Accessibility, Safety
Pontoon Boat Ramp Make for a Great Weekend or Evening Excursion
At last, summer has arrived! This is the time of year for families and friends to grab their swimsuits, suntan lotion, and towels and get into the water. We at Handi-Ramp, north of Chicago in Libertyville, are lucky as there are many aquatic options within a few hours’ ride. It is relaxing and fun to get out on the lakes with a picnic and cold beverages.
Afternoon Ride on a Lake in Wisconsin
Last summer I was invited to join friends on a pontoon boat on beautiful Lake Geneva. The captain had backed the boat towards shore so my friends and I could board from the rear; however I underestimated the deck height. It took me a few tries and help from the Captain but I was finally aboard to enjoy the ride. What if no one was on board or I had a wheelchair and couldn’t move from the chair? For those physically disabled, this is a major obstacle to overcome.
Pontoon Boat Ramp Options
If I ever decide to buy a pontoon boat, there are a ramps available through Handi-Ramp that are inexpensive and easy to use. There are two main options for the pontoon ramp and a number of other water sport options on the Handi-Ramp website.
Pontoon Boat Boarding Ramp, Option #1
The AquaRamp II is mounted to the bottom of a boats’ platform and extends out towards the beach, shore, etc. The standard ramp is 3 feet wide and 8 foot-4 inches long. Some of the features are a non slip raised button surface and a 600 pound capacity ramp. The ramp is easy to use, made of aluminum and has a 1 year warranty.
Sidekick Pontoon Boat Boarding Ramp Aqua Ramp, Option #2
The AquaRamp SideKick ramp attaches to the side of the boat. This ramp does not have a set width, but instead is built to order depending on the width of your pontoon gate and the height of the side rails. This ramp is handicap accessible from most floating docks. The ramp is easy to use, made of aluminum and has a 1 year warranty. After everyone has boarded the boat the ramp latches into place.
The two AquaRamps manufactured at Handi-Ramp are two of the great products that we offer for water sports. Come visit handiramp.com and call our experts at (800) 876-(RAMP) to learn more about what we have to offer. And Like Us on Facebook!
That’s good to know that there are ramps for pontoons that extend from the platform to the shore that you can get. My cousin is looking for a pontoon so he can start using it next summer, so I’m helping him look into it. We’ll have to look into this kind of ramp since it would connect to the pontoon and we wouldn’t have to worry about kids jumping to get on.
I have a Sun Tracker with the winch strap connection under the deck of my pontoon about 24″ from the front and centered. Is there a way to install your ramp and still get to the connection point? Everyone it seems that rides or will ride on our boat is getting older, even the dog, and a ramp would be a great aid on boarding. Thanks for any suggestions before I buy. Bud Totty
If your winch in under the deck and centered I do not believe our Aqua Ramp II will work because it would need to be mounted where that winch is. We have a Aqua Sidekick ramp that will board from a dock to the boat.