Looking for ways to add a little more excitement and fun to your pontoon? A diving board makes an excellent choice. Fitted securely to the edge of your boat, a diving board can extend the enjoyment of a day out on the water, making it the perfect addition for families with rowdy kids (and adults) who just can’t get enough of the thrill of water play.
If you’ve made a decision to buy a pontoon diving board, then there are a few things you should know. By making an informed decision on the pontoon diving board you’re buying, you can be sure you’re getting something that will find its purpose on your vessel.
The Best Pontoon Diving Board
There aren’t a lot of brands that offer diving boards for pontoons, so it shouldn’t be too hard to narrow down your selection. In fact, there’s really only one well known manufacturer in the pontoon diving board market, and that’s Lillipad. Their intuitive diving board design can be installed in two different ways, depending on the specifications of your pontoon:
Surface Mount
This is the ideal installation method if your boat doesn’t let you get underneath the flooring without an aluminum shield or anything similar blocking the way. A surface mount kit will give you the appropriate brackets to secure your diving board on top of the deck surface itself, and is essentially a far easier installation process.
Under Floor Mount
As its name suggests, an under floor mount lets you get underneath the deck without any obstructions in the way of your brackets or your drill. This can be particularly ideal for maintaining a secure mount, and creates a neater aesthetic on the surface. It’s slightly more difficult to achieve though, and may require up to two people for successful completion.
Lillipad Diving Board
The Lillipad Diving Board is a simple, straightforward, and efficient model that folds down for easy travel and docking. The sturdy design can hold up to 250 lbs in weight, and uses secure mounting hardward that eliminates energy transfer. This basically means that even with a bunch of kids climbing up and jumping off of the board, your pontoon will stay relatively steady.
On top of all of that, the Lillipad Diving Board is relatively easy to remove. This can come in handy if you’re putting a cover on your boat and you want it to fit as snugly as possible. Releasing the locking mechanism and removing the board should let you cover up with zero difficulty. Of course, the board itself might be a little heavy, but it can fit into most under-seat storage systems.
Things to Consider When Buying and Installing a Pontoon Diving Board
Before you take the leap and buy that brand new diving board for your pontoon, you might want to consider a few factors to make sure you truly understand what you’re buying. Knowing the details of diving board installation, use, and storage can be a great way to fully appreciate the brand new boat accessory you’re getting.
Installation Specifics
Almost every pontoon should have a space or provision with the perfect dimensions where you could install a diving board. According to the Lillipad manufacturer however, their specific diving board design is intended solely for pontoons at least 18 feet in length.
Aside from determining whether to go with a surface or under floor mount, you might also want to consider whether the chosen area is safe for diving board installation. In general, if there’s anything that protrudes from the edge of the deck where you want to install your board, you should consider a different location all together.
Weight Capacity and Adjustment
The Lillipad Diving Board can accommodate users of up to 250 pounds in weight, and it offer adjustments to improve the feel during use. An adjustable pin lets you change the spring configuration to match the weight of the people who want to jump off. This won’t only make the diving board experience more dynamic and versatile, but should also protect the hardware of your board by adapting its flex to the user’s weight.
Maintenance and Storage
A pontoon diving board will be exposed to quite some moisture and mechanical wear and tear, so you should know that it will require some maintenance for extended lifespan. Aside from keeping it clean and tightening its screws whenever necessary, it also wouldn’t hurt to set it aside when it isn’t in use.
The Lillipad Removable Diving Board can collapse and be removed for storage, letting you dock your boat safely without the board protruding and posing a risk to neighboring vessels.
Stability and Safety
The last thing you’d want would be to install a diving board that might pose a risk of injury to your family and friends. Aside from figuring out how to install the board properly, you should also make sure you read the manual for any additional safety information. Some models come with a handrail to help users maintain their balance before the big jump, which can come in handy if you’re looking to have smaller kids hop on.
Inspecting the diving board for high quality hardware should also be part of your selection process. If you feel like you might need a little extra stability, then diving board grip tape can be an inexpensive add-on.
Spring Into Action and Take the Leap
A pontoon diving board can be a wonderful addition to your boat. In fact, with one of these and a worthy slide, you could turn your humble pontoon into a water wonderland for summer fun and frolic with family and friends. The Lillipad Diving Board is one of the safest picks out there, touting a design that was specifically intended for pontoon boat installation. So if you were hoping to get the best there is, you might want to consider giving Lillipad’s top rated board a thorough look-over.
