Buying a Water Ski

When buying a slalom ski you need to take a few things into account. 
Your weight, your skiing ability and the type of skiing that you do. 
There are some major differences between recreational skis and slalom skis.

The most important thing is to try as many skis as you can before you buy.
A lot of pro-shops will let you try skis before you buy them. Some may ask
you to pay to use demo skis, but if you buy from them whatever you have already
paid will be deducted from the price of the ski. 

The best thing to do is ask other skiers.  Post messages on web-boards and in
chat forums.  You will probably find that the information you get back is pretty subjective,
for example "I ski on a CDX1 - it's the best! Buy one of these".

Be very careful when taking this sort of advice.  The best way to get good
advice is to give as much information up front.  When asking what ski to buy,
tell your audience where you ski, if you ski on a slalom course, recreational on a lake
or on the sea.  Let them know your weight (a bit personal, but worth mentioning).

Once you have got a few suggestions have a look at the manufacturer sites to make
sure that the information you have got is correct and that the ski will be right for you.
Manufacturer sites will give you loads of information about each of their skis, but it is
good to get some opinions from skier themselves as well
(after all - these are the people that knwo what they like!).
Here are some links to manufacturer sites:
HO SPORTS
CONNELLY WATERSKIS
O'BRIEN
KD
GOODE

The following table will give you an idea of the size of ski that you should be looking for.
It is not an exact science and you should always try before you buy.

Remember that these sizes are only a guide!!

For more info on buying a ski from about.com click here.

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