Flatwater Research Institute

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Flatwater Research Institute tracks the conditions that make a lake good for skiing, and shares what we learn with the people who ski it.

Explore our research Work with us

Three questions we keep coming back to

Good skiing starts with good water. We track the conditions that turn a lake from choppy and crowded into calm, clear and skiable, and put that information in skiers' hands before they ever leave the dock.

  • How flat is the water?

    Wake and chop build through the day as wind rises and boat traffic increases. We track surface conditions hour by hour to find the calmest windows, usually right after sunrise, when a lake is closest to glass.

  • How warm is the water?

    Water temperature shapes everything from what to wear to how a fall feels. We monitor temperature through the season and by depth, so skiers know what to expect before they're in it.

  • Are there other boats out?

    A crowded lake changes everything: wake interference, right-of-way, safety margins. We track typical traffic by time of day and season to help skiers find open water.

Temperature by depth in a lake in midsummer A vertical cross-section of a lake in three layers. A line shows warm water near the surface, a steep drop in temperature through the middle layer, and cold water below. Warm surface layer Mixed by wind, warmed by sun Thermocline Temperature drops fast Cold deep layer Little exchange with the surface colder Temperature warmer
A lake in midsummer (illustrative). Temperature falls sharply through the thermocline, which limits mixing between the warm and cold layers.

Where the work happens

Most of our data starts as a person, a boat or a buoy on the water.

A skier on calm, glassy water behind a boat, hills reflected in the lake
Early light, flat water: the conditions we track for and chase.
A skier carving hard, throwing a large spray of water, seen from the boat
What good water actually lets you do with it.
A skier behind a boat on a calm lake under a partly clouded sky
No other boats, no chop: an open lake on a weekday morning.

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How we work

We analyze daily conditions.

Buoys in the water and people on the shore record conditions over full seasons, not just a handful of mornings.

We do our best to keep the public informed.

Conditions data and methods are shared openly so skiers, clubs and marinas can check it and put it to use.

We work with the people on the water.

Our questions come from skiers, boat clubs, marinas and lake associations who are out there watching conditions every day.

What people say about our work

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Recent publications

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    Work with us

    Questions, comments and ideas for working together are all welcome. We collaborate with ski clubs, marinas, lake associations and universities, and we welcome researchers studying water sports and lake conditions.

    Email
    fellowcampers@gmail.com
    tblakeman1960@gmail.com
    Phone
    403 466-8826
    262 269-8003

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