How much will it cost to get a seaplane rating?

Chad Bailey asked:

I was wondering if you could give me an estimate on how much an instructor would charge per hour in a lake amphibian (LA 250). If you could give me an estimate "total" price, that would be great. Thanks for your time.

Answer:
Hi Chad,

I fly Lakes a lot, and all of the Lake instructors I know charge $40 per hour, myself included.

This is a little more than most instructors, who are $30/hour in this area - but it recognizes the fact that Lake instructors have a lot of extra time and experience.

As far as a "total price," that would depend on what you are trying to accomplish. A BFR is usually about 3 hours of flying; an annual insurance checkout is 3 or 4 hours; introduction of a rated, current seaplane pilot to the Lake is perhaps 10 hours; and a seaplane rating plus complete introduction to a Lake typically takes 20 hours.