Hey, you’ve got yourself a pontoon boat. Good for you. There is no doubt that you are going to be able to get into some serious trouble with that. There’s also going to be a fair amount of fun that will be directly related to the vessel. So let’s take a look at some fun and not so fun ways to play on (and off) the water with yours.

1 – The Floating Picnic Site

We know how much of a pain it is to try to get the best picnic site. With so many other campers and vacationers jockeying for position at every public beach and picnic site on the map, you have to have an edge. Well, believe it or not, your pontoon boating days can also become picnicking pontoon days. There is more than enough room for food and beverage storage as well as all the tables and seating you will need to pull this off. If you plan it just right, you’ll be able to picnic either alongside a dock or in the middle of a lake without crowding. Plus, you’ll never see any ants planning an organized attack on the potato salad bowl.

2 – The Floating Party Boat

Who said you needed the deck of a cruise ship to have a party? We sure didn’t. With a pontoon boat, you have all the space you need to play some tunes and dance up a storm. There’s also room for your mini bar so you can be the host with the most. Naturally, you’ll want to keep an eye on the number of people you allow to board your party vessel, and as captain, you’ll get the pick of the litter. This part we take seriously, especially if the party happens to be during peak bikini season. You can host different themed parties as well knowing that renting a small hall is no longer a hurdle with your trusty pontoon boat nearby.

3 – The Floating Fun Park

Have kids in your family? Well, won’t they be the most popular little rug rats around when they get to show off and brag about the cool toys you’ve decked out your pontoon boat with. You can add a waterslide, some beach toys and even a volleyball net for the adventurous. The possibilities are only limited by the size of your imagination times ours. In other words, don’t be shy and go for the climbing wall and added accessories because you know that you are giving those spoiled rotten kids some solid memories. Even if you suck a bit on parenting, this move should get you past summer holidays a little bit quicker.

 

4 – The Floating Campsite

Did you know that the majority of the best campsites on your part of the planet require pre-booking? Sometimes that means thinking so far ahead that you are calling in your reservations in December for the following August. You don’t want to be that guy. Nobody in their right mind wants to be that guy. So, since you are already into pontoon boating, did you know you have the logical solution floating out back? It’s true. You can use your pontoon boat in a tent. Find the perfect spot, park, pull out the sleeping bags and drape your boat with a ‘tent’ made from sheets or whatever. It beats sleeping on rocks, and the gentle rocking motion will help you to sleep.

5 – The Floating Taxi

You’ve got to want to make a little extra scratch now that you dumped most of your kid’s college fund into your pontoon boat and assorted accessories. One of the best – and most profitable – ways to do that is to establish a shuttle service on the lake you are spending the next few weeks at. There has to be someone there in need of someone to make a beer run or fetch some bait or needs a ride over to the dock on the other side of the lake. Here’s where your pontoon boating skills will pay off. You can be that pick up and delivery person. Charge enough to make it worth your while without ripping anyone off, and you may be able to pull in a few bucks on the side.

6 – The Floating Security System

You’ve seen that kid on the other side of the lake showing off with his drone equipped with a camera. Why not set up a remote-controlled camera system on your pontoon boat? You can provide valuable security coverage for everyone at the lakeside resort or campsite or to spy on those kids making out behind the fire pit way over there. Whatever your plan happens to be, you can hire out your services and maybe catch someone in the act of doing something they shouldn’t – not counting the couple making out. You could charge a one time fee and provide nightly, daily or all-day, all-night service. We think it’s a winning proposition.

7 – The Not-So Floating Island

We get it. There are times when being a proud captain of a pontoon boat can get the best of us. There are others out there who either don’t understand the work that is involved or are just out there to be miserable. However, many pontoon boat owners have likely considered this as an alternative. Essentially, all you do is fill the pontoons with sand or cement and sink that sucker to the bottom of your favorite fishing hole. While that may be satisfying on one level, keep in mind that you are also helping the eco-system with the creation of an artificial reef that will promote healthy marine life. If someone says you’re littering, they’ve never owned one.

8 – The Floating Target

A high percentage of pontoon boat owners happen to be hunters. Don’t ask us why that’s for another blog post. With this in mind, the off-season can be rough on those accurate shooters out there. If you happen to have a few hunting buddies in your circle, you can help everyone stay on their game before hunting game with your pontoon boat. All you need to do is load it up with various targets including decoys and send it out into the middle of the lake or pond that no one hunts near. You’ll be surprised how this practice will keep your sights sharp and improve your aim so that you’ll have an edge come hunting season. Bambi won’t stand a chance.

9 – The Floating Stunt Vehicle

C’mon, we can’t be the only ones who have been considering the possibilities of jumping over a row of aluminum fishing boats with our pontoon boat Dukes of Hazard style. What do you think those floating water ski ramps are used for when the water skiers have gone home? All you need to do is put some practice into your speed up to the ramp and shift your weight just right that you don’t tip or flip in midair before crashing down on the surface of the water. It will take a couple of runs to hone it down, but once you do, you’ll be putting on shows and performing like a trained monkey in no time. Better confirm your insurance coverage to be safe.

10 – The Virtual Pontoon Boat

If any of this sounds a bit out of your league, fear not. It takes a special kind of sailor to own up to the fact that their second vehicle happens to be a pontoon boat. It’s okay. We’re used to the funny looks and the snide remarks. That’s why us pontoon boating fans have to stick together. Imagine what the casual fishermen have to do once we circle our pontoon boats and start firing back? The guys in the belly boats are usually the first casualties of any skirmish that involves a pontoon boat and a couple of weekend fishermen in aluminum boats with electric motors. So, if you aren’t sure, you can always download the Pontoon Boat app and play with it for a while on your phone to see if you have the right stuff for this kind of sailing.

11 – Go fishing

You can fish for catfish, bass, and lake trout. You can let them go or cook them up on your grill.

 

A Pontoon boat has enough power to pull a skier or kneeboarder.

Kneeboarding is an excellent place to start if you are new to boat-towed water sports. This is because of the low center of gravity, which means you can get up on your board easier than with sports such as waterskiing and wakeboarding. What do you need to get started with kneeboarding? First, you need to select between two types of boards.

There is a trick board and a slalom board. A trick board will have a lot of curvature on the bottom with thick rails while a slalom board is flat on the bottom with sharp rails. Slalom boards can also have fins although this is typically not good for trick boards. A few boards can even be found with retractable fins so that you can use them in both roles.

 

In Conclusion

If you haven’t already figured it out, we love pontoon boating. We also happen to be surrounded in our lives by a number of those who don’t get what we enjoy about this bulky, boxy floating thing. That’s okay because we know what they are missing and will share it with anyone who wants to check it out. That is after we jump over a row of twelve belly boaters to make our point. Pontoon boats rock and they are so versatile that we believe there should be a law that dictates everyone should have one. Until that happens, you can come and check out ours. The party starts at 5 and don’t forget your swimsuit.

 

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