2026 season recap

15 years!

When I started Water Monkey in 2012 the most common question parents asked during camper drop-off was: ‘So, who’s in charge here?’. Those first families somehow trusted me with their campers and the rest is history!

How it started (left, Evan (27)) and how it’s going (right, Evan (41) and son, Finn (10)).

Things have changed over the years - coaches, boats, chefs, location, my hairline - but the camp vibe we created in 2012 remains as it always has. There’s no pressure to learn a trick…but we’ll certainly have the camera ready when you stick it. You don’t have to be best friends with your bunkmates…but we won’t be surprised if you meet up outside of camp and someday pick the same college together. You don’t have to be an adventurous eater…but we have the recipe for chef Sandra’s poke bowl sauce ready to go when you call and ask. You can come here nervous and homesick…and I’ll make sure you find your place and beg to come back for more weeks next summer. The vibe is hard to describe but the campers and parents get it and that’s what matters the most!

Now, enjoy some stats from our 2026 camp season, our 15th!

  • 6 weeks of camp from mid-June to early-August

  • 80.56% full (87 spaces filled out of 108 with 81 unique campers)

  • Campers stayed an average of 1.068 weeks

  • Average number of campers each week was 14.5

  • 35.63% new campers and 64.37% returners

  • Campers were 32.18% girls and 67.82% boys

  • Average camper age was 13.511

  • Campers came from 12 states (CA, CO, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TX, VA, VT) as well as Spain and the United Kingdom

  • 7 coaches, 1 chef and 1 director

  • Average coach age was 19.857

  • 3 unreal edits made by our own fabulous media coach, Elise

  • So much gear

    • 15 models / sizes of Phase 5 wakesurf boards (39 boards in all)

    • 6 sizes of Liquid Force wakeboards (9 setups in all)

    • 9 SUP boards, 6 pairs of combo skis, 3 sizes of Radar slalom skis, 2 wakeskates

  • Average lake temperature during camp was about 79 degrees

  • 1 cabin door destroyed ‘mysteriously’

  • 30 towels left behind in our lost and found…donated to our local animal shelter

  • About 2,300 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners served by our private chef

  • 45 5-gallon buckets of food scraps hauled to our compost pile…diverting about 650 pounds of waste from the local landfill

  • 10,442 pictures and videos uploaded and shared with our campers and their families

  • 14,271 visitors to www.watermonkeycamp.com in the past year (13,000 unique) viewed 24,000 pages

  • About 400 hours clocked on our Supra boats (SV400, SV450 and SA450)

  • About 100 hours of private lessons on client boats

  • 3,443.975 gallons of premium marine fuel burned by our boats producing roughly 31.24 metric tons of CO2 (68,880 pounds). We offset this pollution through a donation of $635 to CoolEffect.org which has been our charity of choice for 13 years. We also made a $250 contribution to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests to help in their effort to conserve our amazing NH forests which, in turn, protect our pristine lakes.

  • We have now offset roughly 535 metric tons (almost 1.2 million pounds) of CO2 since 2012!

Summer 2027 will be here before we know it so please keep us in mind as your plans come together. We will be offering four weeks of summer camp camp along with private mini-camps, private lessons, and property rentals. So, if you’re looking for some fun on the water, get in touch and we will make it happen.

Sincerely,

Evan

617-855-WAKE (9253)

Why Overnight Camp Is Good for Kids (And Why Watersports Make It Even Better)

Why Overnight Camp Is Good for Kids (And Why Watersports Make It Even Better)

We get asked a lot by parents what makes overnight camp so different from a day program or a weekend clinic. The honest answer is that it comes down to time. When kids are away from home for a full week, something shifts. They stop waiting for a parent to solve things and start figuring stuff out on their own. That is where the real growth happens.

At Water Monkey Camp we see it every single session. A kid arrives on Sunday a little nervous and by Thursday they are coaching their bunkmates on the dock. That is not something we planned or programmed. It just happens when you put kids in an environment where they are supported but also genuinely challenged.

Confidence comes from doing hard things

Overnight camp is full of small moments that feel big to a kid. Getting up on a wakeboard for the first time in front of a group. Asking a coach for help instead of a parent. Pushing through a set when your arms are tired and your legs are burning. None of that is dramatic but all of it adds up.

By the end of the week most campers are doing things they told us they could not do on day one. That is the kind of confidence that actually sticks because it came from them doing the work not from someone telling them they did a good job.

Independence is something you have to practice

One of the things we hear most from parents after pickup is that their kid seems different. More patient. More willing to try things. A little more comfortable in their own skin. We think a big part of that is just what happens when kids manage their own days for a week without someone hovering.

At Water Monkey Camp each camper has a schedule and it is on them to show up ready. They take care of their stuff. They work through the normal friction of sharing a cabin with people they just met. It sounds simple but for a lot of kids it is genuinely new and genuinely useful.

Why watersports in particular

Not all activities give kids the same thing. Wakeboarding, wake surfing and water skiing are unique because every single set is both physical and mental. You are reading the wake. You are adjusting your body constantly to keep your balance.

On the physical side watersports work muscles that most youth sports miss. Getting up on a wakeboard and holding an edge works your core and your legs in ways that are genuinely different from running or throwing a ball. Kids who spend a week on the water come back noticeably stronger through their midsection and their stabilizer muscles, which carries over to whatever sport they play the rest of the year.

We have had baseball players, gymnasts, snowboarders and soccer players all come through camp who have seen drastic improvement when they get back to their sport. Watersports cross train in a way that is hard to replicate anywhere else because the water is always moving and your body has to move with it.

What we actually see at pickup

Parents sometimes get a little emotional at the end of the week and we totally get it. The kid walking toward them carries themselves differently. They have stories. They have new friends. They usually ask before they even get in the car if they can come back next summer.

We have had a return rate above 90 percent for fifteen seasons at Water Monkey Camp and we think that says more than anything else we could write here. Kids do not go back to things that do not matter to them.

If you are thinking about overnight camp for your kid, check out what we have going on this summer. We keep our sessions at 18 campers, have a 2 to 1 coach to camper ratio and an incredible staff on a beautiful lake in New Hampshire. Spots fill up earlier each year so it is worth looking sooner rather than later.

2026 Camp Prep

We are heading at full speed towards another summer at Water Monkey Camp and I cannot wait to get back out on the water.

Even though there is still ice on Merrymeeting Lake right now, preparations for the 2026 season are already well underway. The lake may be frozen but behind the scenes things are moving quickly.

The biggest update right now is staffing. We already have most of our team figured out and it is shaping up to be an absolute all-star lineup this summer. We have coaches coming from across the country who live and breathe wakeboarding, wakesurfing and waterskiing and I am really excited for our campers to meet them.

We are also lining up all the gear for the season. New boards are arriving from Phase 5 along with fresh equipment across the lineup so that campers have the best setups possible whether they are learning to get up for the first time or working on new tricks.

The thing I am personally most excited about right now though…our brand new Supra boats that will be arriving before camp starts. Nothing beats a fresh boat at the beginning of summer and these are going to make some incredible wakes for our campers.

On the admin side the usual preseason checklist is underway. Camp licensing, permits and the endless paperwork that comes with running a summer camp are all getting sorted so that everything is ready to go when June rolls around.

The other thing happening right now is enrollment. We have already been hearing from a lot of returning families and several weeks are starting to fill. Because Water Monkey is intentionally small and we only take 18 campers per session, availability tends to disappear earlier each year.

If you are thinking about joining us this summer it is probably worth checking in sooner rather than later.

Now we just need the ice to melt

Celebrating 15 Seasons on the Water

This summer marks our 15th season at Water Monkey Camp, and we are incredibly proud of what that represents.

For fifteen years, families from across New England, throughout the United States, and even internationally have trusted us with their summers. During that time, more than 90 percent of eligible campers have returned.

In a world where families constantly explore new options, that kind of loyalty means something.

Why Do So Many Campers Come Back?

Water Monkey Camp is intentionally small and highly focused. Each week is limited to just 18 campers. That allows us to maintain a 2:1 camper to coach ratio on the water and create a truly personalized experience.

Campers receive four sets on the water daily in wakeboarding, wake surfing, and water skiing. With two boat sessions per day and consistent coaching, progress happens quickly. Beginners build confidence. Intermediate riders refine technique. Advanced campers push their limits in a structured and supportive environment.

Off the water, campers enjoy a premium overnight experience with chef prepared meals, engaged staff, and a close-knit community that forms naturally when the group is small by design.

The result is simple. Kids leave proud of what they accomplished and excited to return.

A Summer That Becomes a Tradition

For many families, Water Monkey Camp becomes part of their summer rhythm. We regularly welcome returning campers year after year, as well as siblings who have grown up hearing about the experience.

When a child finishes the week asking to come back next summer, parents know they made the right decision.

That is why our return rate has remained above 90 percent for fifteen seasons.

Spots Are Filling Quickly for Season 15

Even though it is only February, several weeks are already filling.

With just 18 campers per session and a historically high return rate, availability becomes limited earlier each year. Families who are considering a premium overnight watersports camp focused on wakeboarding, wake surfing, and water skiing are encouraged to check availability soon.

Looking Ahead

As we enter our 15th summer, our focus remains the same. Deliver a structured, safe, and exceptional experience on the water that families feel confident choosing and campers genuinely want to return to.

If you are exploring overnight summer camps in New England and want a program built around wakeboarding, wake surfing, and water skiing with small group coaching, we invite you to learn more and check availability for the upcoming season.

We are looking forward to another unforgettable summer on the water.