15 Good and Bad Reasons for buying that Fast Ski

1. You're ready for it - statistically the least likely
2.Aesthetics, graphics, shiny and new - we've all fallen for this one! There's only one cure for a bad case of UpGradeitis and it's not bleach or hydroxychloroquine
3. It's got a hot name! - Can't argue that Uno Max, Elite and V14 sound a fair bit better than Eze or Cruze.  SE Assassin is off the charts!
4. Ego - less said the better but we do like to have a sleek and skinny weapon on the roof rack when cruising the cafe strip with tanned and muscular forearm out the window.
5. You read a great review - hate to break it to you but all new boats have "a revolutionary combination of speed and stability". Some reviews, websites and, yes, even forum posts are cunningly disguised advertisements. Maybe this post is too.....
6.You trialed a heavier lay-up and were pleasantly surprised that you could handle it.
7. You trialed it on flat water and were pleasantly surprised that you could handle it.
8. You only trialed it for 20 minutes and were....you get the picture
9. It felt really fast (down stream / with tide / with wind)
10. Previous boat not set up correctly. If you get the foot plate position just right in a trial boat it may feel sooo much better than too short / too long.
11. "It seemed a perfect fit and just felt so good." This is a nice paddling experience but is as pointless as lying about your age if it's too advanced for the paddling you normally do.
12. You need it for stability training. Marieski once described this beautifully. When going from elite ski back to Swordfish (if I remember correctly) felt like she could balance a house, her grandma and some domestic animals. This is legitimate but considerably more expensive than stacking some seat pads.
13. You had a glimpse of what an elite boat is capable of and you want more! Here's what I mean: You're trying out a skinny fast boat in the ocean. There's not much wind but a bit of groundswell that's just rolling under you and moving too fast to ever catch but somehow you put together 2 or 3 solid strokes and get a bit of power down through the legs and suddenly you accelerate to 17 km/hr, nose down and actually surfing it! What the f@#$ just happened??!
14. You read an article by Cory Hill that said you should always try to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone to become a better paddler. Is it possible that one of his sponsors makes surfskis?
15. You get a sweet deal. If it was so cheap that you "couldn't not buy it" then you may not be thinking ahead to it's resale value when you can't hardly paddle it.

So I'm willing to fess up to falling for numbers 2,4,5,6,8,11,12,13, and 14. Any other traps for young players or pitfalls out there we should be aware of?

Your training mates say "you are doing really well in that, you'd be even faster in a new skinny boat" (Could be that they are sick of you smoking them and just want to see you dumped on your arse.)

You are desperate to win some races, or finish in the top 3. A super skinny boat is going to be faster, right? Just the thing you need to knock a few minutes off your time.

That 13-year-old screamed away from you and they were paddling a super Nelo razorback. Anything they can handle, you can handle, and the only reason they passed you was that they were in a faster boat.

An actually good reason to by that fast ski:  challenging your balance is FUN!  (Yes, really!)

I started paddling skis 5 years ago and my progression went like this:
V8 to V14 to SEL to 550 back to V14.  I've had the second V14 for two years now.  Keep in mind I live inland and paddle plat water.   As for the points:

1 - maybe kind of the second V14 I bought
2 - it was used so not shiny but super slick looking
3 - hell yes a
4 - absolutely, plus I really like challenges
5 - nope
6 - nope, we have so fews skis around here trialing is non existent.  
7 - I did get to paddle my first V14 on flat water but I had it set in my mind I was buying it anyway
8 - yes
9 - it felt fast hands down, it's a V14!
10 - nope
11 - the bucket in that ski fits me really well, it actually does
12 - actually it has really help with balance and my stroke since I get a lot of feedback from the ski.  When I paddle my V10 sport it feels so solid
13 - wish I could paddle in the ocean on a regular basis
14 - nah
15 - Yes.  Accept for my 550, I have bought all my skis used.  Probably never buy a new one again.  

Because skis are such versatile things and suitable for a wide range of conditions no one ski is optimum for all so you always think you are missing something and can do better.

You can never have enough skis, can you?
And this being the case, then naturally, sometimes it's just time to get another ski.
QED

I'll cop to
3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, can never have enough boats

Man, there are actually a lot of good reasons to buy a skinny boat