How to cope with a fiancé with a jetski addiction.

I always know when Joe is going to tell me about a new ski he’s found, before he even tells me. Some of the time it’s a forwarded facebook marketplace ad from his dad...so thank you very much father in law! He seems to go quiet for a bit and give me this look. I’ll look over at his computer and there is many tabs up on this particular ski, YouTube videos, prices of other ones, photos of other beaten up examples...Joe then goes into a deep dive presentation about how this ski has just come up, it’s a ski he’s never seen in such good condition, how all the others he’s seen are old and in bad condition (enter the internet tabs of other skis). He goes into great detail about the history, the photos, the owner, the rarity...time has passed and he’ll say, so can I have it? To which my answer can be one of two options.

If I go down the nice route of, of course, you can have whatever you want. He smiles and then carries on about what great condition it is.

And if I say no, you don’t need any more skis, he goes on to say....well I’m getting it anyway.

In all seriousness, the amount of time he spends looking for these classics, putting his heart and soul into finding the best examples, after all that work, he thinks he’s done everything he can to try to find the best classic and then realises, s**t, I need to ask Megs. And I can honestly say, I haven’t said yes to all of the skis, but he’s seemingly won me over in the end.

But it doesn’t seem to matter how many Jetskis Joe buys, he’s still obsessed with any skis. Going away on holiday for example, our most recent holiday we went on a cruise. Lovely I hear you say, but then you have to remember, my fiancé has a jetski addiction and where are you on a cruise...surrounded by water. If I had £1 for every time Joe mentioned jet skiing on the waves I’d have paid for the cruise 5 times over.

So, how do you cope with a partner who has a jetski addiction?

Here are my top three tips:

1. Keep their budget on lockdown. A jetski addiction can be expensive! Be involved in the finances and have clear agreements about how much they can spend. Trust me; this will save you a lot of surprise purchases and “oops” moments.
2. Plan non-water-related activities. It might sound extreme, but keeping them away from water is your best bet if you want to enjoy a jetski-free conversation. Opt for hiking, city breaks, or any activity far from the waves.
3. Embrace it (to a degree). Fighting the addiction completely is futile. Instead, lean into it—find ways to get involved or share in their passion, even if just a little. Maybe help with restoring an old ski or take a ride together. A little enthusiasm goes a long way, and who knows, you might even enjoy it!

At the end of the day, Joe’s jetski addiction is just one of the things that make him who he is. It might drive me nuts sometimes, but seeing the joy it brings him makes it all worth it...most of the time.

So here’s to all the partners of jetski addicts out there—may your patience be strong, your earplugs handy, and your budget airtight.

‘Keeping these classics alive’!

Thanks for reading