Pontoon Boat Accessories That Will Make Your Life Easier
The 1.25′′ standard size guardrail all around the boat is one of the finest aspects of owning a pontoon boat. It’s ideal for attaching extras to personalize your gear.
I’m constantly on the lookout for new accessories, so I’d like to share a couple of my favorites in this article.
Pontoon Boat Accessories
1. Under-Deck Lighting
Marine-grade lighting beneath your boat’s deck isn’t something you’ll want every time you’re out on the water, but it can be a lot of fun when you do stay out late. As you travel around the lake, the water beneath the boat glows with bright color from the lights, adding to the mood.
The benefit of under-deck lighting is that it does not interfere with the existing lighting on the boat (rope lights, accent lights, etc.) It’s wonderful to have bright colored lights on the boat during a party, but it’s a touch unpleasant the rest of the time. Typically, a little accent of colored light beneath the deck provides a delightful impression while allowing you to see properly.
The Fourth of July (in the United States) and other occasions when you’re watching fireworks on the boat at night are the finest periods for under-deck lights.
Even for a person like myself who isn’t very handy, installing marine-grade LED lighting is surprisingly straightforward. Because of their brightness and minimal heat, LED lights are the best choice, making installation safe and simple as long as you follow the instructions. Other forms of illumination can deplete your battery, but LEDs consume a minuscule amount of electricity. To acquire a kit containing everything you need, go to the URL below.
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- Price: $12
- Time: 30 minutes
2. Fencing-Mount Barbecue Grill
Even if your pontoon or tritoon didn’t come with a BBQ station, there are a number of choices for installing one. The majority of the possibilities are installed on an auxiliary pole that goes in the same hole as a drink table (standard size). These function OK, but they add to the amount of material you have to carry around, and room on a toon might be limited when you’re carrying a lot of people.
Arnall’s basic bracket is the coolest grill around. It’s just a simple bracket that you install to the fencing and then use with any portable camping stove. The bracket is inexpensive and has received positive feedback from clients. Arnall suggests this entire kit with brackets and stove if you don’t already have a portable camp stove to connect it to.
- Price: $61
- Time: 5 minutes
3. Bungee Dock Lines
You haven’t yet mastered your nautical knots for safely docking the boat, or you’d want a lot faster approach to connect at the dock? Spend a few bucks on a bungee dock line and you’re done. Much faster and more convenient, because it allows for some flexibility when the waves move the boat instead of securing it to the cleats rigidly.
The Airhead bungee dock line is one of my favorites since it contains foam parts that prevent it from rubbing up against the boat and preventing chafing on the toons.
- Price: $9
- Time: 1 minute
4. Corner Bumpers
The dock is probably the most probable location for your pontoon to be damaged, as people move about and waves force the boat up against the dock. Also, if you don’t get your angle correct as you approach the dock, pontoon boats are prone to denting in the corners of the deck.
Rubber bumpers for your boat’s four corners are an excellent prophylactic precaution. It’s practically ideal protection, but there’s one catch: they’re a little unattractive. Taylor Made should manufacture a slimmer version of these bumpers in black or silver, in my opinion.
When buying these bumpers, keep in mind that there are two versions: one for square-cornered boats and one for rounded-cornered boats.
- Price: $30 each
- Time: 20 minutes
5. Controllable Lighting from Your Phone
I’m a nerd for technology. It’s true. I want one if it’s wifi and has a chip. Perhaps this is why I enjoy the notion of these amazing accent lights for your boat’s interior that you can change the colors using an app on your phone.
If you haven’t already purchased this after reading that section of the description, I’ll add a feature that will undoubtedly tip the scales in your favor: it syncs to your music! So, if you’re listening to music on your phone, the lighting will sync up with the beat. Awesome.
Necessary? Certainly not. That’s why I’m so desperate for it.
- Price: $350
- Time: 1 hour
6. Emergency Light
You might as well embrace the reality that if you go out on the water in the nights, you’ll ultimately stay out a bit too late and return to the pier in the dark. It may be rather frightening if your boat doesn’t have docking lights or if your lights aren’t very bright.
A cigarette lighter-powered spotlight, in my opinion, is the ideal answer to this dilemma. You simply plug it in and you’re ready to go. This one has excellent ratings and utilizes an unique bulb that is shock resistant, so you won’t have to worry about it rattling about in the boat storage for a year before using it.
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- Price: $54
- Time: N/A
7. Rail-Mount Rod Holders
There are a million rod holders on the market, and they’re all quite identical, but this one is designed specifically for pontoon boaters and fits on the rail of your pontoon’s fence. I like these rod holders because they protrude a bit from the boat, allowing you to wander around the stern part of the boat without bumping into the rods. It’s inexpensive, built of robust metal rather than plastic, and it receives rave reviews. Only caveat: I wouldn’t use these for saltwater fish or salmon since they aren’t strong enough. But they’ll handle kokanee, walleye, trout, panfish, bass, and just about anything else just well.
- Price: $15
- Time: 10 minutes
8. Cell Phone Dry Case with Lanyard
I was out on the lake with my brother-in-law last week, and he neglected to take his pricey cell phone out of his pocket before launching the boat. Ouch. You want your phone nearby when boating to play music on the sound system, snap photographs, and manage your wireless trolling motor or the lighting stated before, but this also means that your phone will inevitably be ruined in the water. It is unavoidable.
This phone cover is unusual in that it allows you to use your phone normally through the plastic without having to worry about it becoming wet. It’s simple to slip your phone in, and it comes with a handy lanyard to attach to your PFD or swimsuit. You’ll hate yourself for not paying $10 on this simple fix the next time your phone breaks. I put one on the console of my boat so that when I go into the boat to get it ready for launch, the first thing I do is put my phone in the case.
- Price: $26
- Time: N/A
9. Monster Swing Tow Bar
Most pontoons and tritoons aren’t constructed for speed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a terrific ski or tube ride out of one. Pontooners, on the other hand, need every edge they can obtain in order to provide a quick and smooth ride for the skier or tuber. The monster swing is pricey, but it raises the rope above the motor and wake to minimize drag, and it also includes a pulley on the bar that moves around to enhance smoothness to the ride, even on pontoon boats with less abrupt turns.
To be honest, I find it odd that so many pontoon boat manufacturers continue to produce boats without a ski tow bar, but that is the reality.
- Price: $835
- Time: 2 hours
10. Belt Pack PFD
Many captains make the mistake of not wearing a PFD. They are inconvenient, yet they must be utilized. A tiny and unobtrusive PFD belt pack is the ideal answer. For that extra bit of safety, many more experienced boaters are switching to this form of PFD when in the captain’s chair.
This belt PFD is one of my favorites since it truly looks good. I’m not on the water to make a fashion statement, but I also don’t want to seem like I’m wearing a fanny pack from the 1980s.
- Price: $67
- Time: N/A
11. adidas Climacool Boat Lace Shoe
A pair of comfy shoes that you can wear on the boat, in the water launching from the dock, wandering down the shore, or even riding the tube makes for a lot more relaxing day at the lake. I enjoy the style of the Adidas boat shoes because they have a lot of drain holes on the bottom to keep your feet dry, but they also wear like a regular shoe, so you can wear them from the minute you leave the house till you return home patio wish.
- Price: $70
- Time: N/A
12. LilliPad Diving Board
Is it truly necessary for me to give anything in order to sell this one? A diving board for a boat! You’re on your BOAT! It’s insanely cool.
Towing people on a tube might grow boring after a while, but bringing out a full diving board is a great way to restart the celebration and get the youngsters’ imaginations going.
If someone objects to the $3,000 price tag, simply explain that it is for your children.
- Price: $1,400
- Time: 1 hour