn't make sense right now...

This is why I'll never be without a boat.

I've been in this situation over the past few years. I sold my best boat yet last year due to a few different factors, including fears of layoffs at my company and also getting tired of baby sitting 30yr olds who still act like they are 12. I didn't mind it at all over the winter, but once it got warm, I felt like I was missing something. We decided to buy another boat and go at it again, hoping this summer would turn out better. I live less than 2 minutes away from Lake Grapevine, but every storage unit in the area was booked solid and was only accepting waiting list additions. The closest storage I could find was 15-miles away, right next to Lake Lewisville, so there went an immediate kick in the balls. I swore up and down I wouldn't buy another boat till I had a spot on the water, but the wifey works in Las Colinas and has no interest in moving to Rowlett or Rockwall to be on the water and have the possibility of having a boat dock. We are so limited here in DFW and it sucks!

There are days I hate it and days I love it. Trailering, loading, unloading, etc. has always been my least favorite part of this, but there really isn't much we can do about it right now. With the lake levels slowly sinking, I don't think a boat dock on most of the lakes would matter anyways, so we are in the boat as most. Slips/lifts at the local marinas are outrageous and are higher than my boat payment, so I still have not been able to justify that move. It may solve my issues and change it for me, so I'm beginning to consider the fact that its only money, right?

Anyways, I feel you on losing the stoke. I regretted it when it got warm this year and know what its like to sit in the house on a weekend and know you could be out on the water. The BS is worth it some days, and not others. I still have the same struggle as you. I cringe when thinking of seeing the boat drive away with someone else, but sometimes think what a blessing it would be to my stress level and wallet.

I sold my wakeboat last fall after a summer of not using it much, and having to clean and put it away by myself all the time(everyone always had a reason to leave early). I do miss it. It would still be nice to have a boat we could go board and ski with.

Having said that, I still have the 292, and still really enjoy cruising and floating.

I got rid of my wife (married exactly 1 yr) to get back into the things i grew up around and missed so dearly much (boating, watersports) during our 4 yr relationship. She wanted nothing to do with us boating or meeting my parents at the lakehouse.

Soooo, can I say I lost my stoke for her??!!

"She wanted nothing to do with us boating or meeting my parents at the lakehouse"

How could you have married her in the first place!! Good job kicking her to the curb.

Funny you say that in the OP. I'm in the same situation with golf. Been playin 25+ years, been around scratch for as long as I can remember but I've completely lost the love for the game. I've played 7 rounds all year so far and I just don't feel like going unless it's a course (thats awesome) that I haven't seen before AND with peeps I enjoy hangin with. Take away either of those two things and I'm gonna pass.

And yeah, I totally ditched my ex b/c she b*tched all the time about how much time I spent golfing. Life's too short to he hearin the nag.

Originally Posted by psudy

"She wanted nothing to do with us boating or meeting my parents at the lakehouse"

How could you have married her in the first place!! Good job kicking her to the curb.

Ive chalked it up to a lesson learned of what not to do and look for n a girl lol. I get asked that all the time (why did i give up boating, motorcycle, my weimaraner, etc) list goes on! Im happier than ever single, 31, sweet ride, motorcycle and lots of time on wakeboats.

Sorry to thread jack...woops

Originally Posted by loudontn

this is why i'll never be without a boat.

ditto!

Originally Posted by LR3w8kbrdr

I got rid of my wife (married exactly 1 yr) to get back into the things i grew up around and missed so dearly much (boating, watersports) during our 4 yr relationship. She wanted nothing to do with us boating or meeting my parents at the lakehouse.

Soooo, can I say I lost my stoke for her??!!

It's so funny how many guys go thru this. My own brother went thru it. We have a guy in our group right now who is so pussywhipped he's had his boat out like twice all year. I never understood why guys do it.

We sold ours a few months ago and we don't miss it one little bit.

I told my wife before we got married, that she wouldn't like the answer if I ever had to choose between her and the lake! Luckily she likes to boat as much as me.

the worst feeling ive had in a Looooong time was the 2 weeks i was boatless when i sold my last one and bought my current one.
i cant even imagine not having one. makes my stomach turn just typing this.

Originally Posted by MuskokaCanada

Funny you say that in the OP. I'm in the same situation with golf. Been playin 25+ years, been around scratch for as long as I can remember but I've completely lost the love for the game. I've played 7 rounds all year so far and I just don't feel like going unless it's a course (thats awesome) that I haven't seen before AND with peeps I enjoy hangin with. Take away either of those two things and I'm gonna pass.

funny story. same thing here except the handicap
played 2x/week for almost 10 years, and as soon as the boat came aboard, down to maybe 6 rounds a year, only because the old man plays and it gives me something to do with him, as he does not enjoy boating. not sure if I will ever stop boating, but you never know how life will change. I'd like to think that I'll be around water for the next 40 years, but......

maybe try some barefooting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPt7ck0QNmQ

you've been out 15 times so far this year? damn, i think i work too much. i wish i had been out 15 times this year.

I've owned a boat for 33 years, and have told my wife when I die to bury me in it, or better yet shove it out to sea on fire (Viking style). I can't imagine life without a boat. I have been on the lake a total of 3 times this year, the weather here in Oregon this summer has been cool and rainy, (at least for the first part of Summer) and the nice weather will be done in 60 days, my daughter no longer lives at home, and my son has varied interests, but I still wouldn't sell it. It's paid for and only costs $225.00 a year for insurance.

I figure if I ever sell this one I'll never get another. Boats are like everything else, they're never as much fun as when you first get one.

p.s. not to make anyone back east envious but I have never seen my home lake so full in 40+ years. ;-}