21 Jul

Guide to Saving Money on Personal Watercraft this Summer

It’s summertime and it’s hot. One great way to cool off while enjoying your summer is to head out on the water. Lakes, rivers and oceans all offer terrific scenic, adventurous ways to stay cool when the temperatures start to climb. Most people who hit the water this summer will be swimming or fishing. But a lucky few are going to be in boats and on jet skis. Think that you can’t afford to enjoy time on a personal watercraft this summer? Think again. This guide can help you figure out how to save money while having fun on the water.

Money-Saving Tips for Renting Personal Watercraft

Most of us don’t own a boat and don’t plan to buy one this year. However, we can enjoy the opportunity to get out on the water in one by renting a boat this summer. Here are some tips for saving money on a boat rental or renting other watercraft:

• Rent a boat with a group. If you want to save money on renting a boat then your best bet is to get a group to join in on the rental. The individual cost per person obviously drops when there are more people chipping in.
• Take as little extra weight on the boat as possible. The more weight there is on the boat, the worst fuel mileage you’ll get and fueling up your boat rental is pricey. Don’t bring lots of extras – just the people and the must-haves. If your boat seems to have a lot of extras already on it, ask about unloading them before you take the boat out on the water.
• Pay for gas for a friend’s boat. Do you know someone who owns a boat? You can save money on your own rental by going out on the water with them and just paying for the boat’s fuel.
• Borrow personal watercraft. Likewise if you know someone with a boat or jet skis then you can borrow the items from them instead of renting them yourself. Even if they charge you a small rental fee, you’ll pay a lot less than you would if getting the boat from a rental service.
• Search classified ads for personal boat rentals. Individuals who own boats sometimes rent their personal watercraft out for much cheaper than the cost you’d pay at an official boat rental place.
• Take the boat out for just an hour or two. You don’t need to spend money on an entire day’s worth of a boat rental. Instead, get your fill for an hour or two and then spend the rest of the day swimming for free.
• Consider man-powered boats. Renting a canoe or a paddle boat is considerably less expensive than renting a motor-powered boat.
• Use discount codes and vouchers. Take advantage of the deals that are out there to reduce the cost of your boat rental this summer.

Money-Saving Tips for Boat Owners

Maybe you bought a boat for yourself when you had more disposable income but now don’t feel like you can afford to use it. You’re wrong. Save money on using your personal watercraft with the following tips:

• Tow your boat to and from the water. It is very costly to spend your money docking a boat at the marina. If you have a towable boat and the means with which to tow it then it’s more cost effective to tow the boat to and from the water when you use it.
• Tow the boat properly. When towing your boat, you want to keep it as low as possible to the ground. Make sure that your vehicle is well-maintained with proper air pressure in the tires. This helps to keep the strain on your vehicle’s fuel efficiency as low as possible which means you spend the least amount on petrol towing the vehicle as you can.
• Buy your fuel away from the water. Fuel costs at boat marinas are typically very expensive. Fuel up elsewhere instead.
• Keep the bottom of the boat clean. A dirty boat bottom increases friction against the water which means that you burn up more fuel when boating. Keep the boat clean and well-maintained to get the most for your fuel money.
• Take the time to get the best boat insurance. You need boat insurance for your boat. Make sure that you are paying the lowest cost. Tips for this including getting a group insurance deal with other boaters, bundling boat insurance with other insurance (such as auto insurance) and adding boating safety devices for money-saving incentives from your insurance provider.
• Charge others who want to enjoy your boat. Sure it’s nice to invite your friends out on the boat but there’s no reason that they should be allowed to always join for free. Ask them to pitch in for boat fuel or at least to bring along the snacks since they’re benefitting from the boat as well!
• Make some money with your boat. Give tours or boat-driving lessons to people to earn some money while you’re out on the water!

Tips for Saving Money when Buying a Boat

Buying a boat sounds like something that is completely out of reach for most of us right now, doesn’t it? However, buying a boat doesn’t have to be something that only the very rich get to do. If you’re smart about it, you can afford your own personal watercraft. The following tips will help you save money when purchasing your own boat:

• Buy a towable boat. As described above, it’s cheaper to tow a boat to and from the water than to store it at a marina. For that reason, you should invest in a towable boat or small personal watercraft.
• Buy what you will use most often. You may love the idea of a big family boat but if you’re more likely to go out on a jet ski frequently (or vice versa) then that’s what you should get. The more you use your personal watercraft, the more value you get from the investment.
• Buy a boat with others. You probably aren’t going to need to use the boat every day this summer. If you go in on this investment with a group of friends then you can all enjoy a boat this year without spending a lot of money. You will want to clearly outline the agreement of sharing the boat in a written contract to prevent problems but this is definitely a great way to go.
• Build your own boat. This is a great project and one that allows you to get a boat for a relatively low cost.
• Shop around and do your research. Most importantly, take the process of buying a boat seriously. Shop around. Learn what you need to know about finding the boat that is best for you. And, as always, make a budget and stick to it when investing in a big purchase like a boat.

Hey, seems you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed, so you will be the first to get our free money saving tips. New today, free CosyFeet Discount Codes. Order 3 and get the cheapest of them free at CosyFeet. Thanks for visiting!