8 Cool Pontoon Boat Ideas. What To Do On A Pontoon

With the growing popularity of pontoon boats its seems that anyone who lives close to a body of water has at some time been on one. And, these luxurious inland water vessels are large and spacious enough to accommodate fairly large groups of people but what are they used for?

The most common pontoon boat activities

Pontoon boats re super popular. They are often also super expensive. But, what is a pontoon boat used for?

Pontoon boats are recreational boats that are mostly used on bodies of water that lie inland. Their shallow draft allows them to be used in shallow water areas. Pontoon boats are used for boat parties, fishing, family outings, water skiing, tubing, water-sliding and trampolining as well as relaxed cruising on lakes, ponds and near the shoreline in calm ocean waters.

Below we give you 8 cool ways to use a pontoon boat that will make your time on the water a memorable experience.

How pontoon boats are different from other boats

Pontoon boats are shallow draft vessels that are capable of being used in very shallow waters. They are not as versatile as other shallow water boats but offer much more in terms of luxury, comfort, fun and modern convenience than those other boats do.

Because pontoon boats have large decks they are a popular boat for large gatherings with the type of numbers that could not fit on boats of a similar size or similar capability (such as shallow water use).

These boats are also very easy to drive and handle very well on reasonably calm waters.

Pontoon boats are also very safe if they are used in the correct environments, handled correctly, and with respect. Although they tend to become unstable in rough water, though they can be used in choppy water at slow speeds.

8 cool things to do on a pontoon boat

Pontoon boats are by far the best shallow water boat for having fun on and simply cruising in luxury.

Below are eight very cool ways to use a pontoon boat.

1. Partying on a pontoon boat is a right of passage

Pontoon boats are the party boat of the water. From college beer fests to groups of friends just having good clean fun, a pontoon boat offers a great way to party on the water.

Due to its very large deck size, and multiple decks on some pontoon boat models, a pontoon boat offers all the space you need to throw a pontoon boat party.

As well as having the available space for big numbers of revelers there is ample room to have beer coolers, food storage units and extra supplies.

Pontoon boats can also easily be fitted with barbecues and grills.

Boat grills are designed to be fastened to the rails of boats and the railing on a pontoon boat offers the perfect spot to attach a portable grill. You can actually use any type of portable grill and simply attach it to the rails using rails mounts that you can pick up here at Home Depot for less than a hundred bucks.

Some people will even fit their pontoon boat out with a small bar filled with chilled drinks.

A pontoon boat can also be fitted out with large marine speakers to so you can listen to tunes while you party.

2. Fishing pontoon boats take angling to the next level

Pontoon boats make excellent fishing vessels.

Because a pontoon boat has a shallow draft it can easily access shallow waters that many other boats cannot navigate through. This makes shallow water fishing easy.

Although a pontoon boat is probably not the first choice a bass fisherman would make the boat does make an excellent bass fishing vessel. As bass fish tend to take to the shallows at dusk and dawn a pontoon boat can easily be positioned to lie in wait for a big catch.

Of course it isn’t just shallow water fish that you can catch from a pontoon boat. Any freshwater fish that swim in inland waters are up for grabs as our ocean fish that swim close to the shoreline.

Fly fishing is a great favorite for pontoon boat anglers because the boat offers an incredible stable platform to cast off from. The spacious deck also means an angler can move to different spots on the boat to cast off into different areas of the water.

The stability of a pontoon boat also lends itself well to bowfishing.

3. A pontoon boat offers almost unlimited family fun on the water

A pontoon boat is not just a party boat. It is also a very family-friendly watercraft.

The large deck area and the boat’s capacity for large groups and equipment means it is ideal for family outings. Many family pontoon boats will be fitted with comfortable seats and at least one table so family members can enjoy the floating on the water together while dining or simply socializing with each other.

As you will see in the sections below it is also possible to attach fun activity items to a pontoon that will keep both the kids and the adults happily engaged for many hours.

4. You can you water ski behind a pontoon boat

Water skiing is usually associated with speedboats, but can you ski behind a pontoon boat?

As a pontoon boat can reach speeds of up to 25 mph towing a water-skier is not a problem for this shallow water vessel.

As long as there is a large expanse of water and the weather is optimal you can you water ski behind a pontoon boat all day long.

The advantage of being able to water ski in calm shallow waters should be obvious, as it is a lot safer that water skiing in open ocean swell.

Be aware that although a pontoon can handle a certain amount of chop they are really designed for fair weather use. If the waters you are boating on start to get very choppy it may not be a good idea to push your pontoon boat to its speed limit, thus making water skiing a less viable activity.

5. Tubing is a great pontoon boat activity for those who can’t water ski

Tubing works in a similar way to water skiing, in that you are pulled by the pontoon. But, with tubing you are pulled in a much more relaxed fashion.

A large inflatable tube is pulled behind the boat. You simply sit on the tube and enjoy the ride.

Tubes come in different shapes and sizes with the most common being doughnut shaped.

6. Water-sliding is family fun at its finest (and great for a pontoon party boat too)

Water skis and inflatable tube aren’t the only fun things you can attach to a pontoon boat.

Placing a water slide on one side of the boat, and maybe another one on the other side, offers not only kids a fun way to enter the water but it is a big favorite with adults too.

Apart from the sheer enjoyment of sliding down a large rubber water slide you can actually incorporate games into the activity. You can even slightly tilt the water slide up so a slide down results in being lifted up and dunked in the water.

There are different sizes of slides available for pontoon boats from very large ones designed for adults and smaller ones, like the one in the video below, better suited to young kids.

Always make sure kids are wearing PFDs when they water slide.

There are also permanent types of water slides that you can install on a pontoon boat like the one in the video in the next section about trampolining.

Most of these plastic slides will be attached to the upper deck of a pontoon boat and be straight slides or twisted hollow tubes that resemble large industrial pipes.

7. Trampolining doesn’t get any better than pontoon bouncing

A water slide isn’t the only fun way to enter the water from a pontoon boat.

Imagine placing a trampoline near the side of the boat and bouncing off it into the water. How much fund would that be?

8. A pontoon boat lets you cruise in luxury and style

Pontoon boats are excellent for simply cruising along calm bodies of water. But with the addition of some pontoon boat accessories they become a lot more than a simple cruising vessel.

Whether you are on a large lake, and just moving along at a constant steady speed, or cruising along the shoreline enjoying the view of land and sea a pontoon boat gives you a luxurious way of doing it.

Floating along like cruising offers a similar experience.

We think these 8 cool ways to use a pontoon boat makes pontoon boats are the best.