How to Make a Foam Pontoon

Pontoons are the method of floating some boats. If you are making your own boat or even a toy boat, this project could be time and money-saving over buying pre-manufactured pontoons. Foam is a handy floating material that can be shaped and sized to fit your particular project. The process is fairly straightforward. Therefore, any beginning builder can accomplish this project in a fairly short time and with just a few tools.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Cylindrical foam, longer than the length of your boat
  • Marker
  • Hand saw or hack saw, with small teeth
  • Sandpaper or shaver/shaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the length and width of your boat. Knowing these dimensions will allow for you to calculate the size needed for your pontoons. Typically, pontoons sit on either side edge — starboard or right, and port or left — of the boat and stick out from under the front, or bow of the boat. The amount protruding from the bow of the boat and the width of the pontoons will depend on the size of your boat. You will need enough foam to keep the boat afloat and balanced. There are no set dimensions required for a pontoon.

    • 2

      Mark the measurements of the length of the boat on the cylindrical foam pieces with marker. Make an additional mark further along the foam in accordance with how much will need to protrude from the bow of the boat. This will depend on the length of your boat.

    • 3

      Cut the foam at the second mark with a hand saw or hack saw. This will give you a length of foam that will run along the entire side of the boat plus some that will protrude from the bow of the boat.

    • 4

      Shape the area from the first mark made in step three to the cut end of the foam into a point with sandpaper or a shaver/shaper blade. The point should face the front end of the pontoon and hook slightly upward. This shape will prevent the front of the pontoon from becoming caught in wake, or waves, and diving forward, also known as pitch pulling.