But if you’ve got nothing but money and time, and want to shop for new gear every year there are several ways to damage your water sports gear, including :

• Leaving life jackets in the sun where they can become faded or the fibers can deteriorate
• Leaving skis and wake boards on the dock where  fins can get damaged
• Leaving knots or dirt in your tow rope
• Hanging your wetsuit on a thin wire hanger.
• Tossing wet life vests in the hold of your boat, the perfect warm, dark, damp environment to grow your own batch of mold.

Another way to shorten the life of your gear is to store it in your boat over the winter where shrink wrapping will seal in moisture and freezing temps in Wisconsin and other Northern areas will cause damage, especially to latex materials used in vests, wetsuits and tubes.  Sharp fins can scratch your boat too.  The opposite conditions can also be rough, as Drying your PFD (Personal Flotation Device) in the sun can cause the color to fade and the materials to deteriorate.

A little TLC will keep your gear healthy longer. Rinse in clean water after you use it, wrap your tow rope a different way each time you put it away and store your gear out of sunlight or freezing temperatures.  Hang your vest on a wide hanger in a well ventilated area.  Provide a wall rack for your water skis or wakeboard if you can.  Again, ventilation is key to avoiding the growth of mold and mildew which are not only nasty, but will shorten the life of your water toys.

Of course you’ll need to take care of your boat too (which your dealer can tell you how to do best.)  Please rinse it off every time you pull it out of the water to avoid transferring zebra mussels or other invasive or damaging cling-ons.

These guys from Wisconsin know how to take care of water sports gear.  Watch, learn and join the fun:

2014 Wisconsin Waterski Championships