Does anybody SKI?

Never seen it but I ski to and it looks possible. I would think wake boarding would work better for the slower speed and waves. Glass would be hard to find.

Four years ago, my wife and I were on our last day of our honeymoon.
We were supposed to sail back from Yost to STT. We woke up and it was
a sheet of glass. It was a few days after the Spring Equinox, so I'm sure that had
allot to do with it but WOW. You could of footed all the way to Charlotte Amalie,
except we were traveling at a speed of 4 mph. Did take some beautiful pictures though.
Love to discuss this some more. Will bring our boards down for sure. Don't have a boat yet,
but will be looking into it.
I spent some time on STX, and you definitely could ski in Frederiksted most of the time.
Haven't been to the west end of STT yet, but the leeward side sure seems like the place to ski.
If interested in renting a boat that could pull us, let me know.
Anyone interested would be welcome for a day of Skiing.

I have seen skiers in STX, but not many. They were behind personal boats. Not aware of anyplace that will pull you for a fee. There is a place that will pull ypou up on a chute, so they may also do sking.

Bricks: IMHO, waterskiing is a sport, like jet skiing, best left to lakes specifically designed for the activity. Most of the anchorages that are calm enough for skiing have moored or anchored boats that are NOT happy with someone zooming through the anchorage. In the National Park, waterskiing, wake boards, etc. are illegal. Check with DPNR about rules for other areas.

I personally have never seen skier on stx and hope never too. Its seems like a loud obnoxious sport. We already have enough drunk tourists on the road do we really need them on the ocean too? If it wasn't for the blue beautiful calm water who would live here? The large motors can do damage to the beautiful reefs and coral. If you coming here find a hobby that doesn't require large loud vehicle.

The fisherman have boats big and fast enough to ski on. They also drop anchor and rob the reef of lobster and conch. I think skiing will no impact if you launch and ski the west side.Sure it is not illegal there.

Fisherman are not robbing the reef when they fish. They are making a living. Many fisherman stick to the rules regarding what and when to fish various species. Some don't. Happens with any regulation. But the fishing community is extremely important on this island and should not be disparaged for what they have been doing for generations. They are important to both the economy and culture of the VI. Local environmental agencies (government and NGO's) work very closely with the fishing community on education programs and awareness and most have become a lot more conscious in understanding and protecting the marine environment they impact.

The west end is also extremely popular among the sea-turtle population and the more boats recklessly driving around increases the chances of turtles being injured. Boat propeller injuries are seriously debilitating and difficult to treat. The faster the boats move, the more chance the turtles have of being hit. Not to mention the other marine life that are impacted by noise and pollution. Many fish alter their behavior based on noise pollution from surface activity. Also not to mention a group of p-ed off fishermen who have had all their fish scared off. The west end is known for being quiet, calm and perfect for swimming. Not to many are going to be very welcoming to a bunch of people zooming around on their machines and ruining the view.

Skiing does nothing that fisherman moving form one place to the other aren't doing. There is nothing wrong with ether it is what it is.

Betty, One of the main reasons we are moving to the Islands is for the beautiful water. Besides being a Diver,
I have been a tournament water skier most of my earlier life and find your reference to an " load obnoxious sport'
a little cruel. We usually did our skiing in the Am before the Jetski got out on the water and messed it up.
Saving our drunkenness for the evenings. As far as the loud motors, tournament ski boats are half the size of
what you probably used to seeing as well as a fraction of the horsepower plus they have world class emission systems. I also have a great respect for the underwater world and would never put myself in a position to cause any damage. But, thanks for your concerns and I am glad to see you have the respect of our beautiful planet.
Wish more people would.

It may be cruel but you will face that when you move down here. Most locals and transplants alike do not look favorably on jet ski's let alone a ski boat. People do care about the oceans here and it is a huge source of income as that is what is bringing in the tourists. The beautiful ocean which includes great diving and snorkeling. Water skiing will only take away from that. Have you done a pmv? If you've been doing it for 40 years can you live with not doing it or skiing much less?

There is a popular sport on stx that might give you similar kicks. Company is called kite stx. They use a large kite to propel themselves through the water and air .

The original question was "does anyone waterski"? The answer is - almost no one does. You should factor that into your decision to move here.

Topics that ALWAYS cause problems here:
Jet skis
Swim with the dolphins
Schools/raising children in the VI
Crime
Development
and now:
WATER SKIING!
😉 😉

I have seen water skiing/wakeboarding at Magens. The ski boats stay outside the buoys. Frankly, the noise and disturbance was far less than jet skis. For that matter, the "disturbance" was far less than the loud music played at the beach. The skiers looked like they were having a nice time and no at Magens seemed bothered. They were staying outside of the designated swimming area and were not breaking any rules.

Next time I see a ski boat out there I'm going to swim out to a buoy and try to thumb a ride!

Just some information on where exactly motorized water-sports are not allowed and some effects on local wildlife:

http://www.vifishandwildlife.com/Education/FactSheet/PDF_Docs/25Boating06B28.pdf

And those pictures do not even come close to some of the horrific injuries I have personally seen on many sea-turtles around the island.

It is a serious concern of the local population and the government. Many people come down here with all sorts of assumptions of what is "right" and what "should be accepted" just because it may be allowed and accepted in the US mainland.

Well to answer your question - Yes! I love to water ski... and I was actually wondering the same thing myself, I've only skiied on a lake and though I'm pretty good at it and have been doig it for several years... if I did just happen to fall I'm not sure how happy I would be sitting i the middle of the ocean water for the ski rope to come back around lol, that and I wonder if the waters are too rough?

But maybe jetski's have given skiing a bad rep - thats what it seems like at least, skiing is actually really peaceful, not like jet skiing which can get pretty obnoxious lol - everyone I know who skiis can't stand jet skiiers because they rip and run around like mad.. lol and I don't think I would want to ski drunk... skiing is a high enough by itself!!

Hopefully I'll find someone that skii's when I move down and I can say I skiied at least once on the ocean 🙂

Good luck to you finding a place to ski though! and if/when you do be sure to let me know how it was!!

EAST ENDER,you forgot the weather!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,

I do ski but I couldn't find a place to so here unfortunately.. I love waterski, hope to find a way to do later..

Sermin

We used to ski in the bays over near Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda. Very protected! When we went there were millions of jellyfish, noone fell down!! Yeah skiing around boats and near anchorages is no good though.

Why would being pulled by a boat at the end of a parachute or kite be any less offensive and tolerated ?
They are doing the exact same thing as a waterskier and more horsepower is required.
If your going to frown on and condem watersking then you must also do the same for parasailing and waterkiting behind boats also.

The kiting they do on stx does not require a boat, its all wind powered and incredible to watch. I wouldnt care for parachuting either. But thats my opinion. When I think of the Caribbean I think of sail boats.

Eastender, you forgot to mention hunting, or am I the only one upset about that???

Hi Sabrina.

EE didn't mention hunting because it's rarely an issue on this forum. The recent hunting discussion started by the guy in Alaska (who like most posters probably won't move here) isn't a common concern for people looking to move to the VI. Most people who move here are concerned with saving rather than killing the local fauna; drivers routinely stop for iguanas here the way they do for dogs in the states. In any case, EE's list is from May 2007 and the hunting discussion is much more recent.

I have seen people water skiing and wake boarding at Brewer Bay on St Thomas on a regular basis. It is usually fairly flat there. Most of the people doing it look like crew from the Yachts on their day off. Usually behind a well powered tender. They were making less noise than the two Jack Russell's on the live aboard sailboat barking at the pelicans. 🙂
Jay

Sabrina: As dnt said, my list was an old one. And I stand by it!! 😉 I have talked to older people here on St Thomas about the hunting that went on in the old days. The deer were imported for hunting. There weren't as many humans around so shooting wasn't a problem, as I understand it. Today, you would be hard pressed to find a big enough space to hunt.

Captain Jay: Maybe John Brewer's would be a good place for the Leylon Sneed floating bar and restaurant! 😉 Because of the extensive marine research in that bay, I wonder if there are any restrictions on activities. As an example, the Marine Reserve does not allow speed boats (ie jet skis and speedy dinghies) within some number of feet of the shore.