Buddy Boating: Tips for Cruising with Company

There’s nothing quite like springtime boating—the joyful return to sunny days on the water, delicious waterfront grub and the thrill of riding that perfect wake. The only thing that can make it even better? Cruising with company!

By making plans to head out with a fellow boater, or two, or three (a.k.a. “buddy boating”), you can get even more out of your time on the water. With more than one boat, you also have plenty of people to share great memories with—and more witnesses to watch you land those stellar aerials. There’s always someone looking out for you, and you have that much more expertise and experience to draw from when trying out new, tricky maneuvers. Plus, of course, boating together is a great way to connect with family and friends, old and new!

To plan the perfect buddy boating adventure, read on as we share our top tips.

Plan your perfect day

When you decide to cruise with some fellow boaters, a bit of planning goes a long way! Since every boater has his or her unique preferences and ideas of what a “perfect day on the water” looks like, you’ll want to create a game plan so that each boater is able to thoroughly enjoy the day. Answer such questions as…

• How “linked” do you want to be? Do you want to meet up for lunch on the water, or stick to the same exact itinerary?
• What are you most excited to do? By picking one or two “must-dos,” you will be able to plan your day around shared interests. Maybe you have the exact same plan—to enjoy some simple water sport fun! –in which case all you need to figure out is where you’ll hit the water.
• Who’s bringing what? One of the benefits of buddy boating is that you can work together to create the perfect experience, and this includes packing. If you plan to stick close to each other all day, one boat can supply snacks and the other can bring floats for the kiddos. One can cover sunscreen and the other towels. Whichever way you split it up, work together ahead of time so that you don’t bring more than you need to!

Team up…

Don’t just boat next to each other—boat with each other! Get everyone together for an on-the-spot wakeboarding contest (some healthy competition never hurts!), and do the things that you wouldn’t be able to achieve solo. For example, now is the perfect time to snap photos of each other’s rides as they enjoy smooth runs across the lake. When else will you be able to achieve a true action shot of you and your boat like that?

You can also work together to help with launching and docking, or cluing each other into choice spots on the water. Should you both be towing at the same time, pick an arrangement that works with your state or local lake’s rules—depending on how crowded the water is, you can consider heading in opposite directions so as to not disturb each other’s wake, or simply take turns moving in the rule-of-thumb counterclockwise direction.

… or divide and conquer

You can also divide and conquer to enjoy a smooth, stress-free experience. For example, each boat can offer up a different kind of experience—some can go wakesurfing while the other boat can help watch younger cruisers as they play or enjoy a much-needed nap, for example. Or on busy days, one boat can head out to scout a location while the other hangs back.

Raft up with a delicious potluck

For a delicious midday fuel-up, raft up with a delicious potluck! It’s a great way to enjoy some social time together while digging into delicious flavors al fresco. Each boat can supply different snacks and mess-free meals to enjoy between runs, creating a carefree get-together that perfectly caps off your cruising fun.

Ready to hit the water? Grab a friend and enjoy double the fun on your next Vortex adventure.