Honest Answers Only
Every Question
We Actually Get.
Forty years of first-timers ask remarkably similar questions. Here they all are — money first, fears second, logistics last.
Cost & Booking
How much do lessons cost?
A first-timer's introductory set is $75 — fifteen coached minutes with everything included. Singles are $85; packages step down to $80, $75, $70, and $57 per set (the 175-set season pass). Coaching adds $10 per set on anything. Full table here.
Do I need a reservation, or can I drop in?
Book ahead — sets run one skier at a time on scheduled slots, so the lake is yours during your set. Online via WellnessLiving or (780) 616-1206.
How do I book?
Online through WellnessLiving — first visit takes about a minute to set up an account, two taps after that — or by phone. Season runs mid-May to mid-September, noon–8pm daily.
What if the weather turns?
If it's not safe or skiable, we rebook you. Call the morning of your set if the sky looks dramatic and we'll sort it together.
Can I gift a lesson?
Best gift in the city. Gift cards here — from a $75 first set to any custom amount.
Ability & Nerves
How hard is it, really?
Getting up is the hard part — and the boom removes most of it: a rigid bar beside the boat, your coach an arm's length away, gentle speed. Most first-timers stand up in their first session. Balance beats strength, every time.
I tried behind a friend's boat and couldn't get up.
The most common story on our dock. Family boats, short ropes, and shouted advice fail almost everyone — the boom start changes the physics and the coaching completely. Here's exactly how your first set goes.
Do I need to know how to swim?
You need to be comfortable in deep water in a life jacket — the jacket floats you. Nervous in water? Say so when you book; coaches adjust for it every week.
Am I too old for this?
We've taught ages 3 to 70-plus. Tell your coach about any knees or shoulders that deserve respect and the progression adjusts around them.
Does falling hurt?
At beginner speeds it feels like stepping off a slow sidewalk into a pool. Jacket on, fresh water, up in seconds. The usual reaction is laughing.
Is the water freezing?
Midsummer, genuinely warm; early and late season, wetsuits are included free. Once you're up, you're on top of the water, not in it.
Will I be in the way of the good skiers?
No — one skier on the water at a time, always. When it's your set, the whole lake is yours.
Kids & Family
What age can kids start?
New Kids on the Water takes ages 5–14 and has run since 1987. Younger is a phone call, not a no. The full parents' page is here.
Can we watch?
Both banks are natural grass seating — parents watch every kids' session from shore, and spectating is always free.
Can we book a birthday, school group, or corporate day?
Yes — 10 to 150 guests, with the 9,000 sq ft clubhouse for the dry half. Group days here.
Practical
What do I wear and bring?
Swimsuit, towel, sunscreen. Skis, fitted life jacket, wetsuit, and gloves are provided and sized to you at the dock.
Where are you, exactly?
20750 57 Ave SW, on Edmonton's southwest edge — about 15 minutes from Edmonton International Airport, in the North Saskatchewan River valley. Map and contact.
When are you open?
Mid-May to mid-September, noon to 8pm daily.
More answers coming
Boat speeds, typical sets-to-milestones, injury guidance in the coaches' own words, hand signals, and the month-by-month water table are being collected from the team and will be added here — nothing on this page gets invented.