What Happened to Water Sports?

[alex gregory]

Why is it so hard to find summer camps that offer Water Sports fka Waterskiing?

I think in the entire Pacific NW there are now only two camps that offer the MB (Camp Parson in WA and Camp Easton in ID).

I suspect it's insurance. I can't imagine it's lack of interest, or having to charge extra for fuel.

[smtroop168]

I suspect it's a lack of facilities and maybe equipment but not insurance. We go to Camp Rodney which is on the Chesapeake Bay. They have 3 classes of 9 scouts each and it's a sellout. Plus they offer free time for scouts and adults to give it a try. There is another camp down in VA on the Rappahannock River that also offers WS.

[wagionvigil]

Heritage in SW PA Offers it

[Mrw]

It is not offered at our local camps, but that would be due to a lack of a large enough lake to bother trying.

[ThunderingWind]

It is not offered at our local camps, but that would be due to a lack of a large enough lake to bother trying.

WHAT!?!?!? There is a HUGE lake the borders the entire northern section of your Council!

[Quailman]

I think it's because they tried combining Canoeing and Waterskiing in one program.

[RWSmith]

I think it's because they tried combining Canoeing and Waterskiing in one program.

Hmm... I'm trying to picture this (in my mind)...

A couple of Scouts feverishly, valiantly, paddling an aluminum canoe in an impossible attempt to reach sufficient speed to pull their would-be skier up...

[wagionvigil]

Actually I did something like that at one time. Malt beverage was involved.

[FrankJ]

Camp Woodruff in North GA offers it.

[Mrw]

It is not offered at our local camps, but that would be due to a lack of a large enough lake to bother trying.

WHAT!?!?!? There is a HUGE lake the borders the entire northern section of your Council!

Huge lake , yes, and it is even near the council camp, but by the time you add transport to the lake and all, it would become prohibitively expensive fairly quickly.

[scoutaholic]

Our council runs 8 camps. Only one of them is at a lake big enough for skiing. The camp has a boat and (supposedly) offers skiing for fun, but not the MB. They say the MB is too hard to do in a week unless the boy already knows how to ski, and then he can do the MB with the people he normally skis with.

The many times I've been to Bear Lake Aquatics Base, I've never seen the ski boat in working condition. Once I saw a waterfront staff person start up the pump to keep it afloat while waiting for the boat mechanic to come next week.

[AquilaNegra2]

Camp Fife (WA) also offers waterskiing. Last year, they had an excellent counselor who was able to instruct the boys well enough for all but one (mine) to fulfill the requirements. And, yes, there was an extra fuel fee. There SHOULD be. Just as with horsemanship or firearms instruction, those using the facilities should bear the cost.

[lifescoutforlife]

Our camp ( Camp Olmsted ) has Water Sports and a great gentleman comes all the way from Georgia to teach it. He has them spend a day on ground work before they ever see the water and kids that have never water skied have all been able to pass the entire badge off by end of the week.