Human beings are not aquatic animals, but then again, the human race has always had a strong relationship with water, for fishing, trade boats, and more. Today, large commercial vessels take care of trade and fishing, while people around the world like to buy or rent boats for recreation on lakes and just off the coast. Party boats are just that: a big boat for hosting a party on the water, while pontoon rentals are a fine choice for fishing or exploring the area. Boat rentals are also a great choice for water sports, such as racing (be careful), or wakesurfing and wakeboarding. Not everyone can afford to buy a boat, but boat rentals are always an possibility, and you can browse your boat rental options at a local marina. What should you look for in a boat?
The Right Boat For You
A good boat rental calls for more than just a hull on the water. A proper boat for your needs is in good condition and is designed for your intended activity, and pontoon boats and speed boats are quite different. Overall, though, you will want to look over a boat before renting it, and at a marina, you may have many options open for a boat rental. With a staff member to guide you, look over multiple boats of the desired type, and get a close look at all of them. An ideal boat does not have any visible cracks or holes in it, and the seats should be in good condition (and the same is true of the boat’s carpeting). Also, some boats come with extendable awnings, and you can try using to ensure that it folds and unfolds just right. In many cases, you can also take a boat on a test run, to ensure that its motor is in good shape and the boat’s steering is working right.
Now, what kind of boat are you looking for? A more leisurely boat will be a party boat or a pontoon boat, which are wide and slow, but roomy. A pontoon boat is not fast, but it does have a lot of deck space for a few small tables, couches, and swivel chairs, and they also have guard railings on them. These pontoon boats often have an extendable awning on them, too, which will at least shade the pilot. Pontoon boats are a good choice for taking a small party onto the water for casual exploring, or to go fishing or even have a picnic. There’s plenty of room for all that, and the railing helps keep a fisher safe. There will also be room for a live capture bucket.
If you’re in the mood for water sports, go for a speed boat, which is narrower and tapers to a point, and can go much faster than pontoon boats. They also kick up the right kind of wakes that are essential for wakesurfing and wakeboarding, and you will definitely want to test-drive these boats before renting one, to ensure that it can reach top speed.
Boat Activities
You can go fishing or have lunch on a pontoon boat, yes but water sports can be great fun, too. In fact, many areas host charity races, where racers on speed boats will pass through a series of checkpoints. A variant is race poker, where the boaters can pick up playing cards at the checkpoints and assemble a poker hand. At the finish line, the racers compare hands and determine a winner.
Wakeboarding is when an athlete stands on a wide board, and they hang onto handlebar that are connected to the speed boat’s rear on a long rope. The boat gets up to full speed and pulls the athlete along, who will stay upright on their board while enjoying a speedy race across the water. Wakesurfing is like this, except the surfer will be much closer to the boat, and once they reach top speed, the surfer lets go and rides on the wake with their board. Both sports have been popular since the late 1980s or so, when they were invented, and they’re a fine activity for a sunny lake outing.
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