Do I need to be able to swim?

Yes. You start in the water in a buoyancy aid, so you should be a confident swimmer.

Is it hard to get up?

The start is the hard part. Stay patient in the tuck position and let the boat lift you, and most people are up within a few tries.

How fit do I need to be?

A reasonable level of fitness and grip strength helps for the start, but technique does most of the work.

Yes, within your ability with a buoyancy aid and an instructor or driver. Falls are into water and usually harmless.

Swimwear under a wetsuit, usually provided, plus a buoyancy aid.

Do I start on one ski or two?

Two. A pair of beginner skis is far more stable, and you can move to a single slalom ski once you are confident.

Waterski in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka squeezes rainforest, tea highlands and reef-fringed coasts into one easy island. Surf alternating monsoon coasts, raft Kitulgala, trek the Knuckles and Horton Plains, kitesurf Kalpitiya and wildlife-paddle the mangroves. Warm and welcoming, with instructors and centres on Adventuro coast to coast.

Waterskiing is the original tow-sport and still one of the best. Towed behind a boat on a pair of skis, or a single slalom ski once you progress, you skim across the surface carving gentle turns and throwing up spray. As with all tow-sports, the trick is the start: let the boat pull you up rather than hauling yourself out of the water.

It is very learnable with good coaching. An instructor talks you through the position and timing, and a beginner setup with two skis and a steady boat gets most people up and skiing within a session.

The operators on adventuro run waterski sessions for all levels, with skis and safety gear provided. Knees bent, arms straight, and let the boat do the work.