Boy, do I know using a hose from the house is alot of work. Two years ago when this was just a mud puddle (still a 1/2 acre in size) I fooded this with a hose about three times a week. The other 4 days I shoveled snow. We do have the most popular place in the neighborhood when I finally get the ice flat. I have made a hand made zamboni that works quite well when the ice is finally smooth. It is made out of 3/4" copper and hooks onto a garden hose. It is six feet wide and rides 1/2" off the surface with 60 1/8" diameter holes equally spaced on the bottom. I hook the hose to it a pull it across the pond and can do the whole thing in under 45 minutes. It just doesn't put down enough water for the initial surfacing though.

Its not how well you do something,
Its how well you look doing it!