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Last Updated on February 15, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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10 Cool and Fun Things To Do While Boating
Sailing is fantastic, but when you’re on a large boat with friends or family, it’s easy to run out of ideas for fun things to do.
Key Takeaways:
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- Boating offers endless opportunities for fun, from action-packed activities like wakeboarding, tubing, and water skiing to more relaxed options like fishing, snorkeling, and stand-up paddleboarding.
- Unique games, such as golf fishing and onboard board games, add creativity and entertainment to the experience.
- Cooking on board or visiting dock-and-dine restaurants enhances the boating trip with delicious meals and socializing opportunities.
- Sandbar parties provide a lively atmosphere for celebrating special occasions with friends and family.
It would be great if there were something more than listening to some terrible music selection or simply fishing.
Whether you rent a boat or own one and want to go sailing, there are plenty of other fun ways to take your boat entertainment to the next level.
Keep reading to discover 10 Cool and Fun Things To Do While Boating!
1. Fishing
Anyone who has gone boating will tell you that there is always that urge to catch a fish. It’s genuinely an adrenaline-pumping activity to do on the water.
The good thing about fishing is that you don’t have to go too far into the lake to make a catch. And it doesn’t have to be boring.
You can try out more challenging fishing activities on a boat, like spearheading and golf fishing.
Golf fishing has gained popularity over the past few years, as it’s a crazy and enjoyable activity.
So, what is golf fishing?
Well, as the name suggests, golf fishing is a combination of golfing and fishing.
To enjoy this activity on a boat, you’ll need to set up a piece of artificial turf on the bow, clubs, a bucket of golf balls, and an inner tube with an anchor and line for fishing.
Once you find an excellent spot to golf fish, usually on shallow waters, you need to count the casts it takes to catch a fish.
When you make a catch, place the artificial turf on the bow, pitch the inner tube to the side, and move the boat away to a challenging distance.
Then, chip the balls off the turf while counting the number of hits to get one ball through the tube.
With this game, you don’t have to worry about polluting the water since the balls are biodegradable. Most of them are made of fish food.
You need to combine the number of casts and hits to get the final score. The player with the lowest number wins.
Besides golfing, you can also combine fishing with other sports like basketball and Frisbee. Whatever you like doing on the water might work if you are creative enough.
I love fishing because it’s incredibly rewarding. At the end of the day, I always have a tasty dinner to take home.
2. Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is the best boating activity for our family. I’ve enjoyed this sport since I was a kid, and I still want it when boating with friends.
It’s an easy sport that requires little gear to get started. All you need are a life jacket, a wakeboard, and a tow rope to pull the player through the water.
All these items aren’t expensive, and if you already have a life jacket, it may cost around $300 or less to get the remaining gear.
If you spend a few hours on the boat with your kids, you might want to contest with them and see who can stay on the water and remain upright for the longest.
Enthusiastic teens will also go crazy trying to do tricks and jump the highest over the boat’s wake.
The sport may seem challenging for beginners, but once you learn to do it right, you’ll make the best memories.
3. Water Skiing
Old-school watersports fanatics and skiing purists may prefer water skiing to wakeboarding, and there is nothing wrong with that since the sport is equally enjoyable.
With water skiing, athletes start to ride facing forward as the boat pulls them, unlike in wakeboarding, where you begin with legs facing sideways.
If you want to try water skiing, you’ll be delighted that water skis are much more affordable than wakeboards. You can get everything you need for less than $200.
You can even make the sport more exciting by riding barefoot to simulate walking on water. Beware: You might become addicted to this sport!
4. Playing Games
Playing games is a perfect way to make your boating experience epic, especially if you sail with family and a few more friends.
Some board games to try out when boating include Battleship, Apples to Apples, checkers, and Pictionary.
You can also try other boat-friendly games, such as karaoke singing competitions, chicken-style water volleyball, pool noodle jousts, and a jump-the-deck contest.
Kid-friendly games like ladders, go-fish, and chutes will be a blast when boating with your little ones.
If you tire of the games, you can relax and listen to the water lapping against the boat’s hull. It’s the best feeling ever!
5. Scuba Diving
Are you looking for challenging but more gratifying adventures while boating? Scuba diving is a perfect match for your needs.
It’s a great way to escape from the world’s daily noise since you can go as deep as 40 to 70 feet under the water to see beautiful fish and other amazing sea creatures.
If you are feeling adventurous and want to create unforgettable moments in the water, you can bring a camera to take photos and videos of the attractive underworld.
You must be in great shape and have a doctor’s clearance for this sport. It’s a fun activity that combines adventure and exercise, but it may be more physically demanding than you might think.
The equipment can also be expensive, but you don’t have to buy everything you need beforehand. If you love the sport, you can rent the required gear and buy yours later.
6. Snorkeling
Snorkeling involves swimming on the water’s surface and wearing a facemask to breathe through the mouth.
The facemask also keeps water from your mouth and eyes, allowing you to see the sea creatures.
I love snorkeling with my kids, as they haven’t learned to scuba dive. It’s a relaxing activity as we explore the underwater without going too deep or overworking the body.
When snorkeling, you can bring a waterproof camera to take pictures and videos when swimming around.
Watching fish swim as you snorkel and others explore the underwater environment will also soothe your soul.
7. Tubing
Tubing is a fun and satisfying thing to do when boating. Whether you want to ride a single or two-person tube, tubing is perfectly safe and enjoyable as long as you have a life jacket.
When the boat is relatively speedy, it will give you adrenaline-stimulated fun. But you don’t want it to go too fast, as you still want to be comfortable, and the tube may not handle extremely high speeds.
What’s fascinating about water tubing is that it tests your balance and coordination. The fact that you struggle to get in and out of the tube makes the sport sensational.
8. Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Stand-up paddle boarding has become a popular water sport over the last few years, as many boaters fall in love with it.
Okay, we admit that stand-up paddle boarding may not be the most intense watersport, but it still provides a lot of excitement.
Just being able to stand on the water is fantastic. I laugh hard watching my friends stand and then suddenly fall when they are scared of fish when enjoying this sport.
I recommend this fun boating activity because it’s easy to learn, and you don’t have to know all the tricks to get started.
Finding a place with clear water and fewer sailboats would be best. Then, stand up on your board and balance yourself as the boat pulls you.
Once you get the most comfortable position with your hands held to the paddle, carry on with the ride for an exhilarating experience. Later, you can try some tricks, like standing on one foot.
We never get enough of this watersport when boating with my friends. It’s exciting and a great way to burn some calories. You’ll also love it!
9. Cooking
For food lovers, a boating trip would be incomplete without doing some cooking on board.
If you will be out on the water for more than a few hours, you can make some BBQ meats and salads on board.
You don’t have to make complicated meals for your friends and guests while on board, but you can always entertain them by bringing beer and other cold drinks like soda and cocktails.
For those who lack cooking tools and equipment on board, you can wrap some prepared food in several layers of aluminum foil and put it on the stern. The heat generated by the engine will cook the food quickly.
If you want to avoid doing any cooking work on the boat, there are even better ideas. You can visit a dock-and-dine restaurant and enjoy dinner with stunning views.
10. Go to a Sandbar Party
Do you love partying? Sandbar parties are just the best.
You can set up a sandbar and bring drinks to enjoy while hanging out and playing games with your buddies.
Sandbars are great for birthdays, bachelorettes, and engagement parties. You can also visit one to celebrate an achievement or a special occasion with friends and family.
Of course, you must plan for this activity to ensure every minute of the adventure is worthwhile.
You can start by creating a music playlist and packing fresh drinks, snacks, life jackets, and sunscreen cream, as you might not find natural shade while out there.
If you can find a boat with a Bimini top, it would be great for your skin. Otherwise, sunglasses and hats will come in handy.
Final Words
Now that you’ve learned fun things to do on a boat, you can create a bucket list for your next boating trip.
If you are scared of getting into the water, I recommend trying fun activities onboard, such as playing games, cooking, and having sandbar parties.
Of course, you can be creative with these activities and personalize them to suit your needs and the type of entertainment you want.
If you are a pet lover, remember to bring your furry friends on board and play a game or swim with them. They love the water too!
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