As the lakes and rivers in our area continue to warm up with the great summer weather we’ve been having, you might find yourself dusting off your summer watersports gear for another fun season. Today, I thought I’d share a few quick tips for prepping your equipment to ensure a great, hassle-free summer on the water. Also, since we have so much amazing new gear here in our store, I figured I would give you all the details should you find yourself with skis or tubes or ropes that have seen one too many summers.
Before using waterskis, wakeboards, ropes, tubes, or any other watersport equipment, it’s important to clean and inspect them. Bindings and boots should be checked to make sure the screws and bolts holding them to the ski or board are fastened securely, and the boards themselves should have no damage or cracks. When checking the boots, also make sure the rubber, velcro, and lacing systems are in proper working order. As boots age, they become more susceptible to rips and tears. And remember: what was in good working order when you stored them the pervious season might not always fare well through the dry winter storage months, so taking the few minutes to double check your equipment always a safe bet. Lastly, ropes, when either at the end of their life, or not stored properly, can become brittle and break under the high loads placed on them when towing skiers, boarders, or tubes. A visual inspection of your rope is usually enough to reveal any fraying or dry rot that could result in a quick end to a day on the boat.
Hopefully your watersports gear is still in great working order and you can get out on the water soon! If it has seen better days though, or it’s time for an upgrade, Shep’s is the place to come. We stock a full range of waterskis, wakeboards, wakeskates, wakesurfs, tubes, and kneeboards from HO Sports and Hyperlite, as well as all the accessories you could ever need (from life jackets to ropes to repair parts). And thanks to our great HO / Hyperlite rep Rick Skinner, our already experienced, highly-trained staff just received a special two hour training covering all the new gear and latest technologies on all things watersports. Can we help with any questions you might have? You bet we can!
Wake board packages from Hyperlite starting as low as $299.00!
Ski combos from HO priced to move at $179.99!
With sizes in stock able to fit infants to the Incredible Hulk (almost), we’ve got the life jacket you need to look cool and stay safe. Prices start at $39.99. 
With specific ropes for waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing in stock, and prices as low as $15.99, it’s time to stop using that same old rope for everything. You’ll get better performance and be safer in the process!
Need a tube? We’ve got ’em! From our $79.99 HO Sports Hornet to the four person Extreme XL, we’ve got loads of great choices to fit your budget and family size!
One last thing: now that you have that great new gear, you need to care for it. Our post from earlier this year will tell you everything you need to know!