Try before you commit
Where to buy
We sell nothing and take no commission, so everything below points somewhere else. Demo availability matters more than showroom size: call before you travel, and ask what is actually in the water rather than what is in the catalogue.
Australia
Call before travelling: listed brands and stock change, and demo availability matters more than showroom size.
Straight from the maker
If you are outside the markets above, the maker's own site is the place to start. Most keep a current dealer list, and several sell direct.
Before you buy
Paddle it first, in the water you will use it in. A hull that feels settled on a flat river can be a different boat in a short chop, and the reverse is true too. Some skis that feel twitchy sitting still are composed once they are moving.
Check the layup against what you will do to it. Carbon is stiffer and lighter and is the right answer for racing; glass is heavier, cheaper and far more forgiving about being dragged up a beach. And check the weight fit for your own weight rather than the review's, because a boat sized for someone 15 kg lighter will not behave the way the review said.