Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. How much land is needed to build a ski lake?

Plan on at least ten acres for your water ski lake, with fifteen acres being an optimal size. Make sure that the size of your lake satisfies all easement requirements of your local government.

2. How deep is a typical ski lake?

Many ski lakes are five to six feet deep, however this is not ideal. A depth of twelve feet would be better. Though a greater depth is more expensive, there is better water clarity in a deeper lake.

3. What is important to consider when building a ski lake?

One of the most important considerations is the actual position of the lake on the land relative to the most common cross wind.
It is also important for the edge of the lake to be about thirty feet wide with a 12:1 slope.  This will help dissipate the wave action.  The slope should transition to 5:1 from that point to the bottom.  The 12:1 area should be covered with fine rock to create a nice beach entry and minimize disruption of the lake liner.

4. Is it reasonable to build a lake for multiple purposes? (ie. Slalom, wakeboarding, etc.)

With the popularity of wakeboarding on the rise, many lake owners have been challenged with trying to accommodate these athletes.  There are some difficulties that need to be addressed when building a lake that is suitable for both events. Wakeboard boats with fat sacks create huge waves that are very difficult to dissipate. The increased wave action can be detrimental to the shoreline of an engineered ski lake. It is not uncommon to have limits on the use of fat sacks in some ski lakes.
Some lake owner build ramps and rails for the boarders and use a specialized jet ski to pull the skier. This also works especially well for wakeskater’s.

5. What are the advantages of using ESS-13 rather than other lining methods to build a ski lake?

ESS-13 integrates naturally with the soil at the lake site (even less than optimal soil can be used with ESS-13 to create a lake liner).  The finished lake is natural and will not fail over time.  The lake also has the ongoing benefits of natural filtration, and there are no concerns about puncturing the liner with ski equipment or foot traffic.

Contact Seepage Control Inc. today if you would like more information about building a water ski lake.