'23 Set pricing

[jayski]

So with higher fuel, boat, and other costs what are the folks with MAN MADE lakes looking at charging per set this year, or membership fees?

[Luzz]

As of right now, we plan on sticking to €45/set like the 2022 season

[Mastercrafter]

I've been wondering what clubs in general are going to do for boats and member fees. Easily getting a new boat every year for a ~$10,000 re-up is surely a thing of the past. Keep the boat and run the hours up? Charge $1000 more per member to get a new boat? Not a great situation, on top of fuel costs.

[teammalibu]

We are still at $10 per set at Cedar Ridge! I know we are crazy.

[Horton]

I do not see how there can be one answer to this question.

Is the cost per set intended to cover the incremental cost of one ski ride? Is the cost per set intended to cover a percent of the total overhead of the lake and the boat? Is the boat new or old? Is this friends skiing at your house or is this somewhat of a business? And so on.

A ski 6 pass set burns about 1.25 gallons of fuel. Even with California gas prices, you are not burning more than $10 in fuel. A new $125,000 boat might depreciate at $100 - $200 per hour if you purchased it new and at retail. A 10 year old boat depreciates much slower per hour.

There have been calculations in the past that put the cost well over $100 per ride. This generally takes into account the cost of the boat, the dock, the mortgage on the owner’s house and maybe even the alimony the owner owes to his former wife.

I like the bar analogy. If you come to my house and have a beer. You have cost me whatever I paid for the beer. The cost of the house is irrelevant. If you come to my bar, it is a business & I need to recover all of the costs of the facility and make a dollar for my time. Those costs are VERY different.

Personally, I think whatever the cost of a can of gas is should be fair when skiing at someone’s personal lake house. It is more than the cost of the fuel burned but there are always other costs that add up per ride.

@JaySki asked about the cost of a membership. Unfortunately, I think the answer to that is whatever the market will bear. Depends on if it is a business that needs to make a profit or just offset the costs.

I really like the model at my new lake. Each member pays a (painful) one-time lump sum for an ownership share of the site and a new ProStar, then a yearly fee for lake upkeep, and then about 2x the cost of gas per ride. My personal cost per ride (not including the one-time lump sum) will be $40 - $50.

With the assumption that I will get back my lump sum cost if I ever leave this is a pretty great deal per ride.

[RAWSki]

@Horton brings up excellent points --@teammalibu it's s hard to say if your club is crazy without knowing how much you pay for the yearly membership, the boat and your "club amenities"

[jpwhit]

@Horton is right, the costs are very dependent on the specific situation.

Our club leases a privately owned lake that is the perfect size for a course. The owner of the lake also allows fishing on the lake, but only with electric trolling motors when anyone from the ski club is on the lake. We try to have 10 families in the club, but we've been down to 6-7 for last couple of years. Club membership fee has ranged from $1300 - $1600 per year depending on the number of families.

We share the cost of a club boat, but we don't upgrade often and when we do, we always buy a used boat that is a couple of years old. Our current boat is a 2012 200 with 2200 hours on it. It's still running great. We're fortunate that about half the members in the club have a lot of experience working on engines and boats. So we do all our own maintenance and repairs and we collectively take great care of the boat. I'm sure we'll end up rebuilding the engine in the next couple of years. We put in a new PCM 80 series transmission a few years ago. We all pay a $2 per set fee into a maintenance fund, and so far that has covered all our costs. I think it cost all the members about $2500 when we bought the 200 8 years ago and sold our 196.

[Horton]

When I was still in Arvin and needed ski partners during the week anyone who could drive could ski with me for almost nothing. Anyone who could not drive was not as welcome unless they were providing nanny duties. Taking people skiing takes time and if they do not being something to the table I have other things to do.

FYI - Looking for a ski nanny this summer. One or two high school or college-age girls are needed. If they entertain Buford Danger at the lake they can ski all they want for free. Lake is hour from San Jose +/-.

[RAWSki]

@jpwhit very good information on top of the $2 assume you provide gas or pay for gas somehow?

[APB]

I dont ask for a set $ per set. I feel my buds just leave a few $ in the glove box when it's due or needed. I'm there for friends and skiing.

[eyepeeler]

Ski ride set should equal a chiropractor visit...$65 for screwing your back up during a ski ride and $65 for straightening your back out at the chiropractor.

[jpwhit]

@RAWSki yes, everyone brings their own gas. We also go by 1.25 gallons per set.

[lpskier]

If I’m skiing with friends, I bring a five gallon can of gas. At our ski club, members pay an annual fee and $1.60 per minute on the timer. Every skier has a code to punch in the timer and the timer keeps tract to the 1/100 of an hour. Guests of members pay $3.20 a minute. Off the street customers I think pay $50. A typical set runs between 9 and 11 minutes on the boat if you turn it off at the ends and don’t fall. All in all, the costs are more than the old $15 a set for members and $35 for gusts of members, but the time and hence depreciation on the boat is cut between 1/3 and a half per set, so we aren’t really charging more, rather we’re reducing our cost per set.

[MegaVega]

New skier here. What exactly is a set?

[jpwhit]

Typically 6 passes through the course.

[FSSPCat]

At our lake, we have fuel at our park. It’s like a hotel where you just write down how much and your site number. Most of the time when I get my bill, my friends have paid for every second tank of fuel.

At our club, we pay $500/year and $7/set.

[LoopSki]

All I ask for is 5gal. of gas. But we aren’t a club. Usually don’t have a-lot of takers anymore.

[Rednucleus]

At Hilltop we pay a yearly membership (full time or part time option) and purchase gas stickers to use per set. For this I have the privelage of skiing at one of the nicest lakes in the country, and have made many new ski friends. Like it's said in the TV commercial - "PRICELESS"

[Ski_Dad]

I don’t charge anyone. I can foot the 1000 bucks in gas per year. You are my guest and darn glad to have you! We do rotate boats so there’s that.

[jhughes]

Club situation: brand new boat every year, includes gas: $43/set

Ski set on my boat: depends but can of gas or equivalent generally. My conscious is clear with the cost of owning a newer boat and everything that goes with it.

[Mastercrafter]

Our club is unlimited skiing, fuel included, for about $2600/year with a fresh boat annually. 2021 worked out to ~110 sets for me, or $24 / set. Pretty hard to beat.

[VONMAN]

@Mastercrafter I know what you mean. When I was in the club I would put about 1/4 of the hours on a boat every season.

[Kimbymon]

@VONMAN , early in the season @Mastercrafter and I agreed that it was a good thing our club didn't charge by the set, we would be priced out. I don't know my total sets but it for sure exceeds @Mastercrafter 's . :#

[wettek69]

If it's a one-off, a friend, or friend of a friend that turns up very occasionally, even if they offer cash or fuel, I tell them not to worry about it, and I am just glad they enjoyed themselves. If it's someone who turns up regularly, and skis a fair bit, throw me 20 litres of fuel. I just enjoy getting people out on the water.

[gsm_peter]

Sweden seems to be cheap.Club membership per person is about 100 to 400 usd per year. Kids, family discounts. Usually unlimited skiing. You bring your own gas, drive each other an maintain the boat and the club.I will be member in 2 clubs next year. Club biats are 200 from 2016.There are about 8 clubs within 2,5 hours drive from Stockholm.I will help Ballers if you visit us.(Maybe a Sweden multi club ski trip??)