Here’s my essentials list for a day on the lake on the Seadoo.
I love our trips to the lake with our Seadoo Wake. The whole feeling is: let’s escape! But I noticed that by the time I got myself together on a Saturday morning I had always turned into a total grumpette and I couldn’t shake it off until I was on the water. This can really ruin the experience. I think some of us who are a bit, shall we say, complicated emotionally, than our easy-going sisters, resent our guy because he’s in a different mindset when prepping to leave and has no idea what we girls prioritize and we feel the pressure way too much and get really flustered. But I think I’ve found the key, for me at least, to staying on the right track.
What you want to do is pack everything you can ahead of time and be ready to go when he is. I hate it when one of my girlfriends is notoriously late for everything because she’s a Super Primp. Imagine how your guy feels when he’s looking at the clock, you only have today on the water, and it’s 11:30 already and he has no idea when you’re going to be ready to go. Here’s the plan:
I like to have 3 “beach bags” pre-packed. One is a water-resistant bag and it will go into the front compartment of the Seadoo; the second larger back I take along, but it’s left in the truck; the third has an altogether different function – it’s pre-packed for those pool-side days so that you’re not “borrowing” stuff from the two ready-to-go-on-a-moment’s-notice Seadoo bags.
When packing, travel light and you’ll have more fun. If you apply lash extensions, you don’t need eye makeup. Your man saw you last night in the raw and he loves you like that! Honestly, I’d be pissed if you came downstairs in full hair and makeup when I’d been waiting on you for 3 hours! This kind of approach could get you left behind fairly often since you’re too high-maintenance and he might prefer to go with his buddies instead. Now, I’m not saying don’t apply any makeup, but just a quick 5 minute once-over, no more, and nothing that’s going to upset you if he wants to horse around and push you in!
When you walk out of the house you’ll hand him a cooler and the the water resistant beach bag to put in the bow compartment. You’ll have your purse and the larger “beach bag” to leave in the truck. Remember, these things are designed to turn over in the water and then up-right themselves. Secure everything and put stuff that can’t get wet in dry seal bags. If you’re having to add a camera, gps, iPod and Kindle or Nook to this list, I love you, but it’s time to get an iPhone. When you do, buy a Lifeproof case with the headphone adaptor and dock connector accessories.
What you’ll leave in a separate bag in the truck:
- panties and bra – in a ziploc bag; you’ll take this to the restroom and change at the restaurant and replace your wet suit with dry undies
- jeans or shorts that will work with your cover up
- a hoodie or sweater that will work with your cover up – it can get cold in marina restaurants after you’ve been in the sun all day
- large beach towels to protect the truck seats from your wet suits – put these over the seats while your guy puts the Seadoo in the water
What else you’ll leave in the truck
- your purse with your makeup kit (see the purse packing list here) – cover up your purse to prevent it being seen and maybe provoking someone to break in to steal it
This stuff in the Bow Compartment:
This is what you’ll want to add to the other stuff your man has in the bow compartment.
What’ll already be in there that you’ll need to pack around:
- Anchor
- Ski/Tow Rope
Small Cooler with ice, beer and water
Small umbrella – that can strap to the swim platform on the back
flip flops (match your suit and cover up here)
Water resistant beach bag with:
- 3 gallon size Ziploc Freezer Bags – for dry undies then wet suits
- 3 sandwich size Ziploc Freezer Bags
- 1 trash bag – for wet towels and suits to go back into your bag and not get everything else wet and sandy
- Sandwiches – Slam Sandwiches are good – just 1 slice of Oscar Mayer sliced ham and good soft bread – this ain’t a picnic
- Chips – in hard plastic box to prevent crushing
- Peanut Butter Crackers
- 6 cookies – maybe chocolate chip?
- Extra Sunglasses in case you jump in the water (or get pushed in) with your sunglasses on and they sink 110 foot to the bottom.
- Towels each in a separate Dry Sealed Bag – 1 for each person and 1 extra – I just use gallon Ziplocs and push the air out.
- Full Size Cotton Sheet in Dry Sealed Bag
- Extra Sunscreen
- Driver’s License
- Keys
- Debit Card
- Cash – not much maybe $19 hidden – a ten, five, 3 ones and 4 quarters
- Ponytail holder
- Forget the comb – your hair looks nice when you just pull it up with your hands in a messy updo ponytail thingy
- A coverup that’s just a simple short dress that you can throw on over your bathing suit to walk into the marina when you get gas (in a gallon ziploc bag)
- 1 tampon (in a small ziploc bag)
- condom
- small handfull of a mixture of Excedrin, Ibuprofen, Midol, aspirin – mix and match, it’s all good (in a small ziploc bag)
This stuff in the smaller compartment in front of the seat:
Add this to the stuff that stays in there:
- Vehicle Registration
- Small handkerchief size cloth in ziploc sandwich bag for cleaning water and sunscreen smudge off sunglasses
- 3 sandwich size Ziploc Freezer Bags -for iPhone and stuff
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm with sunscreen
- Sunglasses with attached floating strap
- Baseball cap
- iPhone
- Pistol
Tweak the list to suit your individual needs and print it out – or better yet, put it in a Favorites list in Grocery IQ on your iPhone and just quickly tick it off before you walk out the door.
Tip:
When you get home, launder everything and then re-pack it all back, ready to go for next time. If you have to take the time to pack up for the water on the day you’re going, it will always take a big chunk out of your day — and your fun! It’s also the number one stressor that will take a toll on your relationship with your guy. You’re stressed trying to get everything ready and he’s sitting in the truck with it running waiting on you — not fun!
Like this post or have a comment? Let me know what you think!
annakulla 