What Tows You?

We know what a boat is, and we know that there are many different styles of boats. Do you know what turns a regular power boat into a ski/wakeboard boat? We will go over what extras make a boat a ski/wakeboarding boat.


Ski/Wakeboard boats have an inboard propulsion motors which deliver power to the rider on the water. That power translates into speed that the can be used to make tricks and land jumps. Even though ski boats and wakeboard boats look similar, the riders have opposing goals that they require from their boats.


As a waterskier, you want acceleration and as little wake as possible. What gives the skier the ride they are looking for, is what goes on underneath the water. The shape of the hull and the placement and configuration of the engine, drive shaft and propellers is what cause the inboard ski boats to have very little wake.


A wakeboarder on the other hand wants as big a wake as possible as while you cross from right to left to get height off the water to preform tricks while following behind the boat. How do they get the big wake? The wide, deep hull and the V-drive engines set close to the transom allow the boat to carve steep wakes.


You can turn any power boat into a ski/wakeboarding boat, but you can also get the most out of your watersport experience by having a boat that was built just for your specific enjoyment. Now we want to know. What tows you on the water?

Beer and Brats Customer Appreciation Party

Boy do we have a wonderful day planned for you. Yes you. We are planning to throw you a party. This party is to show our appreciation for all of our Marine Specialty customers and friends. On December 14^th from 1-10PM come and join us for your party.


At the Beer and Brats Customer Appreciation Party we will provide food and drinks and from 7-10PM we will even have a DJ for your entertainment. This is great event for the whole family to enjoy. So pack up the kids and come out to help us celebrate you.

How Do You Stay Safe While Fishing

Fall is a great time of year to go fishing. In fact, some might even argue that it is the best time of year to go fishing. We want you to continue enjoying the sport. When it comes to fishing, safety is what either makes a great fishing trip or the lack of safety procedures could end the trip with someone getting hurt. Use these safety rules your next time on the water to you keep you and your crew safe. 

Fishing safety starts before you even leave home. You first need to prepare for your fishing trip. Preparing starts with checking the forecast. Just because the weather looks good right now doesn't mean that it will be like that all day. Keep an eye on the sky and the weather app on your phone. Being prepared also means dressing appropriately for the day. Dressing in layers and ending with a water/wind protection layer. Appropriate foot gear is required for safety. No sandals or bare feet allowed. Your goal is to stay dry and warm. 

Another way to prepare yourself before departure is to pack the extra item that you will need on board including water, flashlights, maps, insect repellent and cellphone or radio. Keeping these extra safety items in the boat are helpful in emergency situations. Another important safety tip to remember is to always keep your fillet knives sharp. You wouldn't want to be out on an unstable boat trying to sharpen a knife or worse trying to hack away at a fish with a dull one.

When you are on the water, make sure to wear your life vest at all times. Having it within reach does not count as wearing it. during an emergency you will not think or be able to grab it before hitting the water. Put it on before leaving shore. Once out on the water, use caution when you bait or remove hooks. They are sharp and the boat is constantly moving so make sure to handle the fish carefully. Because of those reasons, you should always use safety glasses when you are casting. 

One of the most important tips to remember is do not fish in areas where it is not permitted. They are off limits for a reason, usually to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for your safety. When you choose your fishing spot, always consider safety factors. 

With these tips you can help to ensure the safety of you and those around you while fishing on the water. From your experiences on the water, would you have any other fishing safety tips to add? Let us know.

Fire Safety and Your Boat

When you are a boat owner there are a lot of fears that roll through your mind when you go out on the boat. One that I am sure crosses all of our minds at one point is the threat of a fire while on the water. If for one reason or another your boat catches on fire, do you know what you can do to help prevent an on board fire?


There are two main types of boat fires that can happen, the first being a fuel fire. Fuel fires out number other types of fires 2 to 1. These types of fires are also the most avoidable. Make sure to follow these guidelines from the U.S. Coast Guard when fueling your tank.



·         Close all hatches and other openings before fueling

·         Put out anything that produces smoke

·         Turn everything off, engine, appliances, radios, etc.

·         Make sure everyone is on land

·         Keep the fill nozzle in contact with the tank and wipe up any spilled fuel

·         When finished, open up all hatches to ventilate

·         Run your blower for a minimum of 4 minutes

·         Use your nose to check for fuel vapors before starting the engine



Just following these simple steps will help to drastically cut down on the probability of you having to deal with a fuel related fire.

The second most common type of fire is an electrical fire. Sadly many result from those boaters who decide to be a do it yourself boater. If you are going to install or fix things yourself, make sure you do it right. Electrical tape should not be found anywhere on your boat. Make sure to use waterproof materials.

Another way to prevent this type of fire is to regularly check your electrical system for signs of corrosion.

Keeping a regular maintenance schedule will help you to keep any potential problems in check. Also, a good idea would be to keep double the amount of recommended fire extinguishers on board your boat.

Fires can be a scary nightmare but as long as you are prepared and are doing everything you can to help prevent an onboard fire, that nightmare will hopefully never become a reality.

Wilson Lake

Our favorite body of water gives the joy of being able to go fishing, swimming, boating and so much more. Some of us remember a time before the lake while others; this is all we have known. Do you know how our beautiful lake was made?


Our great lake was completed in 1964 with the completion of the Wilson Dam. The dam was built in the Saline River with a primary use for flood control. Since its completion, people have been enjoying the lake and its surrounding areas as a way to spend time outdoors.


Wilson Lake is said to be the clearest lake in Kansas. With over 100 miles of shoreline and 9,000 surface acres of water there is much room to enjoy all that this lake has to offer. In fact, our lake is considered one of the most scenic and better fishing areas in Kansas.


Our lake is the leading recreational resource for many surrounding communities and is recognized for its outdoor activities. It is also noted for its premier striped bass and smallmouth bass fishing. How do you enjoy Wilson Lake?

Boating After Dark

You are sitting back with your friends on the boat hanging out, having a good time when you realize the sun is almost set and you are still a ways away from the dock. It will be dark in a matter of minutes and you are just pulling up your anchor. What do you do?


Boating at night is a little more challenging, but it can be done. There are 4 main steps to keep you and everyone on board safe and get you back to the dock.


Slow Down


Most places have a lower night time speed limit any ways, but you will want to slow down so that you will have time to react to obstacles in your way. Also, familiar landscapes have a way of changing or disappearing all together at night.


Minimize Distractions


Shut off all interior lights and turn down the radio. The extra lights make it harder to see thing out on the water. You need to focus on reading the subtle clues that the water is giving you.


Careful With Your Lights


Most think that headlights are the answer, but most boats don’t have headlights. Boats come equipped with docking lights that are only good for close quarter maneuvering only. If you have a spot light, that can be useful. Just remember to be care and not shine it directly into anyone else’s boat.


Learn The Lights


On the top of most of the bigger boats, there are different color lights. Depending on what color combo you are seeing can tell you the position and direction of another boat.


Always remember, if you get stuck out on the water after dark, stay calm and just take it slow all the way home. 

Operation Dry Water

Imagine this, a warm day, the sun glistening off the water, and a power boat at hand. Now that sounds like a fun day on the water, but adding alcohol to the mix can turn a fun day into a tragic day. That is why Operation Dry Water was established. Operation Dry Water is a national boating under the influence (BUI) awareness and enforcement campaign. This years campaign runs this weekend June 28-30.

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), working with the states, the U.S. Coast Guard and other partner agencies, coordinate the event each year. Are you wondering what you can do to participate during Operation Dry Water (ODW)?  You can start by taking the pledge to never boat under the influence. After taking the pledge, boaters will receive a sticker that can be placed on their boat, car, etc. which will signify that the boater is a supporter of ODW and an advocate for responsible boating. As a boater, we ask that you support the efforts of the USCG, NASBLA, and local law enforcement by educating friends and families about Operation Dry Water and the dangerous of BUI. Most importantly we ask that you live by the pledge and never Boat Under the Influence! 

Participating Law Enforcement agencies are asked to increase BUI enforcement during the targeted weekend. This can be done by focusing on a particular body of water, by increasing patrols in several locations, by conducting BUI checkpoints in one or more locations or through a combination of these activities. Agencies are also asked to work with their local media to make the public aware of the event and the hazards of Boating Under the Influence of alcohol and drugs. Make sure to willingly comply to the requests made by participating agencies to continue to enjoy your time on the water safely.

17% of boating fatalities are a direct result of alcohol. Use Operation Dry Water this weekend to help spread the word that alcohol and boating do not mix.

Ronix Pro Rider Coming to Marine Specialty!

Hopefully, you've heard the news by now. But if not...



We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a Ronix pro rider for a demo on Tuesday, June 18th! This will be a great experience for all of us to see an awesome professional wakeboarder, Adam Errington, do his thing on WIlson Lake. 

But it gets even better: the first 25 people to sign up will be able to join the rider on the boat, get tips and tricks, and ask questions. Don't you want the inside scoop from a Ronix pro? So here's the deal: call us ASAP to sign up. We'll need your name, email and phone number so we can stay in touch about details for the day. Please note that this demo day goes from 9am to 4pm, so please plan to be here at 8am so we can figure out where to ride based on the weather conditions.

There wil be a $25 cost per person to help cover the rider's travel expenses. In addition, we'll be serving a hamburgers and brats for lunch. Finally, we'll have incentives on bindings, boards and wake skates!

If you don't get a spot, not to worry: we'll have other boats available so you can watch (it just won't be as up close and personal). In addition, our pro shop will be fully stocked with Ronix gear - boards, life jackets and much more. It will be a great day to get great Ronix gear and knowledge!

So make sure to register your spot as soon as possible - they are filling up quickly. Looking forward to seeing you out on the lake on June 18th!

A Whole New Language

Ever since we put our wakeboards on sale, it's all we can think about. Wakeboarding, that is. We just can't wait for the air and the water to warm up just enough so we can jump in, plane off and go. Are you a wakeboarder? If you answered yes, chances are you already know that there's a different sort of language wakeboarders use to describe thigs. If you answered no, we suggest you learn a bit about this language in preparation for the wakeboarding season (because everyone should at least try it!):



Bone it out: to straighten a limb

Butt check: to hit the water with your behind while completing a trick, recovering and continuing

Case the wake: landing directly on top of the wake

Eye-opener: falling so fast you don’t have time to close your eyes

Landing blind: landing with your back to the boat and the rope handle behind you

Load the line: build tension on the wakeboard rope to increase your “pop” when you jump

Stomp the landing: landing a trick cleanly

Wake to wake: jumping off the first wake, then landing on the downside of the other



Are there other wakeboarding terms you use or have heard used frequently? Which is your favorite?

Welcome to Our Blog!

Welcome to the new Marine Specialty blog! We'll be posting about once a month. This blog will serve to educate you on boating techniques, supplies, plans and so much more.





But first, let's educate you on us! We are Marine Specialty, LLC, a locally owned business in Wilson, Kansas, with over 15 years of experience in the water sport business. We sell Lowe Boats and Liquid Force and Ronix wake boards, and have been a Mercury Marine dealer for 12 years. We've got a full time certified mechanic on duty who has been certified for over 15 years. We work on all makes and models of boats and engines. We recently moved to our new location where we built a bigger shop and a massive showroom to put our new boat inventory. We also have a huge outside dry storage for boats and campers of any size. We carry all the boating accessories you will need to go out and play or boat on the water.



So now that you know about us, we want to know something about you: what sorts of things would you like us to write about? Are there tips and tricks you'd like us to share? Current events you want us to explore? Our ears are open!



Here's to lots of blogging!