Session Costs and Cards

[blue111moon]

The higher prices used to be because the clubs limited the number of skaters on a session (ours used to have a max of 22 skaters allowed, which harkened back to the days of patch sessions where that was the maximum number of strips available).  Then as ice rental increased they started putting more and more people on a session or cutting the length of the sessions while keeping the prices the same.

[PinkLaces]

The main rink here is $5 per half hour during the day.  You can buy a punch card for $90 that gives you 10 hours of ice.  There are 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the early afternoon.  If you want any ice after 3:00, then you have to contract at $12/45 mins or $15/60 mins.  If you walk on, it's $13/45 mins or $16/60 mins.  They started allowing us to switch sessions in the same day.  I wish that would let us switch days in the same week.

[Skate@Delaware]

My rink charges $10/45 minutes for club members; $13 for walk-ons; coaches are free. There is no limit to the number of skaters on the ice-we have had as much as 35! Way too crowded IMHO.  We just started punch cards for club members, but there is no break in price for purchasing them (it's still $10/session for club members).  There are ice packages available, and the cost drops each session down to an average of $8, but if you miss your session, you eat it.

[turnip]

I skate in the UK, my rink reccently increaed practice ice from £4 per session (pay in cash to the head coach/your lesson coach) to £5 per session, tickets bought in advance from reception, however you can buy 11 tickets for £50.

A ticket covers the whole session, regardless of how long it is or how long you skate

Public skating is about £6-7 per session plus skate hire if needed (about £1.50-£2)

The other rink I skate at is £7 per patch session, paid to your regular coach even if you're not having a lesson that session. Coaches keep the money, so can offer discounts etc at their discretion (I don't pay at all  ) Public skating is about the same, not sure about skate hire.

A rink I have been to a couple of times charges about £5 per hour for practice ice (paying on the day at reception, not sure if they do advance or bulk buying dicsounts.)

[taka]

I skate in the UK too. Here it is mostly £5 per session of practice ice. You fill in a wee slip with the sessions you are booking and who coaches you and pay in advance at the box office. If you are ill / can't make the booked session your credit can be used within 4 weeks to pay for a different session (by arrangement). The office is closed when I'm on early patch so we just turn up and skate. There is a list of who has booked when, stuck to the glass at the box office if anyone needs to check. It's usually regulars anyway!

It can be a bit random as to how long it is on for though! In theory the sessions are for 2 hours but there has to be a coach present or we're not allowed on the ice. Early morning (6.30-8.30 session) is usually ok during term time but later in the morning or in the summer school holidays it's worth checking if there will be any coaches around when you hope to skate or if your coach has other lessons on too so you know if you can get a bit of practice time too! Mind you it is bliss if you and your coach are the only ones on the ice so even 10 mins to warm up + 30 mins lesson is very worthwhile sometimes!

Public sessions range from £3.80 to £5.80. You can buy a 15 sessions for £60 flexi ticket for public sessions but I'm normally on the £3.80 sessions or patch so my Flexi ticket has lasted all year so far! Skate hire is £1.20-£1.70. A couple of sessions have £3 (including skate hire) for the under 5s with a skating adult.

[jjane45]

One rink I skate at has freestyle coupons that allegedly NEVER expire, I don't know what'd happen if someone shows up with a decade old coupon, lol.

On the other hand, my home rink's coupons expire by the end of quarter. Kinda a hassle planning ahead to use up the prepaid coupons before they expire.